i've been thinking about burma, visiting burma for more than 20 years, and have been writing this book far, i was in the process of researching and writing it for five or six years before it was actually finished. but certainly burma has never been so interesting and important as it is at this particular moment, so i feel very fortunate to have found an american publisher with the energy and gumption to get it out exactly the right moment. and to the asia society for having the kindness and to welcome me to talk about it. i thought i would read a few pages from my book about the election of 1990. because we are on the cusp, as you know, of a by election on sunday the first of april. it is only the third uch election since 1990, multiparty election. 1998 election and 2010, and then this ie election which we followed by another general election in 2015. so i thought it would be worth while looking back, 22 years, to aung san suu's first appearance, not on the ballot paper because she was barred from standing in the first appearance of her party and what transpired. on sunday, may 27, 199

responded by sending an ambassador to burma. that's the first time we've had an ambassador there in two decades. the administration also largely waived the investment ban and financial restrictions permitting u.s. businesses to begin investing in that country. however, significant challenges in burma still lie ahead. ongoing violence in the sectarian tensions reflect the long-term challenge confronting the country related to national reconciliation. hundreds of political prisoners remain behind bars. the constitution still has a number -- a number -- of totally undemocratic elements. and the regime's relationship with north korea, especially when it comes to arms sales with pyongyang, remains an issue of grave concern to us. sanctions with respect to burma should be renewed in order to provide the administration with the flexibility it needs to encourage continued reforms in that country, to encourage the government to tackle these remaining tough issues. failure to renew the sanctions could undermine the administration's diplom

look at burma. then you look at the other side of burma, aung san suu kyi, who is all about and powering the people and sharing power. >> you make the point in the book that if you oppress women and do not bring them along, the country kind of stalls in its progress. if you open it up to everyone, then you can move forward. you think sometimes it is government that plays the key role, but you make a real nice point of saying corporations play a big role. and you go coca-cola, walmart -- people who make huge commitments to bringing women forward. been a huge commitment. and they are making a commitment not for puerto rico reasons but making them because they realize they are smart -- and not for pr reasons, but making them because they realize they are smart. wal-mart, for example -- this is a multi-billion dollar investment being made. women-owned businesses represent less than 1% of the global supply chain. to multinational corporations. they basically said we are going to double our spending in te

for the government or burma. to be a senior official of an entity that has engaged in the act described above. to have materially assisted, sponsored or providing financial material or technological support for or fwoods and services to or in support of the acts described above or any person whose property and interest in property are blocked pursuant to the order or to be owned or controlled by or to have active -- acted or purported to act for or on behalf of directly or indirectly any person whose property and interest in property are blocked pursuant to the order, i have delegated to the secretary of the treasury the authority in consultation with the secretary of state to take such actions including the promulgation of rules and regulations and to employ all powers granted to the president by ieepa as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the order. all agencies of the united states government are directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of the orde

myanmar, not burma. the fact is, myanmar is burma. just shows the dangers of a too quick denial.he newsroom" will be our guest here on "hardball." thursday night on "hardball." up next, more dirty, angry money. $14 million of outside money raised so far to defeat our next guest, bill nelson of florida. where is all that dirty money coming from? watching "hardball." place for politics. back to "hardball." >>> welcome back to "hardball." dirty, angry money is flowing down to florida. karl rove and all the usual suspects are trying to influence the senate race down there and using big dollar amounts to do so. the goal to oust senator bill nelson who is facing off against republican challenger connie mack jr. not his father, he is the kid senator bill nelson is with us now. why would a guy named sheldon adelson who's made his money in china, apparently, he makes more money every night in his casinos in china than they make in vegas overall. why does he want to nail you? >> chris, i don't think he cares about florida. i think he is just -- of the similar topic -- symptomatic of the ot

you don't make american uniforms in burma. you make them in china. yeah.ing storm in the pacific called hurricane fabio. yeah. meteorologists expect hurricane fabio to touch the coastline, caress it softly and then whisper, i can't believe it's not butter. >> tonight jimmy welcomes the "today" show matt lauer, mike tyson and musical guest hot chips. that's "late night with jimmy fallon" on your local nbc station. might be the most hilarious name for a show. >>> time now for entertainment news. well, halle berry is out of the hospital after suffering a head injury on an l.a. movie set. the oscar winner was injured shooting a fighting sequence. tmz reports she has a possible concussion after falling on concrete. >> maybe she was knocked unconscious. >> get a stunt double. >>> well, forbes named sofia vergara tv's top earning actress, taking in $19 million. >> she's the modern family -- >> yeah. she's hilarious. >> she gets that much money from "modern family"? >> yeah. kim kardashian came in second with $18 million. i still don't get the fascination. i don't

