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Burmese Young Leaders Have Message for Washington: Myo Myint Aung

A select group of Burmese Young Leader graduates from the Liberty and Leadership Forum were in Washington meeting with policy makers. In a series of articles, they have outlined Burma’s greatest challenges and the need for U.S. leadership in Asia.

There is so much opportunity in Burma and Asia, unfortunately China, North Korea, and other challenges in the region threaten stability and stifle the spirit of human freedom. To help counter these challenges, the United States must engage with this region, cultivate partnerships, and champion the fundamental rights of people across Asia.

With this in mind, a select group of Burmese Young Leader graduates from the Liberty and Leadership Forum were in Washington, D.C. meeting with policy makers and thought leaders. In a series of articles, they have outlined Burma’s greatest challenges and the need for U.S. leadership in Asia.

Myo Myint Aung, a project director with the Mekong Regional Program of PATH, is the second in a series of Q&A’s with the Bush Institute’s Young Leaders.

Read previous entries in this series:

Htet Htet Oo 

What are the three biggest challenges for healthcare in Burma?

  1. Access to affordable and equitable healthcare services especially for rural populations 
  2. Lack of competent healthcare professionals to deliver quality health care services
  3. Growing burden of non-communicable diseases (cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes, and cancers) while tackling long-term problems of communicable diseases

How can the United States better support Burma’s efforts to improve healthcare?

There are many ways in which Burma could use support, but there are three critical areas that need to be addressed.

  • Help us strengthen efforts to improve the healthcare system including research and policy development, capacity building of human resources, and technical support on health system financing
  • Continue supporting democracy and governance, and economic growth program interventions in Burma
  • Sustain USAID funding on health to fill the unmet needs of vulnerable populations in hard-to-reach areas 

Is United States support for Burma’s democratic transition and its people important? Why?

Yes, it is quite important because the new administration should build on the progress made by the Obama administration in supporting Burma’s transition. Through development assistance to Burma, the United States can contribute to the process of building a democratic nation, so that Burma’s people can realize their dreams of living in a peaceful, prosperous, and liberalized society.

Is U.S. engagement with the countries of Southeast Asia important?  Why?

Yes, it is important to broaden and deepen engagement with the Southeast Asia region, where member states collectively comprise the third largest economy in Asia. Fulbright scholarship programs and the President Obama initiated Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) program helped build mutual understanding and strengthen ties between Americans and the people of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Neglecting ASEAN and its member states will feed into the Chinese narrative of an unreliable America, and could fundamentally alter the strategic landscape in Asia.