PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you. (Applause.) Myanmar Naingan, Mingalaba! (Laughter and applause.) I am very honored to be here at this university and to be the first President of the United States of America to visit your country.
I came here because of the importance of your country. You live at the
crossroads of East and South Asia. You border the most populated nations
on the planet. You have a history that reaches back thousands of years,
and the ability to help determine the destiny of the fastest growing
region of the world.
I came here because of the beauty and diversity of your country. I have
seen just earlier today the golden stupa of Shwedagon, and have been
moved by the timeless idea of metta — the belief that our time on this
Earth can be defined by tolerance and by love. And I know this land
reaches from the crowded neighborhoods of this old city to the homes of
more than 60,000 villages; from the peaks of the Himalayas, the forests
of Karen State, to the banks of the Irrawady River.
I came here because of my respect for this university. It was here at
this school where opposition to colonial rule first took hold. It was
here that Aung San edited a magazine before leading an independence
movement. It was here that U Thant learned the ways of the world before
guiding it at the United Nations. Here, scholarship thrived during the
last century and students demanded their basic human rights. Now, your
Parliament has at last passed a resolution to revitalize this university
and it must reclaim its greatness, because the future of this country
will be determined by the education of its youth.
I came here because of the history between our two countries. A century
ago, American traders, merchants and missionaries came here to build
bonds of faith and commerce and friendship. And from within these
borders in World War II, our pilots flew into China and many of our
troops gave their lives. Both of our nations emerged from the British
Empire, and the United States was among the first countries to recognize
an independent Union of Burma. We were proud to found an American
Center in Rangoon and to build exchanges with schools like this one. And
through decades of differences, Americans have been united in their
affection for this country and its people.
Above all, I came here because of America’s belief in human dignity.
Over the last several decades, our two countries became strangers. But
today, I can tell you that we always remained hopeful about the people
of this country, about you. You gave us hope and we bore witness to your
courage.
We saw the activists dressed in white visit the families of political
prisoners on Sundays and monks dressed in saffron protesting peacefully
in the streets. We learned of ordinary people who organized relief teams
to respond to a cyclone, and heard the voices of students and the beats
of hip-hop artists projecting the sound of freedom. We came to know
exiles and refugees who never lost touch with their families or their
ancestral home. And we were inspired by the fierce dignity of Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi, as she proved that no human being can truly be imprisoned
if hope burns in your heart.
When I took office as President, I sent a message to those governments
who ruled by fear. I said, in my inauguration address, “We will extend a
hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” And over the last year
and a half, a dramatic transition has begun, as a dictatorship of five
decades has loosened its grip. Under President Thein Sein, the desire
for change has been met by an agenda for reform. A civilian now leads
the government, and a parliament is asserting itself. The once-outlawed
National League for Democracy stood in an election, and Aung San Suu Kyi
is a Member of Parliament. Hundreds of prisoners of conscience have
been released, and forced labor has been banned. Preliminary cease-fires
have been reached with ethnic armies, and new laws allow for a more
open economy.
So today, I’ve come to keep my promise and extend the hand of
friendship. America now has an Ambassador in Rangoon, sanctions have
been eased, and we will help rebuild an economy that can offer
opportunity for its people, and serve as an engine of growth for the
world. But this remarkable journey has just begun, and has much further
to go. Reforms launched from the top of society must meet the
aspirations of citizens who form its foundation. The flickers of
progress that we have seen must not be extinguished — they must be
strengthened; they must become a shining North Star for all this
nation’s people.
And your success in that effort is important to the United States, as
well as to me. Even though we come from different places, we share
common dreams: to choose our leaders; to live together in peace; to get
an education and make a good living; to love our families and our
communities. That’s why freedom is not an abstract idea; freedom is the
very thing that makes human progress possible — not just at the ballot
box, but in our daily lives.
One of our greatest Presidents in the United States, Franklin Delano
Roosevelt, understood this truth. He defined America’s cause as more
than the right to cast a ballot. He understood democracy was not just
voting. He called upon the world to embrace four fundamental freedoms:
freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom
from fear. These four freedoms reinforce one another, and you cannot
fully realize one without realizing them all.
So that’s the future that we seek for ourselves, and for all people. And that is what I want to speak to you about today.