or free elections burma is where the head of belief today berman really i mean yes yes because because you have on television right and we know you are not limited in practice but i just said that is not democratic i mean who would be delicious to see you. as a democratic country but you find some sort of a. more positive more reassuring change towards democratic reforms what do you see what you see is the security situation. this train prime minister has now agreed to station some three thousand u.s. marines in the north of hysteria. as a clearly as a sort of long term pushback against any possible chinese influence. what's going to happen to these countries in the middle. do you think that the countries should form a united security pact i'm not to support of this you go to the pacts but there would be a strong regional understanding. between this country's political economic cultural and that would be enough sure you can deter any form of possible interference by outside forces be the west or china. because to go to get back billions for our countries would look quite enormous sums

there were the years of military rule in burma.he became a symbol of peaceful resistance in the face of oppression. she was introduced by the speaker. >> one woman has now defied a dictatorship of such depravity for two decades. that is why aung san suu kyi, a leader and a stateswoman, is with us here in westminster this afternoon. >> she said burma now had a chance to reestablish democracy. >> thus far, i have only spent a matter of minutes inside the burmese parliament, and i took the oath last month. i must say that i found it rather formal. men are required to wear a formal head gear. there is certainly no heckling. i would wish in times we would reflect the liveliness and informality of westminster. [laughter] i am well aware that more tears have been shared over wishes granted to ban which is denied. it is our own satisfactory equivalent of "prime minister's questions" that we will be able to see the parliamentary democracy has truly come of age. i would like to emphasize in conclusion that this is the most important time for

we have just heard from a leader that i admire very much from burma. her courage and persistence is an example for women and men worldwide. when i thought about what i want to say about women in today's session, i thought of the many women, some of whom i know and some of whom i will never know, who came before us and to let us in our response to the pandemic disease. i thought of my own mother-in- law, barbara bush. well my father-in-law was president during those early days, when people thought you could catch aids from touching somebody, barbara bush cradled hiv-positive babies and hud people with aids. she met with families lost loved ones to date and she visited the aids memorial quilt that was on the mall than like it is now. her graceful example challenge to all americans to confront hiv aids with care and compassion rather than fear and judgment. when you look around the world, you see that women are in the forefront of like changing progress. in afghanistan, under the taliban, women went underground literacy centers risking their own lives to

myanmar, not burma. the fact is, myanmar is burma. just shows the dangers of a too quick denial. now, jeff daniels start of "the newsroom" will be our guest here on "hardball." thursday night on "hardball." up next, more dirty, angry money. $14 million of outside money raised so far to defeat our next guest, bill nelson of florida. watching "hardball." place for politics. [ male announcer ] don't miss red lobster's four course seafood feast, just $14.99. start with soup, salad and cheddar bay biscuits then choose one of 7 entrees plus dessert! four perfect courses, just $14.99. come into red lobster and sea food differently. four perfect courses, just $14.99. ♪ atmix of energies.ve the world needs a broader that's why we're supplying natural gas to generate cleaner electricity... that has around 50% fewer co2 emissions than coal. and it's also why, with our partner in brazil, shell is producing ethanol - a biofuel made from renewable sugarcane. >>a minute, mom! let's broaden the world's energy mix. let's go. ♪ hello...rings ♪ what the... what the... what the... ♪ are you seein' t

myanmar, not burma. the fact is, myanmar is burma. just shows the dangers of a too quick denial.m now, jeff daniels start of "the newsroom" will be our guest here on "hardball." thursday night on "hardball." up next, more dirty, angry money. $14 million of outside money raised so far to defeat our next guest, bill nelson of florida. where is all that dirty money coming from? watching "hardball." place for politics. y for this t. want to hop in the back and get weird? no. family vacation... vegas. ♪ no. no. give it a big yank! really? yeah! [ knock on window ] no! no. ♪ ugh, no! [ sighs ] we can have hotdogs for dinner?! yes. [ male announcer ] in a world filled with "no," it's nice to finally say "yes." new oscar mayer selects hotdogs. made with 100% beef and no artificial preservatives. it's yes food. like in a special ops mission? you'd spot movement, gather intelligence with minimal collateral damage. but rather than neutralizing enemies in their sleep, you'd be targeting stocks to trade. well, that's what trade architect's heat maps do. they make you a trading assassin. trade

because of a centralized -- location and it borders burma heights -- bernal heights. i currently employs six full- time employees and when i open the shop that will go tutan and based on business -- it will go to ten. bringing business will bring customers to other existing business. my employees and myself will support local small business and the local community. i served as vice president as -- of the rewachand association. i coached baseball and soccer and basketball and i overall enjoy being involved in the communities i am being -- i am part of predella for to bring my energy and efforts to this new community. thank you for your time. president fong: thank you. public comment, i have one card. >> martha mason, i am a pharmacist and i work for the comanche and try to improve the lives of the less fortunate. i have a letter in your that the neighbors have signed and some of them have written letters to the commissioners. we, the owners, residents of the block demarcated don't want this automotive repair shop to come here. this block has a lot of residents and fami

