In a document given to Mizzima on January 10 reiterating his views on a range of issues, Mr Mitchell said Myanmar would need to make hard decisions in the coming years “and the people must feel they are being made by leaders of their choice.”

The ambassador said it was difficult to understand the provision in the 2008 constitution that makes Daw Aung San Suu Kyi ineligible to be president because her sons are British citizens.

“As an observer interested in seeing this country reach its potential as a democratic state, it seems curious to me that someone who is the leader of a major political party, chair of a major parliamentary committee, who has sacrificed herself for decades as a courageous patriot committed to the success and strength of the country, someone clearly very popular with the people, will be excluded from presidential contention,” he said.

Mr Mitchell said he could understand why in the constitutions of 1947 and 1974 there might be provisions that reflected a fear of family connections to the outside world.

“But not in the 21st century, in a new, open democracy Burma that seeks to integrate itself to the world,” the ambassador said.

“This provision, this fear, seems a relic of the past,” he said, referring to the relevant section of the 2008 constitution.

“Even the leader of the majority party in the parliament, Thura Shwe Mann, has come out publicly in favor of amending this provision,” Mr Mitchell said.

“He has said he would like a fair fight, in which the people will have a choice between parties and leaders, and the winner wins, and the loser becomes the loyal opposition to continue to play an important role in how this country is governed, and live to fight another day.

“This is a very honorable position, and very democratic. I salute him for this principled view.

“Again as an observer, I just wonder why others don’t view it that way.”

Mr Mitchell said the United States understood that the issue was sensitive because it involved sovereignty.

“But if the common goal is a democratic state, we must make sure the decision to choose this country’s leadership be free and fair, one that is inclusive, open and ensures that everyone has a choice.

“The United States does not have a preferred candidate in any country’s elections; we simply want to see a fair fight that reflects the will of the people.”

The ambassador said the US would be watching developments in Myanmar closely as 2015 approaches.

“The 2015 election is of great interest to us and others,” he said, because it would be an important marker in the democratic transition.

“In particular, we believe it important that the result truly reflects the will of the people; that they are able to freely choose who they want to lead them during the critical next phase of transition, to ensure stability of the country as this difficult transition proceeds,” Mr Mitchell said.