First, we believe in the right of free expression so that the voices of
ordinary people can be heard, and governments reflect their will — the
people’s will.
In the United States, for more than two centuries, we have worked to
keep this promise for all of our citizens — to win freedom for those who
were enslaved; to extend the right to vote for women and African
Americans; to protect the rights of workers to organize.
And we recognize no two nations achieve these rights in exactly the same
way, but there is no question that your country will be stronger if it
draws on the strength of all of its people. That’s what allows nations
to succeed. That’s what reform has begun to do.
Instead of being repressed, the right of people to assemble together
must now be fully respected. Instead of being stifled, the veil of media
censorship must continue to be lifted. And as you take these steps, you
can draw on your progress. Instead of being ignored, citizens who
protested the construction of the Myitsone dam were heard. Instead of
being outlawed, political parties have been allowed to participate. You
can see progress being made. As one voter said during the parliamentary
elections here, “Our parents and grandparents waited for this, but never
saw it.” And now you can see it. You can taste freedom.
And to protect the freedom of all the voters, those in power must accept
constraints. That’s what our American system is designed to do. Now,
America may have the strongest military in the world, but it must submit
to civilian control. I, as the President of the United States, make
determinations that the military then carries out, not the other way
around. As President and Commander-In-Chief, I have that responsibility
because I’m accountable to the people.
Now, on other hand, as President, I cannot just impose my will on
Congress — the Congress of the United States — even though sometimes I
wish I could. The legislative branch has its own powers and its own
prerogatives, and so they check my power and balance my power. I appoint
some of our judges, but I cannot tell them how to rule, because every
person in America — from a child living in poverty to me, the President
of the United States — is equal under the law. And a judge can make a
determination as to whether or not I am upholding the law or breaking
the law. And I am fully accountable to that law.
And I describe our system in the United States because that’s how you
must reach for the future that you deserve — a future where a single
prisoner of conscience is one too many. You need to reach for a future
where the law is stronger than any single leader, because it’s
accountable to the people. You need to reach for a future where no child
is made to be a soldier and no woman is exploited, and where the laws
protect them even if they’re vulnerable, even if they’re weak; a future
where national security is strengthened by a military that serves under
civilians and a Constitution that guarantees that only those who are
elected by the people may govern.
On that journey, America will support you every step of the way — by
using our assistance to empower civil society; by engaging your military
to promote professionalism and human rights; and by partnering with you
as you connect your progress towards democracy with economic
development. So advancing that journey will help you pursue a second
freedom — the belief that all people should be free from want.
It’s not enough to trade a prison of powerlessness for the pain of an
empty stomach. But history shows that governments of the people and by
the people and for the people are far more powerful in delivering
prosperity. And that’s the partnership we seek with you.
When ordinary people have a say in their own future, then your land
can’t just be taken away from you. And that’s why reforms must ensure
that the people of this nation can have that most fundamental of
possessions — the right to own the title to the land on which you live
and on which you work.
When your talents are unleashed, then opportunity will be created for
all people. America is lifting our ban on companies doing business here,
and your government has lifted restrictions on investment and taken
steps to open up your economy. And now, as more wealth flows into your
borders, we hope and expect that it will lift up more people. It can’t
just help folks at the top. It has to help everybody. And that kind of
economic growth, where everybody has opportunity — if you work hard, you
can succeed — that’s what gets a nation moving rapidly when it comes to
develop.
But that kind of growth can only be created if corruption is left
behind. For investment to lead to opportunity, reform must promote
budgets that are transparent and industry that is privately owned.
To lead by example, America now insists that our companies meet high
standards of openness and transparency if they’re doing business here.
And we’ll work with organizations like the World Bank to support small
businesses and to promote an economy that allows entrepreneurs, small
businesspeople to thrive and allows workers to keep what they earn. And I
very much welcome your government’s recent decision to join what we’ve
called our Open Government Partnership, so that citizens can come to
expect accountability and learn exactly how monies are spent and how
your system of government operates.
Above all, when your voices are heard in government, it’s far more
likely that your basic needs will be met. And that’s why reform must
reach the daily lives of those who are hungry and those who are ill, and
those who live without electricity or water. And here, too, America
will do our part in working with you.
