President Barack Obama will travel to Myanmar, where he will meet with President Thein Sein and activist Aung San Suu Kyi, on a trip to Asia later this month, the White House said Thursday.
Obama will stop in Myanmar, also known as Burma, during a November 17-20 trip to "speak to civil society to encourage Burma's ongoing democratic transition," according to a news release.
It will be the first time a U.S. president visits the country.
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The historic trip comes as Myanmar's new reformist president has created a opening for further democracy there.
Myanmar's displaced detail violence
Under Thein Sein, the Myanmar government has released hundreds of political prisoners in the past year, part of a series of reforms that have followed decades of repressive military rule. Western governments have responded to the efforts by starting to ease sanctions put in place to pressure the military regime.
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