"In September 2009, Barack Obama?s administration announced a new U.S. policy direction for relations with Burma/Myanmar. Over the past year, this new course has moved the United States away from previous efforts to isolate Burma?s ruling generals, balancing economic sanctions with ?pragmatic engagement? and initiating efforts to expand channels of communication with the military leadership at higher levels of authority. Against this backdrop, the Asia Society established a Task Force on U.S. Policy toward Burma/Myanmar in the fall of 2009 to assess the shift in American policy and provide concrete recommendations for how the United States could best approach this new path of engagement. The Task Force?s report, Current Realities and Future Possibilities in Burma: Options for U.S. Policy, was released in March 2010.1 With elections set to be held on November 7, the first in Burma in 20 years, this update provides an overview of key developments in Burma since the Task Force?s report was published. For reasons outlined here, it is clear that the upcoming elections will not be inclusive or fair. In short, Burma?s military leaders have willfully ignored calls from the international community to allow the full participation of opposition leaders and ethnic minorities in the elections..."