World must back Burma: Cameron UK PM PRAISES INDONESIA’S DEMOCRACY

Jakarta, April 12: British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday called on the international community to “get behind” burgeoning reforms in Burma ahead of his scheduled historic visit to the country. Mr Cameron praised Burma’s President U Thein Sein and Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who this month won a seat in Parliament during landmark by- elections largely praised internationally as a step towards democracy.

“Where reform is beginning, like in Burma, we must get behind it,” Mr Cameron told university students in Jakarta. “So let us pay tribute to those who for decades at huge personal cost to themselves have fought for that freedom and fought for that reform, not least, of course, the inspirational Aung San Suu Kyi. Let us also pay tribute to the leadership of President U Thein Sein and his government, which has been prepared to release political prisoners, to hold by- elections and to legalise polit- Jakarta, April 12: David Cameron has praised Indonesia’s democracy and urged Muslim nations to follow its lead. In a lecture on Thursday at the Al- Azhar University, Mr Cameron said Indonesia is showing that it is possible to reject religious extremism while democracy and Islam can flourish together. Mr Cameron arrived here on Wednesday for a two- day visit to bolster economic ties. He said Indonesia has demonstrated how democracy is an alternative to the dead- end choice of dictatorship or extremism. ical parties that had previously been outlawed. And let us show that when they have the courage to reform, we have the courage to respond.”