Obama makes history with Asian tour

Last updated 11:56 20/11/2012

Obama arrives in Cambodia

Relevant offers


iPhone danger to national security in China Asylum seekers on crashed boat told they had reached Australia Nepal teen commits suicide after Brazil defeat More missiles fired from North Korea Widodo could be next Indonesian president Dozen dead in landslides in China Baby elephants suffer for Thai tourism trade Weakened typhoon leaves 2 dead in Japan Spectre of breakaway Afghan government Typhoon Neoguri too big for camera in space

On a history-making trip, US President Barack Obama has paid the first visit by an American leader to Myanmar and Cambodia, two Asian countries with troubled histories, one on the mend and the other still a cause of concern.

Obama's fast-paced trip vividly illustrated the different paths the regional neighbours are taking to overcome legacies of violence, poverty and repression.


Hours later, he arrived in Cambodia to little fanfare, then pointedly criticised the country's strongman leader on the issue of human rights during a tense meeting.


He's rewarded the country, also known as Burma, with eased economic penalties, increased US investment and now a presidential visit, in part to show other nations the benefits of pursuing similar reforms.


The Cambodians are among those Obama is hoping will be motivated.

White House officials said he held up Myanmar, a once-pariah state, as a benchmark during his private meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen, the autocratic Cambodian leader who has held power for nearly 30 years.


Unlike the arrangement after Obama's meetings with Myanmar's President Thein Sein and democracy leader Aung Sun Suu Kyi, the US and Cambodian leaders did not speak to the press following their one-on-one talks.





White House officials emphasised that Obama would not have visited Cambodia had it not been hosting two regional summit meetings the US attends, a rare admonishment of a country on its own soil.


A welcome sign did greet Obama upon his arrival - but it heralded Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, not the American president.


Ad Feedback






Perhaps the sharpest calls for caution came from Suu Kyi, Myanmar's long-time democracy champion.




Obama has added the summit to his annual list of high-priority international meetings as he seeks to expand US influence in the region.




- AP

Special offers

Featured Promotions

Sponsored Content