Today, I was proud to reestablish our USAID mission in this country,
which is our lead development agency. And the United States wants to be a
partner in helping this country, which used to be the rice bowl of
Asia, to reestablish its capacity to feed its people and to care for its
sick, and educate its children, and build its democratic institutions
as you continue down the path of reform.
This country is famous for its natural resources, and they must be
protected against exploitation. And let us remember that in a global
economy, a country’s greatest resource is its people. So by investing in
you, this nation can open the door for far more prosperity — because
unlocking a nation’s potential depends on empowering all its people,
especially its young people.
Just as education is the key to America’s future, it is going to the be
the key to your future as well. And so we look forward to working with
you, as we have with many of your neighbors, to extend that opportunity
and to deepen exchanges among our students. We want students from this
country to travel to the United States and learn from us, and we want
U.S. students to come here and learn from you.
And this truth leads me to the third freedom that I want to discuss: the
freedom to worship — the freedom to worship as you please, and your
right to basic human dignity.
This country, like my own country, is blessed with diversity. Not
everybody looks the same. Not everybody comes from the same region. Not
everybody worships in the same way. In your cities and towns, there are
pagodas and temples, and mosques and churches standing side by side.
Well over a hundred ethnic groups have been a part of your story. Yet
within these borders, we’ve seen some of the world’s longest running
insurgencies, which have cost countless lives, and torn families and
communities apart, and stood in the way of development.
No process of reform will succeed without national reconciliation.
(Applause.) You now have a moment of remarkable opportunity to transform
cease-fires into lasting settlements, and to pursue peace where
conflicts still linger, including in Kachin State. Those efforts must
lead to a more just and lasting peace, including humanitarian access to
those in need, and a chance for the displaced to return home.
Today, we look at the recent violence in Rakhine State that has caused
so much suffering, and we see the danger of continued tensions there.
For too long, the people of this state, including ethnic Rakhine, have
faced crushing poverty and persecution. But there is no excuse for
violence against innocent people. And the Rohingya hold themselves —
hold within themselves the same dignity as you do, and I do.
National reconciliation will take time, but for the sake of our common
humanity, and for the sake of this country’s future, it is necessary to
stop incitement and to stop violence. And I welcome the government’s
commitment to address the issues of injustice and accountability, and
humanitarian access and citizenship. That’s a vision that the world will
support as you move forward.
Every nation struggles to define citizenship. America has had great
debates about these issues, and those debates continue to this day,
because we’re a nation of immigrants — people coming from every
different part of the world. But what we’ve learned in the United States
is that there are certain principles that are universal, apply to
everybody no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from,
no matter what religion you practice. The right of people to live
without the threat that their families may be harmed or their homes may
be burned simply because of who they are or where they come from.
Only the people of this country ultimately can define your union, can
define what it means to be a citizen of this country. But I have
confidence that as you do that you can draw on this diversity as a
strength and not a weakness. Your country will be stronger because of
many different cultures, but you have to seize that opportunity. You
have to recognize that strength.
I say this because my own country and my own life have taught me the
power of diversity. The United States of America is a nation of
Christians and Jews, and Muslims and Buddhists, and Hindus and
non-believers. Our story is shaped by every language; it’s enriched by
every culture. We have people from every corners of the world. We’ve
tasted the bitterness of civil war and segregation, but our history
shows us that hatred in the human heart can recede; that the lines
between races and tribes fade away. And what’s left is a simple truth: e
pluribus unum — that’s what we say in America. Out of many, we are one
nation and we are one people. And that truth has, time and again, made
our union stronger. It has made our country stronger. It’s part of what
has made America great.
We amended our Constitution to extend the democratic principles that we
hold dear. And I stand before you today as President of the most
powerful nation on Earth, but recognizing that once the color of my skin
would have denied me the right to vote. And so that should give you
some sense that if our country can transcend its differences, then yours
can, too. Every human being within these borders is a part of your
nation’s story, and you should embrace that. That’s not a source of
weakness, that’s a source of strength — if you recognize it.
And that brings me to the final freedom that I will discuss today, and that is the right of all people to live free from fear.
