Cambodia says leader’s trip to Myanmar ‘good’ amid criticism

By SOPHENG CHEANG and JERRY HARMER
Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia’s leader has returned home from the first visit by a head of state to Myanmar since the military takeover last year plunged it into turmoil. His foreign minister declared it a success though there was little evidence of a breakthrough. He told reporters that talks between Prime Minister Hun Sen and Myanmar’s leader achieved a “very good, positive result with a progressive step forward” on the implementation of peace efforts agreed to by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a regional bloc currently led by Cambodia. Hun Sen’s meeting with Myanmar’s military chief has triggered protests in Myanmar and criticism abroad. Opponents say it legitimized the military takeover and broke the generals’ near-total diplomatic isolation.