United States Ambassador to Burma

Ambassador of the United States to Burma

Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Derek Mitchell
since July 2012
Style Ambassador
Residence Rangoon, Burma
Nominator Barack Obama
Inaugural holder J. Klahr Huddle
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Formation October 17, 1947
Website burma.usembassy.gov

This is a list of Ambassadors of the United States to Burma. In 1989 the military government of Burma changed the name of the nation to Myanmar, but the United States government—and other Western governments—do not accept the name and still refer to the country as Burma in official usage.[1]

Burma became a province of India in 1886 under the British Raj. The country was occupied by Japan during World War II but after the war, again came under control of Britain. In 1946 Britain began negotiations with the Burmese to establish independence for the nation, and reached a final agreement on January 27, 1947. A transitional government was established and Burma became fully independent on January 4, 1948.

The United States recognized Burma and established the Embassy of the United States, Rangoon on September 19, 1947, with Earl L. Packer as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.

After 1990 the United States appointed no ambassador to Burma in protest against the policies of the military regime. A chargé d'affaires became the head of mission until 2012.

On January 13, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that "at the direction of President Obama, we will start the process of exchanging ambassadors with Burma. We will identify a candidate to serve as U.S. Ambassador to represent the United States Government and our broader efforts to strengthen and deepen our ties with both the people and the government."[2] On June 29, 2012, the U.S. Senate confirmed Derek Mitchell as the new U.S. Ambassador to Burma.[3]

Ambassadors

U.S. diplomatic terms

Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).

Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as “commissioning”. It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional-recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate.

Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador’s arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador’s letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador’s commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country. See chargé d'affaires.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime". See ad interim.

Chargés d’Affaires

Uncompleted appointments

Notes

  1. ↑ "Background Note: Burma (section "Government and Political Conditions")". United States Department of State. July 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  2. ↑ http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/01/180667.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/78039.html
  4. ↑ Huddle was appointed during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on December 9, 1947.
  5. ↑ Snow was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on January 21, 1960.
  6. ↑ Everton was commissioned to the Socialist Republic of Burma.

See also

References

External links