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Obama Repeatedly Mispronounces Aung San Suu Kyi
During his stop in Burma earlier today, President Obama repeatedly mispronounced the name of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate and former political prisoner who has led the struggle for a free and democratic Burma.
From the Associated Press:
As Obama stood next to the world’s most recognized democracy icon, he mispronounced her name repeatedly.
Ever gracious, Suu Kyi did not correct her American guest for calling her Aung YAN Suu Kyi multiple times during his statement to reporters after their meeting.
Proper pronunciation for the Nobel laureate’s name is Ahng Sahn Soo Chee.
What’s more, Obama also botched the name of his official host, Burma’s reformist new president, Thein Sein.
As the two addressed the media, Obama called his counterpart “President Sein,” an awkward, slightly affectionate reference that would make most Burmese cringe.
Note to presidential advisers: For future rounds of diplomacy, the president of Myanmar is President Thein Sein – on first and second reference.
Such diplomatic faux pas by George W. Bush would no doubt have sparked peals of outrage and ridicule back home.
The mistake by Obama is even more notable because he tries to please foreign audiences by correctly pronouncing words and names in their languages.
For example, uniquely among U.S. leaders, Obama refers to Pakistan as “Pahkeestahn,” which is closer to the way the country’s name is pronounced by native speakers.
Extirpates
November 19th, 2012
There Was no Navy Corpseman to assist him with pronunciation.
historicus
November 19th, 2012
His name in Burmese translates to “Affirmative Action Asshole”, but she was to polite to point that out.
thirdtwin
November 19th, 2012
“What about your foreign policy gaaaaaaffes, Mitt Romneeee??????”
Brian in BC
November 19th, 2012
What do you expect from someone who likes to talk about Pock-ee-stan.
Unneutral
November 19th, 2012
Botching a name is not near as serious as botching an entire country.
Stranded in Sonoma
November 19th, 2012
Hey, at lease Zero is better at this than Bidet. Slow Joe would have pronounced it soo-kee-AK-ee.
RANDO
November 19th, 2012
Besides, obama doesn’t give a ratsass about Democracy.
Anne
November 19th, 2012
Further evidence that Obama is an illiterate, uneducated, product of affirmative action.
He told Burmese to keep an eye on Democracy for guidance like they would use the North Star for navigation.
I could be wrong, but I believe that since the Burmese are in the southern hemisphere, they would use the Southern Cross for navigation, and, in fact, they can’t see the North Star from where they are on the globe, and, therefore, the Burmese didn’t know what Obama was talking about. But then, he didn’t either.
BTW, what the MSM is failing to report is that he was speaking only to the Muslims in Burma, wuth which he had ulterior motives – to stir up unrest like he did in Egypt and in Tunesia. He is the most dangerous madman on this planet since Adolph Hitler.
Stranded in Sonoma
November 19th, 2012
@Anne — Unfortunately, no. Burma is in the northern hemisphere, about 20 degrees north latitude. And they can see Polaris from there.
Maybe 0bama should have told them they have a homeboy who gets it.
Maudie N Mandeville
November 19th, 2012
The Bell Curve lives!
OBlowMe Samich
November 19th, 2012
My homeboy namesake thought he was ordering Indonesian food, and kept hearing barking in the back of his mind!
IronyCurtain
November 19th, 2012
Good thing he didn’t mention her home town of Suk Mai Dikk.
Ricky
November 19th, 2012
that’s because fried chicken, watermelon, and chitlins were already taken.. I bet he wonders what a grit is..
Freeshiticus
November 19th, 2012
Later in the day after arriving in Cambodia, Barack had no trouble ordering dinner in the native language: “Tôi sẽ có tinh hoàn hầm chó, đồng chí”, said Barry the Hussein, which loosely translates to “I’ll have the stewed dog testicles, comrade”
Ricky
November 19th, 2012
In Japan they call him “Kuronbo”
Boobie the Rocket Dog
November 19th, 2012
Obumfuk probably had an affirmative-action transliterator.
The name as he pronounced it actually means “How much for your little brother for ten minutes?”
Nutjob
November 19th, 2012
So did he get Crab Rangoon or the stir fry dog when keeping with the traditional regional quisine?
Nutjob
November 19th, 2012
I think Clinton pulled a stunt just like this when he gave china preferred trade nation trade status. Went to a country rife with human rights violations then give some bullshit speech on we can help them democratically by pulling them up to our level……
Code for, we found some even cheaper slave labor then China to ship foreign jobs to in exchange for a villa and campaign cash.
Think about it, We might be able to save Hostess afterall, Ho-Hos and Ding Dongs sound Asian if you don’t mind domestic pet meat in your snacks.
Moe tom
November 19th, 2012
He got potato right. But get to fuck back on the job you slouch.
Anne
November 19th, 2012
Thanks, Stranded. I Binged it, Yahooed it and Googled it under a variety of headings, all to no avail. Finally, quite by chance, I got a map of the world that showed it above the equater. I swear, those search engines couldn’t find themselves.
Mr.Gates
November 19th, 2012
Obama and Hillary are beneath Aung San Suu Kyi. In a sane world they wouldn’t qualify as her servants.
Rick
November 19th, 2012
Way to go eliminating the stereotype of The Ugly American there Barry.
Old Patriot
November 19th, 2012
…as Barry the Baboon would say, “As a Community Organizer corpseman, I….”
Mary Jane Anklestraps
November 19th, 2012
Yeah well, from this point forward, MSNBC will have to mispronounce everything so as not to make the boy-king appear wrong/stupid.
grayscape
November 19th, 2012
They all look alike, right Barry?
Anne
November 20th, 2012
In any case, Stranded we can be sure that he didn’t come up with that North Star analogy on his own. Even after using it, he probably thinks (while scratching his nappy little head) that it is somewhere in Hollywood.
Mz McHorsey
November 20th, 2012
@MJA…..Chrissy Mathews is on it…figuring out how to Barackosize things like balls, joystick, scrotal love, lickidicki, Yes I swallow, no little weenies here….and his favorite of all….tingle me baby.