When the United States reestablished full diplomatic relations with Myanmar in 2012, the Obama administration was optimistic that the once-isolated Southeast Asian country, also known as Burma, was moving steadily along a path toward democracy. The ruling junta had recently turned over much of its power to a quasi-civilian government and had released 1,300 political prisoners. Nobel Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi had been released from house arrest and was soon elected to parliament.
But after three years and two visits from President Obama, Myanmar's progress has stalled. It continues to oppress its stateless Rohingya Muslim population, which has been designated one of the world's most persecuted minorities.