On Air Highlights

Burma’s moves to reform on shakey ground

10 February 2012

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Burma’s Opposition Leader Aung San Suu Kyi this week officially began her campaign for a seat in upcoming by-elections.

On the campaign trail Ms Suu Kyi’s been greeted by cheering crowds in scenes that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago – some visual evidence at least of the recent moves toward reform by the nominally civillian government.

But is Burma’s democratic reawakening all it appears to be?

There’s growing speculation the strongmen who still control Burma’s destiny are more interested in foreign investment and development aid than geniune democratic reform.

Today a monk freed as part of a mass-release of political prisoners a month ago was arrested again.

Tracee Hutchison spoke to the ABC’s Southeast Asia correspondent Zoe Daniel, who was recently in Burma to cover the landmark visit by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Presenter: Tracee Hutchison

Speaker: Southeast Asia correspondent, Zoe Daniel