U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the Obama administration has decided to engage directly with Burma's military government, in an effort to push its military leaders toward democratic reform.
Clinton told reporters at the United Nations Wednesday that the U.S. government still will use sanctions against Burma to try to influence its government. However, she said sanctions by themselves have not produced the results the United States has wanted.
She said engagement versus sanctions is a false choice, and that the Obama administration has decided to use both methods.
Burma has been under military rule since 1962. The opposition National League for Democracy won the last elections in 1990, but the military government refused to acknowledge the results.
Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been in some form of detention for 14 of the past 20 years.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
