William Hague met Aung San Suu Kyi at her residence in Burma. Photograph: Nyein Chan Naing/EPA
William Hague, the British foreign secretary, has warned Burmese authorities that "much more is needed to be done" before EU sanctions on the country are lifted.
Calling for the swift release of political prisoners, Hague said that although there is a clear "momentum for change", the international community needs to maintain pressure on authorities.
Hague is on the first visit by such a senior British official to Burma since 1955.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel prize winner and leader of the pro-democracy movement in Burma, told reporters after a meeting with Hague that "in order to realise our dreams we have to work very hard indeed".
"I do not believe in dreaming for the sake of dreaming. We have to have a goal in mind," she said. "[Getting there] boils down to ... hard work."
Aung San Suu Kyi, who had a private dinner with Hague on Thursday night, spent Friday morning in discussions with the foreign secretary at her home in Rangoon, where she has spent much of the last 23 years under house arrest.
Hague described himself as a great admirer of Aung San Suu Kyi, who was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1991, and of her work for democracy.
"There is now a chance that what she and her colleagues have worked for so long will actually take place if progress towards democracy continues to be made," he said.
A civilian president, Thein Sein, was appointed by the military dictator Than Shwe last March.
Than Shwe has kept a low profile since but is believed to exercise considerable influence behind the scenes. In November 2010 an election, described as flawed by observers, was held, a nominally civilian government is now in power, media censorship has been eased and a range of other reforms are being enacted. Around 200 political prisoners currently held have been freed in a series of amnesties.
The exact motivation behind the decision of Than Shwe and the clique of senior military men to distance himself from power is still unclear. Analysts point to the potential for a powerful group of former military men and their families to earn huge wealth from international trade and the rapid development of what is currently one of the poorest countries in the world. Another factor may be a desire to dilute an increasingly heavy Chinese influence.
A key objective of the authorities is the lifting of EU and US sanctions.
Hague said he had been convinced that Thein Sein was "sincere" in his meeting on Thursday but called for the release of remaining political prisoners. The most recent amnesty earlier this week disappointed many, when only around a dozen prisoners were freed.
"It is not possible to say a country is free and democratic while people are still in prison on the grounds of their political beliefs. It is vital that they be released if [sanctions] are to be removed," he told reporters.
Hague also called for greater humanitarian access to areas of ethnic conflict and "visibly" free and fair polls when bye elections are held in April. These will be contested by the National League of Democracy and, possibly, Aung San Suu Kyi herself. The party boycotted the election of 2010.
Analysts in Rangoon said that the Burmese authorities could meet most of the conditions set out by Hague relatively quickly. Although the political prisoners are seen as a useful bargaining chip, they could be freed rapidly and there have already been significant improvements in humanitarian groups' ability to work in Burma.
Much depends on the relative power of factions within the opaque ruling cliques.
"The problem is the ongoing struggle between reformists and hardliners," said Thi Ha Saw, the editor of a local newspaper.
Hague is one of a succession of senior international officials to visit Burma. Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, visited last month. Thai, Indonesian and Japanese dignitaries have also travelled to Naypyidaw, the new capital, and Rangoon. On Friday night Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to meet a Danish delegation. The French foreign minister is expected shortly.
Calling for the swift release of political prisoners, Hague said that although there is a clear "momentum for change", the international community needs to maintain pressure on authorities.
Hague is on the first visit by such a senior British official to Burma since 1955.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel prize winner and leader of the pro-democracy movement in Burma, told reporters after a meeting with Hague that "in order to realise our dreams we have to work very hard indeed".
"I do not believe in dreaming for the sake of dreaming. We have to have a goal in mind," she said. "[Getting there] boils down to ... hard work."
Aung San Suu Kyi, who had a private dinner with Hague on Thursday night, spent Friday morning in discussions with the foreign secretary at her home in Rangoon, where she has spent much of the last 23 years under house arrest.
Hague described himself as a great admirer of Aung San Suu Kyi, who was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1991, and of her work for democracy.
"There is now a chance that what she and her colleagues have worked for so long will actually take place if progress towards democracy continues to be made," he said.
A civilian president, Thein Sein, was appointed by the military dictator Than Shwe last March.
Than Shwe has kept a low profile since but is believed to exercise considerable influence behind the scenes. In November 2010 an election, described as flawed by observers, was held, a nominally civilian government is now in power, media censorship has been eased and a range of other reforms are being enacted. Around 200 political prisoners currently held have been freed in a series of amnesties.
The exact motivation behind the decision of Than Shwe and the clique of senior military men to distance himself from power is still unclear. Analysts point to the potential for a powerful group of former military men and their families to earn huge wealth from international trade and the rapid development of what is currently one of the poorest countries in the world. Another factor may be a desire to dilute an increasingly heavy Chinese influence.
A key objective of the authorities is the lifting of EU and US sanctions.
Hague said he had been convinced that Thein Sein was "sincere" in his meeting on Thursday but called for the release of remaining political prisoners. The most recent amnesty earlier this week disappointed many, when only around a dozen prisoners were freed.
"It is not possible to say a country is free and democratic while people are still in prison on the grounds of their political beliefs. It is vital that they be released if [sanctions] are to be removed," he told reporters.
Hague also called for greater humanitarian access to areas of ethnic conflict and "visibly" free and fair polls when bye elections are held in April. These will be contested by the National League of Democracy and, possibly, Aung San Suu Kyi herself. The party boycotted the election of 2010.
Analysts in Rangoon said that the Burmese authorities could meet most of the conditions set out by Hague relatively quickly. Although the political prisoners are seen as a useful bargaining chip, they could be freed rapidly and there have already been significant improvements in humanitarian groups' ability to work in Burma.
Much depends on the relative power of factions within the opaque ruling cliques.
"The problem is the ongoing struggle between reformists and hardliners," said Thi Ha Saw, the editor of a local newspaper.
Hague is one of a succession of senior international officials to visit Burma. Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, visited last month. Thai, Indonesian and Japanese dignitaries have also travelled to Naypyidaw, the new capital, and Rangoon. On Friday night Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to meet a Danish delegation. The French foreign minister is expected shortly.
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