LONDON, March 13 (UPI) -- A reform-minded approach to development programs will help Myanmar continue with its political progress, a British leader said Thursday.
Malcolm Bruce, chairman of the British Department for International Development, said the government should increase its aid to Myanmar from around $100 million to $166 million to support peace and political development.
"While, a host of problems remain, a key opportunity exists for U.K. development programs to help deliver transformational change," he said in a statement Thursday. "We must seize the moment."
U.N. special envoy on human rights in Myanmar Tomas Ojea Quintana on Wednesday published his progress report on Myanmar, more than four years after the Asian country earned international praise for ending a long period of military rule by holding general elections.
The envoy said the military still has a "prevailing role" despite political reforms.
Nevertheless, Bruce said extending a hand to Myanmar was better than isolation.
"Progress will be unpredictable and uneven, but supporting the reform process by working to deliver public services and develop livelihoods offers unprecedented potential," he said.
He added engagement runs counter to critics who say London's policy on Myanmar is "naive."
