WH: Obama's meeting with Myanmar's Thein Sein shows U.S. backs reforms WASHINGTON, May 20 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama's hosting of Myanmar's leader Monday highlights the administration's loyalty to governments that "embrace reform," the White House said. "President Thein Sein's visit underscores President Obama's commitment to supporting and assisting those governments that make the important decision to embrace reform, and highlights the dedication of the United States to helping the Burmese people realize the full potential of their extraordinary country," the White House said in a statement Sunday night. The 2:10 p.m. Oval Office meeting is expected to discuss "the many remaining challenges to efforts to develop democracy, address communal and ethnic tensions, and bring economic opportunity to the people of his country, and to exploring how the United States can help," the statement said. The United States has been a prime mover in urging Thein Sein to introduce reforms after five decades of repressive military rule ended when he became the elected head of state in March 2011. Thein Sein, 68, is the first head of state from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, to visit the White House in almost 47 years. Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Southeast Asian country -- bordered by China, Thailand, India, Laos and Bangladesh -- when he visited Yangon, formerly Rangoon, in November. The former Myanmar military commander, considered by some a moderate and reformist in the post-junta government, freed 23 prisoners Friday ahead of his White House visit, Myanmar state media reported. "We all know the history of Burma," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters Thursday. They've made a number of positive reforms in recent years. ... They've recently released over 850 political prisoners. They've eased restrictions on the media and increasingly respect freedoms of expression, assembly, and movement. But this is obviously an ongoing discussion. "I'm sure it will be part of the visit," she said. Washington applied sanctions against Myanmar's junta for its poor human-rights record. Thein Sein, who retired from the military in 2010, undertook a series of political reforms as president, including some deregulation of the country's censored media, releasing close to 900 political prisoners -- including opposition leader and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi -- and halting the country's controversial large Chinese-led hydropower project. Washington followed this by easing many sanctions. But the reduction in social controls has been followed by an increase in sectarian and ethnic tensions. In western Myanmar over the past year, Buddhists have led attacks on a Muslim ethnic group, the Rohingya, and mosques and houses have been destroyed in a number of areas. In March Thein Sein said in a televised speech he would use force if necessary to crush the religious rioting. "I am firmly committed to use the power to deploy the security forces vested in me by the Constitution," he said March 28 after anti-Muslim rioting in central Myanmar killed at least 40 people the week before. Thein Sein said the use of force would be a "last resort to protect the lives and safeguard the property of the general public."