Burma's official media says the country's top military leader has congratulated U.S. President-elect Barack Obama.
State-run
newspapers said Saturday that Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the
State Peace and Development Council sent a message to Mr. Obama
following his win in U.S. elections.
As senators, Mr. Obama and
vice president-elect Joseph Biden have supported U.S. trade and
investment sanctions against Burma. Mr. Obama has also called for the
unconditional release of the Burma's political prisoners, including
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for
13 of the last 19 years.
Washington and the European Union have
imposed sanctions on Burma, because the military government refuses to
hand over power to Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy,
which won 1990 general elections in a landslide.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