made in burma. there you go. president obama out on the road yesterday.ati and he had his first town hall. he's had a lot of campaign events. this is the first actual town hall where he took questions from people and the questions were -- i mean like all over the map including what's your favorite girl scout cookie? >> i've gotta say that i'm a pretty -- i'm pretty partial to those mint -- [ cheering ] >> obama: that's just me. >> he is dead wrong. the president lost votes. the thin mints aren't the best cookies. the tagalongs are. no. there is no defending it. tagalongs are the best. dude, it is a shortbread with peanut butter and chocolate. how can you pick a mint cookie over that? >> bill: it is a matter of taste. he's a mint man. [ laughter ] >> bill: then he also -- he also -- the crowd was barber. >> what will you be doing or if there's anything you will be doing for the self-employed and businesses with employees with less than ten employees? >> obama: absolutely. >> also, when can i cut your hair? [ laughter ] >> bill: i thought the president's re

remark about having the olympics in the middle were nowhere was followed by a reference by him to burma where he visited and saw six lane highways that were virtually empty cars so perhaps he was not talking about salt lake city at all but there has not been a burma olympics, ever. having said that, he did point out he was referring to reports of problems about immigration and customs officials not showing up on the job and independent contractors would pulled the plug on their security forces recently prompting the government to bring forth other types of security from soldiers, et cetera. so, this is a big flap in the press but it did not appear to be particularly loathe some to prime ministercameron or mitt romney and talked about hot spots such as syria and iran and the euro zone crisis. >>neil: anything come from the meetings today, carl? >>carl: one thing they did do, mitt romney reiterated the promise that he would not come over here and bash president obama while he is overseas. he is looking forward to the olympics. here is what he said to say. >> i don't want to refer to comme

and the burma sanctions provision expires today. these provisions are all necessary parts of the delicate promise that we negotiated with advance with the house and the senate finance committee, all approved. the ways and means chairman camp in the house and rank member levin in the house have made it equally clear that they will not pass this bill in the house without the agoa provisions included. so, the house will not pass these provisions if the senator is successful. so i therefore urge my colleagues to pass s. 3326 as it passed the finance committee quickly without amendment and for those reasons i must object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. coburn: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from oklahoma. mr. coburn: short memories are just that. in my opening statement in the finance committee on this bill, i made it very clear that i opposed the pay-for in this bill. i had two amendments offered. they were not offered because the chairman had assured me beforehand that he would object and rule them no

the move would open a burma's will and gas sector to ask companies despite a call by aung san suu kyi companies to boycott the state-run oil company until becomes more open and accountable. human rights groups have criticized the decision saying the u.s. appears to have caved to industry pressure. activists opposed to the controversial gas drilling process known as fracking or hailing an unprecedented direct action that brought a drilling operation in pennsylvania to a temporary halt. dozens of activists with the group earth first blockaded an access road leading to a well in pennsylvania's moshannon state forest, stopping operation in an area targeted for heavy drilling. two activists known as tree sitters hung from trees with anchor ropes strung across the access road. drilling was reportedly suspended for 12 hours at the site before authorities dispersed the protest. activists say it is the first time protesters have shut down a hydrofracking drilling operation in the u.s. hydraulic fracturing involves blasting a mix of sand, water, and chemicals into shale rock to extract gas. opp

. >> while romney was running the olympics, the olympic torchbearer uniforms were made in burma, ande in china. joining me now, karen finney, former dnc communications director and msnbc political analyst. karen, i wanted us to listen to what mitt romney had to say about being tough on china, just last week. >> okay. >> i'll clamp down on cheaters like china and make sure they finally play by the rules, and don't steal our jobs. >> karen, don't steal our jobs! what about our jobs making the olympic uniforms? >> that's right. who thought that bain capital and, you know, the olympic uniforms were connected by mitt romney and outsourcing? but there's another thing that i want to say. this is exactly the incompetence that we've seen from this campaign. it was predictable. once the china story came out about the uniforms, that maybe somebody would go back and check and see about the uniforms under mitt's tenure. so, again, the fact that the campaign was not prepared with an answer. that's malpractice, and i almost feel bad for mitt romney on that one. so then we go to today, the story com

