(Image source: The New York Times)

BY SAMANTHA SUNNE

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Could it be the beginnings of friendlier relations?

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Myanmar, the southeast Asian country also known as Burma. The U.S. severed ties with the country in 1990.

NBC reports Myanmar’s new government has taken steps toward political reform, but still has a long way to go.

“They have to release all political prisoners, I mean, that just is a condition. They have to have a real electoral system, with an open door to political parties and free expression.”

While in Myanmar, Clinton met with opposition leader Daw Aung San Soo Kyi, whose Democratic political party was recently allowed to participate in elections. The BBC spoke to Soo Kyi.

“Daw Aung San Soo Kyi told me that she thought there’s a beginning of a changing in the Burmese democratic system.”

And Al Jazeera talked to Burmese citizens, who said they are noticing changes in their government and its relations with foreign countries.

“We are not isolated form the world anymore. I think communication with Western countries and our country has totally changed.”

Clinton’s visit was seen as a sign of confidence in the economic and political reform efforts by the new government, led by president Thein Sein. But despite being the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit Myanmar in more than 50 years, Clinton received little attention from Burmese media. The New York Times notes...

“The government newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar, played down Mrs. Clinton’s arrival the night before, though it did print on its front page the entire résumé of the prime minister of Belarus, who arrived for a visit on Thursday. Mrs. Clinton’s visit was covered in a two-paragraph article on the second page.”

According to the Times, Myanmar is also suspected of cooperating with North Korea on missile and nuclear technology, another issue on which Clinton called for change.