Staunch US Support for Democracy in Myanmar Feels Like a Distant Memory

This year brings a change of US administration with the return of Donald Trump, and also marks the 78th anniversary of US-Myanmar diplomatic relations.

But how the controversial president’s return to the White House will affect the longstanding relations between the two countries is an open question. The US was for decades a supporter of the Myanmar democracy movement, vocally championing it from the late 1980s onwards. For that reason, Myanmar people have long viewed the US as their close friend.