people from across the country joint efforts to help those who have lost everything in observers and burma violent clashes between syrian forces and rebels in the village transair but the findings put opposition claims of a civilian massacre in question. and days of anti-war sturdy protests in spain lead to dozens of injuries amid warnings that the e.u. strategy of bailing out banks at the people's expense will only fuel public anger. up next a dumpster dive in the back alleys of los angeles as supermarkets as we explore how much good and food is just thrown away. here's my letter to dan bain the c.e.o. of trader joe's have also included a copy of the good samaritan act which was signed into being in one thousand nine hundred six by bill clinton and that encourages grocery stores to donate food and it protects them from being sued so i'm just asking him to consider moving trader joe's into the next step of simply not wasting as much food and giving it to people who need it i figured the c.e.o. of trader joe's probably wouldn't get back to me after one letter so i've decided to send him. a

but i visited burma and the essex blamed for highways and no cars this is a busily sit busy cities and that led inevitably there'll be challenges. will be easier to run the olympics and a less congested place but the british press dropped all over the middle of nowhere remark saying it had 2 d 8 they get rummy and sell the city games he ran in 2002. that's been sparked controversy back in the u.s.. he did offense at the slam same we love to have them and are happy to send maps and he doesn't run into any trouble locating the middle of nowhere. from the also ran into trouble when he seemed to question the commitment of the british people to the games. >>> to come together and celebrate the olympic moment and that's something which really find out once the games actually began. eteocles the prime minister offered assurances that ronnie shouldn't worry. deletes will show the whole world not just the we come together as united kingdom but also were extremely good welcoming people from across the world so i obviously make that point some irani look forward to meeting. this afternoon before

boxing end given the speed with which the united states has concluded agreements with australia, with burma, with india, with philippines and singapore and with vietnam. at the same time some of the nations -- we're increasing the presence there and some of the nations are investing in military capability. could this cause the very crisis we hope to avoid? >> i would simply say at the same time that we are investing in new arrangements and new relationships, we're also investing very heavily in our relationships with china. so this is not some sort of zero sum game. we appreciate that it is essential for the united states and china to find ways to work together in the 21st century. there will be inevitable areas of competition. the key is to make sure that that competition plays out in an arena that does not spike tensions in the east pacific region. it will not be easy. there are enormous challenges anytime in the global system where there is an arrival rapidly of a new power on the scene that is always challenging. one of the enormous pressing challenges of modern diplomacy how the united

you don't make american uniforms in burma.hat was a -- i said enough is enough, man. >> steve: come on. >> jimmy: it's been a rough week for mitt romney. yesterday, ron paul and rick perry called on romney to release his tax returns. and if ron paul and rick perry tell you to do something, you really don't have to do it. [ laughter ] you really -- i mean, it doesn't really matter. who cares? >> steve: enough is enough. >> jimmy: you guys hear about this? there's a new slow-moving storm in the pacific called hurricane fabio. [ laughter ] yeah, meteorologists expect hurricane fabio to touch the coastline, caress it softly and then whisper, "i can't believe it's not butter." [ laughter ] [ cheers and applause ] enough is enough. that's what i said to him. aw, this is really nice, you guys. today american airlines honored an 86-year-old mechanic who has been with the company for 70 years. passengers were like, "aw, that's so sweet. but he didn't fix this plane, did he?" [ laughter ] "get him out of here. give him a watch." >> stev

respond to the question about veterans and how they work with them, just my response is the police to burma has been working hand-in-hand with the veterans department with crisis intervention training to make sure officers were for people to their services so that they have plenty of services and are happy to get to veterans in the neighborhood. >> of the first question about crisis intervention team program, i was in contact with the commander, the port% -- point person on that. we have had eight officers, nine trends. i tried to get more and more. also, he deals with the stigma of the population that sometimes are homeless. i think he does a good job there. we're trying to get more people doing that. one thing they are missing is having sergeants and first-line supervisors involved in that, not just officers. important to have officers involved. pretty good job -- we do a pretty good job because we deal with a more and more. we're up to 500 this year. the point is we would like to have everyone have that, but is important to sell the program. people were not aware of the program went for

more reassuring although they're still having to grapple with the problem of endemic corruption but burma which is quite shocking that of t. i mean i wonder the voices of voices in even melissa government those days that have never had any hope of a military would be forming itself. but i have to acknowledge the. more positive changes taking place in terms of democratic transition access to media. or free elections but is where the head of the bill is today berman really i mean yes yes because because you have on television right and we know you're not limited in practice but it certainly is not democrat i mean you would be delicious to see you . as a democratic country where you find some sort of a. more positive more reassuring change towards democratic reform what do you see what you see is the security situation. this train prime minister has now agreed to station some three thousand u.s. marines in the north of hysteria. as a clearly as a sort of long term pushback against any possible chinese influence. what's going to happen to these countries in the middle. do you think that the c