The United States and Myanmar: Next Steps

The CSIS Southeast Asia Program is pleased to present The United States and Myanmar: Next Steps on Tuesday, September 13, 2016.

Taking place the day before Aung San Suu Kyi’s historic first visit to Washington as Myanmar’s state counsellor and foreign minister, the conference will explore the country’s ongoing democratic transition and the potential for greater U.S. engagement. CSIS will feature a keynote address from Ben Rhodes, Assistant to the President, and two panels of expert speakers from Myanmar and the United States. The first panel will review the opportunities and challenges facing economic growth in Myanmar, including the impact of remaining U.S. sanctions and the future of U.S.-Myanmar economic cooperation. The second panel will focus on Myanmar’s political and security transition, civil-military relations, the peace process, and Buddhist-Muslim communal relations in Rakhine state.

9:00 a.m.         Keynote Speech 
 
                        Ben Rhodes
                        Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic
                        Communications and Speechwriting
                        Executive Office of the President
 
                        Introduction:
                        Amy Searight
                        Senior Adviser and Director, Southeast Asia Program
                        Center for Strategic and International Studies
 
9:45 a.m.         Economic Growth and Development
 
                        Bo Bo Nge
                        Renaissance Institute
 
                        Serge Pun
                        Chairman
                        Serge Pun & Associates
 
                        Erin Murphy
                        Principal and Founder
                        Inle Advisory Group
 
                        Moderator:
                        Matthew P. Goodman
                        Senior Adviser for Asian Economics and William E. Simon Chair in Political Economy
                        Center for Strategic and International Studies

10:45 a.m.       Coffee Break

11:00 a.m.       Myanmar’s Political Transition: Looking Ahead
 
                        Kyaw Yin Hlaing
                        Director
                        Center for Diversity and National Harmony
 
                        Derek Mitchell
                        Senior Adviser, Albright Stonebridge Group
                        Former U.S. Ambassador to Burma
 
                        Gwen Robinson
                        Chief Editor
                        Nikkei Asian Review
 
                        Moderator:
                        Murray Hiebert
                        Senior Adviser and Deputy Director, Southeast Asia Program
                        Center for Strategic and International Studies
 
12:00 p.m.      Adjourn

The conference is made possible with support from Nikkei Asian Review.