FUNDS TO FLOW: The United States is poised to allow companies to invest in Myanmar's state oil and gas business. It's the biggest step that the Obama administration has taken to roll back sanctions. A U.S. investment ban has been in place since 1997, when sanctions were imposed on the nation's authoritarian government. Since last year, the new government headed by President Thein Sein has overseen a wave of political reforms and won wide praise for progress toward democratic rule.

CONFLICT: Suu Kyi, the democracy activist and Nobel Peace laureate who has long been the guiding force on U.S. policies toward Myanmar, has voiced concerns about Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise's accountability and transparency.

BUT: Doing business with MOGE is the only way to gain access to Myanmar's potentially lucrative energy resources and U.S. companies fear they will lose out to foreign competitors if the restrictions aren't lifted.