US to send ambassador to Myanmar

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said Washington will send an ambassador to Myanmar for the first time in two decades, restoring full diplomatic relations now that the long-isolated country has released hundreds of political prisoners and made other reforms. Clinton’s announcement that the two countries will exchange ambassadors came on a day of celebration in the streets of Myanmar after President Thein Sein issued pardons and freed 651 detainees, including some of its most famous political inmates. President Barack Obama, in a statement, described the pardons as "a substantial step forward for democratic reform." The US decision follows a landmark visit by Clinton to the repressive country in December as a way to deepen engagement and encourage more openness there, although Washington will be maintaining hard-hitting economic and political sanctions for the time being.