Ahead of my visit to Myanmar I ask myself what I can expect from my first visit to a country that has been described to me as “Brave New Burma” or as “Myanmar Miracle”. The Brave New Burma motto refers to George Orwell. He worked as a policeman in the country, describing the treatment of the locals by the then colonial powers in the context of a love story.

Indeed, so many visitors say that they returned from their first visit to Myanmar as having fallen in love with the country, its deeply rooted culture and with the respectful manners of its people.

Can it become a political success story as well? Studying carefully the context, this is clearly a great likelihood, especially if the current pace of reform continues.

What I hear makes me curious to learn more. I am looking forward to meeting with both the leaders of the country, and the opposition. It will be an honor, as you can imagine, to meet with the Nobel Prize Winner Aang Saan Suu Kyi, a world symbol of the non-violent fight for freedom and human rights.

I will discuss with them about the institutional improvements on the human rights front; about the major ongoing efforts to resolve the ethnic conflicts but also the intense debate on economic reform. I will have the chance to hear first-hand what they plan and what they expect from the international community.

My intention is not to come empty handed, but with a message of support to reform. My hope is to return not empty handed, but with a signal of willingness by all those involved to work for a better future.

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