Mizzima News

New Delhi (Mizzima) – Burmese military junta supremo Snr. Gen Than Shwe congratulated Barack Hussein Obama on his inauguration as the 44th US President, Burma's state media reported on Friday.

Burma's official newspaper New Light of Myanmar on Friday reported in its front page that Senior General Than Shwe "has sent a message of congratulations to the Honourable Barack Hussein Obama, on the occasion of his inauguration" as president.

The message came days after Obama was sworn in as the US President on January 20, to succeed former president George W. Bush, with whose government Burma's military rulers had sour relations and far from saw eye to eye.

Bush during his tenure as US President imposed stronger economic sanctions against Burma's military rulers and froze the assets of selected Generals and their business cronies.

As the last action on Burma's military rulers, President Bush on January 15 froze assets of two more business companies close to the Burmese military junta – the Max Myanmar Company and Dagon Company.

But an AFP report said a Burmese official has expressed that Burma hopes Obama will change Washington's tough policy toward its military regime and end the "misunderstandings" of the past.