DAVID Cameron last night signalled strongly that sanctions against Burma might soon be eased as he prepared for his historic meeting today with democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Prime Minister, who is on a five-day tour of south east Asia, is also due to meet Burmese President Thein Sein and congratulate him on pushing through democratic reforms.
At a press conference in Malaysia, Mr Cameron said that it was still necessary for people to be sceptical about Mr Thein's motives but went on to say: "Aung San Suu Kyi herself, who has spent so many years in such a long, lonely but powerful struggle, believes he is acting in good faith."
The PM pointed out that Britain had played a leading role in the imposition of sanctions but would not be backward in responding to positive changes.
He said: "I hope that, following my meetings tomorrow, I will have the confidence to go back to my country, back to others in the European Union, and argue that the change in Burma is irreversible, that they are set on a path towards democracy, that, in a world of difficulty and darkness and all sorts of problems, here is one bright light that we should encourage, and we should respond in a way that makes that regime feel that it is moving in the right direction."
Later Mr Cameron stressed: "If Burma moves towards democracy, then we should respond in kind and we should not be slow in doing that but, first, I want to go and see for myself on the ground how things are going."
At the press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was asked if he thought sanctions against Burma should be relaxed.
He replied: "I really do believe first of all that he [Mr Thein] is sincere. This has been supported by Aung San Suu Kyi's own personal remarks about him."
The Prime Minister will meet Mr Thein in the capital Naypyidaw before he travels to Rangoon to meet Ms Kyi whose National League for Democracy party won 43 of 44 available seats in by-elections earlier this month.
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