In many ways, fear is the force that stands between human beings and
their dreams. Fear of conflict and the weapons of war. Fear of a future
that is different from the past. Fear of changes that are reordering our
societies and economy. Fear of people who look different, or come from a
different place, or worship in a different way. In some of her darkest
moments, when Aung San Suu Kyi was imprisoned, she wrote an essay about
freedom from fear. She said fear of losing corrupts those who wield it —
“Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it, and fear of the
scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.”
That’s the fear that you can leave behind. We see that chance in leaders
who are beginning to understand that power comes from appealing to
people’s hopes, not people’s fears. We see it in citizens who insist
that this time must be different, that this time change will come and
will continue. As Aung San Suu Kyi wrote: “Fear is not the natural state
of civilized man.” I believe that. And today, you are showing the world
that fear does not have to be the natural state of life in this
country.
That’s why I am here. That’s why I came to Rangoon. And that’s why what
happens here is so important — not only to this region, but to the
world. Because you’re taking a journey that has the potential to inspire
so many people. This is a test of whether a country can transition to a
better place.
The United States of America is a Pacific nation, and we see our future
as bound to those nations and peoples to our West. And as our economy
recovers, this is where we believe we will find enormous growth. As we
have ended the wars that have dominated our foreign policy for a decade,
this region will be a focus for our efforts to build a prosperous
peace.
Here in Southeast Asia, we see the potential for integration among
nations and people. And as President, I have embraced ASEAN for reasons
that go beyond the fact that I spent some of my childhood in this
region, in Indonesia. Because with ASEAN, we see nations that are on the
move — nations that are growing, and democracies that are emerging;
governments that are cooperating; progress that’s building on the
diversity that spans oceans and islands and jungles and cities, peoples
of every race and every religion. This is what the 21st century should
look like if we have the courage to put aside our differences and move
forward with a sense of mutual interest and mutual respect.
And here in Rangoon, I want to send a message across Asia: We don’t need
to be defined by the prisons of the past. We need to look forward to
the future. To the leadership of North Korea, I have offered a choice:
let go of your nuclear weapons and choose the path of peace and
progress. If you do, you will find an extended hand from the United
States of America.
In 2012, we don’t need to cling to the divisions of East, West and North
and South. We welcome the peaceful rise of China, your neighbor to the
North; and India, your neighbor to the West. The United Nations — the
United States will work with any nation, large or small, that will
contribute to a world that is more peaceful and more prosperous, and
more just and more free. And the United States will be a friend to any
nation that respects the rights of its citizens and the responsibilities
of international law.
That’s the nation, that’s the world that you can start to build here in
this historic city. This nation that’s been so isolated can show the
world the power of a new beginning, and demonstrate once again that the
journey to democracy goes hand in hand with development. I say this
knowing that there are still countless people in this country who do not
enjoy the opportunities that many of you seated here do. There are tens
of millions who have no electricity. There are prisoners of conscience
who still await release. There are refugees and displaced peoples in
camps where hope is still something that lies on the distant horizon.
Today, I say to you — and I say to everybody that can hear my voice —
that the United States of America is with you, including those who have
been forgotten, those who are dispossessed, those who are ostracized,
those who are poor. We carry your story in our heads and your hopes in
our hearts, because in this 21st century with the spread of technology
and the breaking down of barriers, the frontlines of freedom are within
nations and individuals, not simply between them.
As one former prisoner put it in speaking to his fellow citizens,
“Politics is your job. It’s not only for [the] politicians.” And we have
an expression in the United States that the most important office in a
democracy is the office of citizen — not President, not Speaker, but
citizen. (Applause.)
So as extraordinary and difficult and challenging and sometimes
frustrating as this journey may seem, in the end, you, the citizens of
this country, are the ones who must define what freedom means. You’re
the ones who are going to have to seize freedom, because a true
revolution of the spirit begins in each of our hearts. It requires the
kind of courage that so many of your leaders have already displayed.
The road ahead will be marked by huge challenges, and there will be
those who resist the forces of change. But I stand here with confidence
that something is happening in this country that cannot be reversed, and
the will of the people can lift up this nation and set a great example
for the world. And you will have in the United States of America a
partner on that long journey. So, cezu tin bad de. (Applause.)
Thank you. (Applause.)
Source http://www.rohingyablogger.com/2012/11/obama-encourages-country-to-continue.html?m=1
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