After decades of iron-fisted rule by a military junta, the nation of Myanmar appears to be embracing democratic reform, and the international community has noticed. Following the election of a nominally civilian government in 2010 and the release of hundreds of political prisoners including opposition leader and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the U.S. re-established diplomatic ties with Myanmar and relaxed long-standing travel and economic sanctions. Most notably, Myanmar's reforms have prompted visits by top Western diplomatic officials and politicians, as well as an influx of foreign tourists. Despite Myanmar's continued struggle with ethnic violence, on Nov. 19, Barack Obama will become the first sitting U.S. president to visit the troubled nation, also known as Burma.
From holding hands with Hillary Clinton to strolls with David Cameron, here's a look at how Myanmar's relationship with the West has evolved over the past year.
Above, pedestrians walk by a wall adorned with graffiti depicting U.S. President Barack Obama in downtown Yangon on Nov. 11.
In January 2011, Myanmar convened its first parliament in over two decades, electing then-Prime Minister Thien Sein as president. Since then, the former military commander Sein has developed a reputation as a reformer, opening the economy and loosening restrictions on free speech.
In this photo, Sein meets with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the 64th General Assembly on Sept. 28, 2009 at the United Nations in New York.
Since coming to power, Sein has released hundreds of prisoners, with 452 freed just ahead of Obama's visit in a gesture of "goodwill." Above, Obama stands by Sein as they participate in the East Asia Summit family photo, part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Nusa Dua on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Nov. 19, 2011.
In late 2011, Hillary Clinton made a historic visit to Myanmar, the first by a U.S. secretary of state in over half a century. Her trip was hailed as a monumental step towards improving U.S.-Myanmar relations. In this photo, Clinton is greeted by Deputy Foreign Minister Myo Myint of Myanmar as she arrives in the capital of Naypyidaw on Nov. 30, 2011.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy, Myanmar's main opposition party, was placed under house arrest for 14 years by the military junta that formerly ruled Myanmar. Following her release in Nov. 2010, Suu Kyi, commonly referred to as "the Lady," has rapidly become the face of reformist Myanmar as well as a darling of the Western media. Above, Suu Kyi greets Hillary Clinton during a press conference at Suu Kyi's residence in Yangon, Myanmar, on Dec. 2, 2011.
The number of foreign tourists travelling to Myanmar jumped almost 30 percent in 2011, and thousands more flocked to what has become known as Asia's "untouched" treasure in 2012. With a measly 3,000 hotel rooms deemed suitable for tourists, Myanmar is struggling to accommodate the hordes of eager sightseers.
In this photo, Burmese monks chat as tourists rest nearby at the Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon on Dec. 9, 2011.
In April of this year, Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won 40 of the 45 available seats in Myanmar's parliamentary election, a landslide victory for the opposition party, which was brutally repressed for decades by the military junta. The U.S. hailed the election results as yet more proof that Myanmar was taking solid steps towards democratic reform.
Above, Burmese citizens listen to speeches at a rally held by the government-sponsored Union Solidarity and Development Party ahead of the parliamentary elections in Yuzana, Myanmar, on Mar. 28.
Suu Kyi and Sein's often tense relationship would seem to be a classic example of the phrase, "politics makes strange bedfellows," but Suu Kyi has stated that she believes the president of Myanmar is truly committed to reform.
In this photo, Suu Kyi gestures as she walks out of a hotel on her way to a meeting with President Thein Sein at the president's official residence in Naypyidaw on Apr. 11.
After the United States decided to improve ties with Myanmar, the United Kingdom was the first country to follow suit. As British Prime Minister David Cameron said in April, "There are prospects for change in Burma and I think it is right for the rest of the world to respond to those changes."
Above, Cameron meets with Sein in Naypyidaw on Apr. 13. He was the first British prime minister to visit the country since 1948.
Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, but was unable to accept the coveted award until June of this year, almost two years after being freed from house arrest. In her acceptance speech, Suu Kyi said that winning the prize "opened up a door in my heart," encouraging her to continue her struggle.
In this photo, Suu Kyi delivers her Nobel speech during the Nobel ceremony at Oslo's City Hall on Jun. 16.
Suu Kyi walks with British Prime Minister David Cameron in the Rose Garden following their lunch together at the prime minister's country residence in Ellesborough, England, on Jun. 22.
Sein turns a page as he speaks during the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York on Sept. 27.
Sien greets supporters on Oct. 1., as he arrives at Yangon International Airport in Myanmar upon his return from a landmark tour of the United States that included his attendance at the U.N. General Assembly.
A Burmese child waits with thousands of supporters for Suu Kyi's arrival at the Yangon international airport on Oct. 4, following Suu Kyi's triumphant trip to the United States.
Despite Sien and Suu Kyi's commitment to reform, ethnic violence continues to plague Myanmar. Clashes between the Buddhist Rakhine people, who make up the majority of the country's population, and Muslims from the state of Rohingya continued in June, when more than 20,000 people were left displaced and over 80 lost their lives.
Above, those displaced by the violence in Kyuk Phyu township wait to move their belongings by boat to Thae Chaung refugee camp near Sittwe, Myanmar on Oct. 28.
Obama's visit is seen by Burmese as an endorsement of the democratic reforms instituted by their leaders in a nation that suffered under the yoke of military rule for decades. Above, a girl reads a local newspaper with a picture of Obama at a press house in Yangon on Nov. 14.
