奥巴马有信心看到缅甸开启“新时代” Obama is confident of a

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美国总统奥巴马说,他有信心看到缅甸开启“新时代”。但是,他表示这个东南亚国家还需要进一步改革。

奥巴马是在星期四与缅甸总统吴登盛和长期致力于缅甸民主运动的昂山素季会面时作出上述评论的。

奥巴马正在对缅甸进行为期两天的访问。缅甸2011年结束了长达数十年的军事独裁统治。

白宫国家安全事务副顾问罗兹说,奥巴马打算在星期四与缅甸总统吴登盛会晤时表达对缅甸政治改革步伐和人权问题的忧虑。

一个名义上的缅甸文官政府于2011年开始执政,结束了50年的军方直接统治,但仍暴露了一些根深蒂固的问题,包括缅甸少数民族的待遇。

罗兹说,奥巴马还将提及罗兴亚穆斯林族裔的问题,该族裔成员得不到公民身份,在其他很多方面也受到限制。

奥巴马星期五将前往仰光,单独会晤诺贝尔和平奖得主、缅甸反对派议员昂山素季。

这是缅甸首次担任东盟年度峰会的东道国。

奥巴马星期四在谈到东盟峰会时表示,他期待美国与东盟建立牢固的伙伴关系。

U.S. President Barack Obama says he is confident of a "new day" in Myanmar, but says there is work yet to be done to reform the Southeast Asian country.

President Obama made his comments Thursday during a meeting with top leaders, including President Thein Sein and longtime democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.

Mr. Obama is in the middle of a two-day visit to Myanmar, also known as Burma, which is emerging from decades of authoritarian military rule.

White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes says Mr. Obama plans to raise concerns over the pace of political reforms and human rights during a one-on-one meeting Thursday with President Thein Sein.

A nominally civilian government took power in 2011, ending direct military rule but exposing deep-seated problems, including the treatment of the country's ethnic minorities.

Rhodes says Mr. Obama also will bring up the issue of the Rohingya, a mostly Muslim group that is denied citizenship and faces a wide range of other restrictions.

Mr. Obama on Friday will travel to Yangon, where he will meet separately with Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and opposition lawmaker.

The visit is taking place during a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

It is the first time that Myanmar has hosted the annual summit.

In remarks to the summit Thursday, Mr. Obama said he is looking forward to building on what he said is a strong partnership between the U.S. and ASEAN.