Hillary Clinton, Aung San Suu Kyi discuss Burmas road to democracy

RANGOON, Burma Hillary Rodham Clinton visited the home of Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday for a meeting that was both personal and formal as two of the worlds most famous female political figures discussed the sudden and unexpected signs of reforms in Burma.

The meeting between the U.S. secretary of state and the leader of Burmas long-persecuted democracy movement unthinkable just three months ago was yet another sign of the incredible changes afoot in Burma.

If we go forward together Im confident there will be no turning back from the road to democracy. We are not on that road yet, but we hope to get there as soon as possible with our friends, Suu Kyi told reporters afterward in a news conference, a rare occurrence for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has spent much of the past two decades under house arrest ordered by Burmas military-controlled government.

Both said that more progress needed to be made by Burmas President Thein Sein and others in his government for true reform to take hold. And Suu Kyi emphasized the need for rule of law, calling on the government to not only release all remaining political prisoners but to change its policies to prevent the continuation of such human rights violations.

Clinton the first senior U.S. official to visit Burma, also known as Myanmar, in half a century called Suu Kyi an inspiration. The pair had met for a private dinner the night before, and in their meeting Friday morning, the two evinced a closeness and admiration in the statements and body language greeting each other with a kiss on the cheek, holding hands at one point in the news conference and hesitating awkwardly at the end then bursting into laughter as they hugged each other goodbye.

The meeting took place at the home that Suu Kyis family has long owned the compound where she spent most of the past two decades unde! r house arrest. Suu Kyi introduced Clinton to the female doctor who took care of her during that arrest, to her chefs and even her guard dog, for whom Clinton had brought a chew toy gift.

Chew away, chew away,Clinton told the dog.

Keep your distance, Suu Kyi warned, He thinks that people who stand close to me are a threat.

In her comments, Suu Kyi seemed to be readying herself for her return to politics, having confirmed this week that she planned to run in next years parliamentary elections. Her last effort in 1990 culminated in a decisive win for her party, which was annulled by the military junta amid one of many crackdowns on democracy leaders.

In talking about the need for more education and health facilities in Burma, Suu Kyi said, Whatever [we] do in predominantly Burmese area, [we] hope to match in ethnic areas, referencing the long-standing rift between ethnic minorities, which has led to civil war in some areas that continues today.

And she was careful to mention the importance of maintaining friendly ties to China Burmas longstanding ally whose growing power of late has led to Burmas overtures to the United States.

Clinton also met civil society organizations on Friday and leaders of Burmas ethnic minorities, who have suffered violence and killings for years at the hands of the Burmese military. Women advocates planned to ask for her help in stopping the militarys use of rape as weapon of war to control villages opposing the military-backed government. Human rights activists along the Thailand-Burma border say they have documented 81 cases of rape since March alone, including those of a nine-month pregnant woman and a schoolgirl in front of her mother.