Posted on January 6, 2012

Soros to Open Office in Myanmar

Open Society Foundations founder George Soros has announced plans to open an office in Myanmar (also known as Burma) to support his philanthropic efforts there, the Jakarta Globe reports.

Announced following his recent trip to Myanmar, where he met with the country's president and activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, the new office will enable the billionaire philanthropist to work more closely with civil society leaders in the country as it "transition[s] from a closed to a more open society," Soros said. Myanmar, a nation that was left impoverished by nearly fifty years of military rule, has made great strides in recent years, especially since a new government took over from the ruling military junta last March. A number of challenges, including the issue of political prisoners, remain, however.

"While I am greatly encouraged by signs of political opening in Burma, the reforms are in [their] early days," said Soros. "There is a big gap between the goodwill at the top and conditions on the ground."