Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Obama's Myanmar visit one for the record

Updated at 10:37 pm on 19 November 2012

United States President Barack Obama has made an historic visit to Myanmar, the first by a sitting US president..

Crowds of people, some waving US flags, lined the streets of Yangon as he drove to meet President Thein Sein.

Later he met pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and delivered a speech at the university, the BBC reports.

The visit was intended to show support for the reform process put in place by President Thein since the end of military rule in November 2010.

Ahead of the visit Mr Obama urged Myanmar's leaders to continue to reform, saying more progress was needed.

The BBC says critics had warned the visit could be too hasty, with political prisoners behind bars and ethnic conflicts unresolved.

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