Former Finnish President Sees Nobel Peace Prize For Myanmar Government

[webfact]

Former Finnish president sees Nobel Peace Prize for Myanmar government
BY ANDERS HOLM NIELSEN



HELSINKI: -- Martti Ahtisaari who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008 said Friday that he believes Myanmar’s reformist government could win the Nobel Peace Prize

The comment was given during President Thein Sein 10-day visit to Europe aimed at forging stronger political and economic ties between Myanmar and the West.

The former Finnish president told AFP he believed Myanmar’s government was a “serious candidate” for the Nobel peace award if the democratic transition it had undertaken was completed.

Under Thein Sein, the Myanmar government had been able to “get results faster than, for example, an interim government” would have, he noted.

He urged Thein Sein to continue efforts to transform the country, saying change could only come from within.

During the visit to Helsinki it was announced that Finland would aid in developing Myanmar with 6.5 million euros ($8.4 million).

“Finland is willing to reach out” to Myanmar, Niinistoe said at a joint press conference with the former general.

The aid would be distributed between 2014 and 2016, according to a Finnish diplomatic source.

“Steps have been taken to improve human rights,” Niinistoe said of the reforms that have prompted the EU to suspend all sanctions apart from an arms embargo.

The United States has also dismantled key trade and investment sanctions against the Southeast Asian country.

Speaking on the economy, Thein Sein invited Finnish entrepreneurs to “work together with Myanmar in order to strengthen investment.”

Thein Sein kicked off his trip in Norway earlier this week, following Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s own milestone visit to the country last year, where she was finally able to accept her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize in person after spending years under house arrest.

Source: http://scandasia.com/former-finnish-president-sees-nobel-peace-prize-for-myanmar-government/

-- ScandAsia 2013-03-04

[luangtom]

Why not give Myanmar a Nobel Prize? They gave Obama one for not yet doing anything. He had just taken office and still has troops stationed in over one-hundred different countries. A Peace Prize....

[mrgreg]

Awarding Nobel Peace Prize to bad people trying to do better is wrong!!

[Chopperboy]

Why not give Myanmar a Nobel Prize? They gave Obama one for not yet doing anything. He had just taken office and still has troops stationed in over one-hundred different countries. A Peace Prize....

And killed more people with drone strikes than anyone else in history

[fire and ice]

Awarding Nobel Peace Prize to bad people trying to do better is wrong!!

It’s at the core of most religious beliefs (ie: a big % of the World's population) that someone turning from "wrong to right"(for lack of a better term) is very much something to acknowledge.

Despite not being a Christian/Buddhist etc myself, I still agree with this philosophy.

Although in Myanmar's case, awarding a Nobel Peace prize is rather premature at this stage.

[Locationthailand]

May as well give it to the Mafia - how ridiculous.

[Dap]

Burma hasn't done anything other than figure out how to enter the 21st Century

by raking in a sh*tload of money. Killers before the lies and now, still killers with

better lies. Nobel Peace Prize my A**.

[Loptr]

Why not give Myanmar a Nobel Prize? They gave Obama one for not yet doing anything. He had just taken office and still has troops stationed in over one-hundred different countries. A Peace Prize....

The Nobel Peace prize became a joke when this happened. The Nobel committee sunk to new lows when they awarded Obama a peace prize for doing absolutely freaking nothing.

Myanmar, why not. The have a sterling human rights record over the last few decades, no?

[Mangkhut]

Well with all respect to Mr Ahtisaari: Its not him that decide who is going to get the peace price, its the Nobel piece price comitee.

[fasteddie]

The bloke must be having a larf! Same murdering slime in charge paying lip service to democracy to get more business in.

By the way, it's Burma, the real leader says so and that's good enough for me.

[Oxpilot]

The thought makes me sick. Like when Hitler was made "Man of the Year"by Time magazine.