Obama sending Clinton to repressive Myanmar

Bali, Indonesia — Seizing an opportunity for historic progress in repressive Myanmar, President Barack Obama is dispatching Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the long isolated nation next month in an attempt to accelerate fledgling reforms.

The move is the most dramatic sign of an evolving relationship between the United States and Myanmar, which has suffered under a brutal military rule for decades.

But Obama says there have been "flickers of progress" since new civilian leadership took power in March.

Clinton will be the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Myanmar in more than 50 years.

Obama announced the move in Bali, where he is attending a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN.