WASHINGTON (AP) — The rare Washington consensus behind Obama administration policy toward Myanmar (mee-an-MAWR') is showing signs of cracks as American businesses grow impatient to invest there and human rights groups push back.
Those fissures are becoming evident as the U.S. rolls back its long diplomatic isolation of the military-dominated nation also known as Burma and looks to ease economic sanctions following democratic reforms there.
Democratic Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia has criticized opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi (ahng sahn soo chee), a figure revered by both U.S. political parties and key to bipartisan support for administration policy. She has cautioned against foreign companies entering business deals with Myanmar's murky state oil and natural gas enterprise. A prominent Republican, John McCain of Arizona, echoed her concerns.
