Red carpet for Suu Kyi in Washington, historic meeting with Obama

Washington held the red carpet Wednesday for Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, with an unprecedented meeting with President Barack Obama and the delivery of a prestigious Congressional Gold Medal. President Obama, winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace will host for the first time the Burmese opposition leader, who received the award in 1991, said the spokesman for the White House, Jay Carney. This historic meeting is scheduled to 17H00 (21H00 GMT) and will be closed to the press. For Obama, the visit of Ms. Suu Kyi "can once again reaffirm our longstanding support his fight and struggle for many other democratic, fair and transparent in Burma," said his spokesman. In fact, the President of the United States in 2009 had supported the initiation of a process, so unthinkable, democratization of Burma. The military junta, which held that countries in Southeast Asia is for half a century, was replaced in March 2011 to a civilian regime of former generals reformers. The process was bloodless and Burma has changed its face, thanks to the release of hundreds of dissidents and the election of Aung San Suu Kyi as an opposition member. Washington ended in July, most of the restrictions on its investments in Burma, including gas and oil. A new ambassador has served since July, a first in 22 years. Aung San Suu Kyi in Washington since Monday for a three-week trip across the United States, where, as in Europe in June, she received a warm welcome as prestigious as a country where it is worshiped.

The most prestigious civilian award

She found Tuesday Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, she was warmly welcomed in his dilapidated house and mythical Rangoon in December 2011. Released in late 2010 under house arrest after spending 15 years deprived of liberty, the "Lady of Rangoon" called for the lifting of all sanctions imposed by Washington over the past two decades. Restrictions that had yet supported at the time to put pressure on the military in power. Clinton responded that he "rest (any) work" so that "the opposition and the government work for the unity of the country," the warning against possible "flashbacks". Before the White House, the opponent has at 15H00 (19H00 GMT) honors all U.S. institutions by going to Congress to see return his gold medal, the most prestigious civilian award in the United States. She was awarded in 2008 when she was under house arrest. However, wishing to maintain pressure on the new regime in Burma - whose official name is the "Myanmar" - Congress has extended the ban on August Burmese imports. Tuesday, Clinton was also worried communal violence between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslim minority in western countries, as well as ongoing relationship between Burma and North Korea. American tour of Aung San Suu Kyi coincides with the arrival of President Thein Sein of Burma, expected next week at the General Assembly of the UN, for the first time as head of state. The Center Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington pleaded for President Obama meets with Burmese at the same time that Suu Kyi, in order not to minimize his "courageous role" in the reforms.