YANGON -- In the six months since Myanmar inaugurated its first civilian government in decades, de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has transformed herself from a symbol of democracy to a tough pragmatist willing to bridge long-standing divides with the military to get results.
Microsoft on Sept. 20 opened its first Myanmar office in the country's largest city of Yangon and even appointed a country manager. The U.S. technology company explained the move simply as an investment in "further growth in emerging markets." The U.S. government had announced on Sept. 14 that it planned to lift sanctions on Myanmar.