Thein Sein: No going back on reforms

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Thein Sein, president of Myanmar's military-backed civilian regime, says his country is on the "right track to democracy" from which there is no turning back.

The former general and prime minister, who took over following November 2010 elections after decades of military rule, spoke in an interview with The Washington Post, published Friday.

Thein Sein has been credited with a number of reforms, which include freeing opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest and releasing hundreds of prisoners, including political detainees.

"My message is that we are on the right track to democracy. Because we are on the right track, we can only move forward, and we don't have any intention to draw back."

The president urged the United States and other Western nations to lift longstanding economic sanctions, which, he said, are holding back economic progress of his Southeast Asian nation (formerly called Burma) of 54 million people.

Thein Sein said his government has already met a number of those nations' demands and plans special elections in April in which Suu Kyi and her party would be participating.

"What is needed from the Western countries is for them to do their part," Thein Sein told the Post.

Suu Kyi was quoted as saying: "Engage and lift sanctions when they (the Western nations) think the time is right."

She also spoke well of Thein Sein to the Post, saying: "I believe he sincerely wants reform. But he is not the only one in government."

The reforms have impressed the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, who is planning to appoint an ambassador to Myanmar.

Thein Sein said the military doesn't have a formal role in the executive branch, but it does hold a fourth of the 600 parliamentary seats. Only 48 of the seats will be contested in the April elections.

"We cannot leave the military behind because we require the military's participation in our country's development," Thein Sein told the Post.