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almost 15 of the 21 years following her initial arrest and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. She was last released in November 2010. In April the NLD won 43 parliamentary seats in the by-elections, and Aung San Suu Kyi took a seat in the lower house of parliament. Her brave presence in Myanmar has been an important factor in forcing change and bringing about the new Myanmar. Equally crucial has been the military governments change of heart. Than Shwe, State Peace & Development Council chairman, resigned in March 2011. He was succeeded by another member of the military government, Thein Sein, who seems to be a genuine reformer. Under his leadership Myanmar has transitioned to a civilian government. When President Thein Sein met U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in December 2011, she encouraged him to further open the country to foreign trade and investment. When they met again in September, Clinton announced that the U.S. would lift its import sanctions, which will allow Myanmar to gradually close the economic gap with Thailand. Thailand itself transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a democratic constitutional monarchy. Regular and rambunctious elections are held, but the army continues to stage coups whenever it considers the government unreliable or going against the monarchy. Over the last 80 years there have been 11 successful coups and 7 failed ones. The most recent was the ouster of prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in September 2006. The militarys interference has resulted in a perpetual state of political uncertainty and has shaken investor confidence. Both countries governments would do well to remember that it was the open-door policies of free trade and investment that made Thailand prosperous and the passive closed-door policies that held Myanmar back for 50 years.