 I'm delighted to be here at the Lowy Institute with our Distinguished International Fellow Kurt Campbell. There are so many aspects of Kurt's career that one can explore and what I thought we'd talk about today briefly is Burma because Kurt's played a very important role in the normalisation of US ties with Burma and indeed Burma's emergence and continuing emergence as a more and more democratic country. Can I ask you first, Kurt, about Aung Sansu Chi? Daw Su is visiting the Institute in a couple of days. I've only met her once very briefly. You know her extremely well. What is she like? First of all, I'm thrilled that she's coming to the Institute and I think it'll be a real treat for both your team and the people that'll have the chance to interact with her. Look, I've met her the first time when she was still under house arrest. We had a meeting of exactly three hours that the military leadership- This was in Rangoon. That's right. And I found her to be among the most interesting people I've ever interacted with. I think that's probably obvious that her dynamism. But what was interesting about her was much like a diamond that you would rotate in the light. She has several facets of her personality. So at one moment you can be talking about things and you're struck by her sensitivity, her vulnerability, her love of beauty and art and music and you find yourself very much wanting almost to protect her. But then at the next moment she can sort of turn in the light and you are struck by a deep and profound sense of self-determination and commitment that is unyielding. She's as tough as a diamond, isn't she? She had to be and has to be. She's made very clear that she wants to make the transition Michael from being a global icon to a political figure. And she knows what's involved in that and what it will take. And it's very impressive to see the intermingling qualities of her personality. And will she have that opportunity? If you're a betting man do you think that the changes in the constitution that are necessary to allow her to be elected as president in 2015 will take place? If I were I would say yes. I think odds are that given her still very substantial levels of support inside the country, her ability to work with many of the former generals and you can't believe until you see it. She has managed to work effectively and bury the hatchet with many of the men who for decades treated her and her party and others in really abysmal ways. She's managed for the good of the nation to find a common way forward. And so I think there will be an effort to allow her to participate in the coming elections. And I think if not, I think there would be an outcry globally and I think it would impede the process of reform inside the country. As you mentioned the generals let me ask you a question that I asked everybody when I was in Burma. Why has the regime taken these steps? Obviously there are lots of different reasons but what is the most important reason in your mind as to why they've taken these steps? Thank you. It's a great question Michael and it really interestingly takes us back to the first meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi. She's a person who is extremely well prepared. And so when I sat down at the same- This is a meeting in 2009. You're the most senior US diplomat to meet to visit the country I think in 14 years. That's right. Yeah. Sit down with her. She had clearly prepared for that meeting and she said look I want to spend 30 or 45 minutes discussing why has the government decided to do this now. And we went through the various reasons. My own personal sense is that there are the obvious. This is a proud country. A country that has a deep sense of national destiny despite its ethnic challenges. I think it does not want to feel as if it's dominated by any outside country. And so in that respect I think Saat and still seeks to create more options and diversity of engagement. That would be number one. I think it is also the case that these are proud people that were growing tired of being treated poorly in international settings constantly feeling like they were as we say in America and the skunk at the party. But I think it's a last matter that cannot be underestimated. We talk a lot about the role of Aung San Suu Kyi and I think it's central and essential. But the role of the president, a modest calm behind the scenes man cannot be underestimated Michael. In the previous regime he was the man as prime minister that was sent out to international meetings and to travel regularly. And as a consequence he got to see firsthand in between you know pretty unsatisfactory meetings for various organizations as he walked cities and went to various places. How far Burma Myanmar had fallen behind. And I think he more than anyone else recognized the steps that would be needed to turn Burma Myanmar into a 21st century society. And that leads to my final question. Burma is a really important country. It's a large country. It's strategically wedged between China and India. The United States has a very important role in it. If you were to look ahead 10 years what kind of foreign policy would you see Burma running? What sort of role should it have in Asia and in the world? Well look you know this Michael but 50 years ago it was one of the dominant states in Asia. Bread basket of Southeast Asia. If you read Bob Kaplan's most recent book it articulates very clearly that this is the prime real estate of the 21st century wedged between India, China and a rising Southeast Asia and with Australia in the not too distant south. I personally believe that the choices made over the course of the next several years will be defining in the kind of country that Myanmar will become. I think very few countries on the planet has its endowment of natural resources. It has a remarkable determination to succeed. I think the key however is not the question about the surrounding states or even the nature of economic investment although that's vital. Outside external investment and support from Australia, from Japan, from South Korea, from the United States is an essential ingredient in reform going forward. I think the real issue is whether this country with its fractious ethnic minorities will find a way to manage effectively in some consortium that gives ethnic groups a sense that they are participating in the destiny of the country that has always been the problem and it predates even the period of independence in the 1940s. So if we can get through that and manage that more effectively I think we could see a country that comes to play a defining role in the Asia of the 21st century. Any Fong San Suu Kyi were elected president. You can imagine the response if you have someone who's a global human rights symbol who's also the president of a country, the enormous goodwill that will flood towards that country over the next decade would be incredible to watch. Thank you Kurt Campbell for a terrific primer on Burma and on Ong San Suu Kyi. Thank you. Thank you. Terrific.