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| Obama Begins Asian Swing With Gaza Fighting in Mind | Obama Begins Asian Swing With Gaza Fighting in Mind |
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| BANGKOK — President Obama opened a three-country post-election swing through Southeast Asia on Sunday intended to highlight the growing importance of the region for American foreign policy. | |
| After a round-the-world flight, Mr. Obama disembarked at Bangkok airport and headed straight to a series of cultural visits and meetings with leaders in Thailand, one of America’s oldest and closest allies in the region. | |
| The Asia journey comes at a complicated moment for Mr. Obama, who scheduled the four-day trip to Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia to demonstrate his commitment to rebalancing second-term foreign policy away from the Middle East and toward the Pacific. But even as Air Force One raced to Southeast Asia, the Middle East was once again consuming the president’s time and attention with the outbreak of fighting in Gaza. | The Asia journey comes at a complicated moment for Mr. Obama, who scheduled the four-day trip to Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia to demonstrate his commitment to rebalancing second-term foreign policy away from the Middle East and toward the Pacific. But even as Air Force One raced to Southeast Asia, the Middle East was once again consuming the president’s time and attention with the outbreak of fighting in Gaza. |
| In addition to preparing for his Asia meetings, Mr. Obama spent the day before leaving Washington working the phones hoping to settle down the Middle East. He spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel as well as President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. | In addition to preparing for his Asia meetings, Mr. Obama spent the day before leaving Washington working the phones hoping to settle down the Middle East. He spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel as well as President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. |
| “I would anticipate that he’ll continue to work on it” even while in Asia, Benjamin J. Rhodes, his deputy national security adviser, told reporters aboard Air Force One. “He’s being regularly briefed on it. It’s possible that he’ll make calls.” | “I would anticipate that he’ll continue to work on it” even while in Asia, Benjamin J. Rhodes, his deputy national security adviser, told reporters aboard Air Force One. “He’s being regularly briefed on it. It’s possible that he’ll make calls.” |
| Mr. Obama headed from the airport here to the Wat Pho Royal Monastery, one of the country’s most revered cultural outposts. After a tour, he planned to stop at Siriraj Hospital, to pay respects to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the 84-year-old Massachusetts-born monarch who has been ailing. | Mr. Obama headed from the airport here to the Wat Pho Royal Monastery, one of the country’s most revered cultural outposts. After a tour, he planned to stop at Siriraj Hospital, to pay respects to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the 84-year-old Massachusetts-born monarch who has been ailing. |
| From there, the president will head to the Government House to meet with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the sister of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in a military coup in 2006 and fled the country. Ms. Yingluck, who assumed office last year, will join Mr. Obama for a joint session with reporters and then host the president for dinner. | From there, the president will head to the Government House to meet with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the sister of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in a military coup in 2006 and fled the country. Ms. Yingluck, who assumed office last year, will join Mr. Obama for a joint session with reporters and then host the president for dinner. |
| Mr. Obama plans to leave Monday morning for Myanmar, where he will stay on the ground for about six hours, and then fly on to Cambodia to participate in meetings with leaders from across the region. He will be the first sitting American president to visit either country. | Mr. Obama plans to leave Monday morning for Myanmar, where he will stay on the ground for about six hours, and then fly on to Cambodia to participate in meetings with leaders from across the region. He will be the first sitting American president to visit either country. |
| Human rights activists have criticized the trip since all three countries to various degrees have records of repression. For Mr. Obama, the challenge of the trip will be finding a way to nudge those governments toward greater freedom while cementing stronger relations. | Human rights activists have criticized the trip since all three countries to various degrees have records of repression. For Mr. Obama, the challenge of the trip will be finding a way to nudge those governments toward greater freedom while cementing stronger relations. |
| Most attention has focused on Myanmar, which is only emerging from decades of hardline military rule. Under President Thein Sein, the country has begun releasing political prisoners and easing restrictions on the media. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate and opposition leader, has been freed from house arrest and allowed to run and win a seat in parliament. Mr. Obama has responded by sending the first American ambassador in 22 years and by easing sanctions to make it easier to invest in the impoverished country of 55 million. | |
| But more than 200 political prisoners remain in custody and the government continues to wage a brutal campaign against insurgents in Kachin State. The government has also been accused of not doing enough to stop, and even tacitly encouraging, the outbreak of ethnic violence against Muslims in Rakhine State. | But more than 200 political prisoners remain in custody and the government continues to wage a brutal campaign against insurgents in Kachin State. The government has also been accused of not doing enough to stop, and even tacitly encouraging, the outbreak of ethnic violence against Muslims in Rakhine State. |
| Human Rights Watch on Sunday said satellite imagery showed extensive destruction of homes in Rohingya Muslim areas after a wave of violence and arson in October that it said was carried out with the support of state security forces and local government officials. | Human Rights Watch on Sunday said satellite imagery showed extensive destruction of homes in Rohingya Muslim areas after a wave of violence and arson in October that it said was carried out with the support of state security forces and local government officials. |
| In Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander, has ruled for more than a quarter century, presiding over a system that has crushed dissent. Opposition leaders lately have been subjected to politically charged prosecutions and hundreds of thousands of people have been affected by forced evictions over the last decade. | In Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander, has ruled for more than a quarter century, presiding over a system that has crushed dissent. Opposition leaders lately have been subjected to politically charged prosecutions and hundreds of thousands of people have been affected by forced evictions over the last decade. |
| Even here in Thailand, considered the most modern and sophisticated of the three countries Mr. Obama is visiting, the state of the country’s political system has been precarious, particularly since the ouster of the prime minister’s brother. Human rights groups cite security force abuses, restrictions on free speech and the failure to protect a large population of refugees, asylum seekers and migrant workers. | Even here in Thailand, considered the most modern and sophisticated of the three countries Mr. Obama is visiting, the state of the country’s political system has been precarious, particularly since the ouster of the prime minister’s brother. Human rights groups cite security force abuses, restrictions on free speech and the failure to protect a large population of refugees, asylum seekers and migrant workers. |
| Mr. Obama’s aides said he is well aware of the situation in the region and hopes to use his visit to shore up progress toward reform, especially in Myanmar, also known as Burma. The president hopes to use the visit there in particular to lock in the gains so far and to encourage Mr. Thein Sein to keep opening up society in advance of elections now scheduled for 2015. Mr. Rhodes said the president would be “addressing our assistance relationship,” hinting at an increase in American aid. | Mr. Obama’s aides said he is well aware of the situation in the region and hopes to use his visit to shore up progress toward reform, especially in Myanmar, also known as Burma. The president hopes to use the visit there in particular to lock in the gains so far and to encourage Mr. Thein Sein to keep opening up society in advance of elections now scheduled for 2015. Mr. Rhodes said the president would be “addressing our assistance relationship,” hinting at an increase in American aid. |
| “We believe it’s very important to show up, and that if we want to promote human rights and promote American values, we intend to do so through engagement,” Mr. Rhodes said. “And I think there’s a track record here of the U.S. engaging and seeing positive actions taken by the Burmese following that engagement.” | “We believe it’s very important to show up, and that if we want to promote human rights and promote American values, we intend to do so through engagement,” Mr. Rhodes said. “And I think there’s a track record here of the U.S. engaging and seeing positive actions taken by the Burmese following that engagement.” |