US Senate confirms Obama’s choice for ambassador to Burma
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| Scot Alan Marciel. Pic: AP |
February 11, 2016
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate has confirmed President Barack Obama’s nominee to serve as ambassador to Burma.
The vote on Tuesday was 90-0 for a career Foreign Service officer, Scot Alan Marciel, who has served in Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Turkey, Brazil and Hong Kong. Marciel has been principal deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs since 2013.
Marciel will replace Derek Mitchell as Burma makes the transition to a democratically elected government.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Mitchell’s tenure and welcomed his successor in remarks prior to the vote.
The Kentucky Republican traveled to Burma in 2012 and says its transition from military rule to a democracy is an “important mark of reform in a country with a long and troubled history.”
