Praise and pressure as Obama starts historic Myanmar visit Barack Obama has heaped praise on Myanmar for its reforms during his landmark visit. But the US President also called for more progress to be made. It is the first time a sitting American president has visited the country and he met with pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Obama's first stop was talks with President Thein Sein, a former junta member who has spearheaded reforms since taking office in March last year. More about: Aung San Suu Kyi, Barack Obama, Myanmar, USA