Today will be an historic day in Washington as President Obama welcomes Thein Sein, president of Myanmar (known as Burma). Two years ago, Thein Sein, a general, was sworn into office and officially launched a nominally civilian government after 50 years of military rule. Since then, the door to democracy has widened: Aung San Suu Kyi, the icon of freedom in that country---(once under house ...arrest for nearly two decades) now sits in Parliament; many dissidents have been released from jail, and there have been political and electoral reforms. A few years ago when I was in Burma--- researching “The Scattered Tribe,” (Globe Pequot Press) one didn’t dare mention the name Suu Kyi. Today, Burma is a popular destination of American tourists and the 100-year-old Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue in Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon) remains open every day, including Friday night services now often held because of the influx of tourists. Let’s hope the meeting in Washington is productive and that the road to freedom continues for the people of Myanmar. Check out www.myanmarshalom.com and my blog at www.bengfrank.blogspot.com “I Travel the World.”See More
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