[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1057 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1057

 Calling on Burma's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to release two 
 jailed journalists reporting on violence inflicted upon that nation's 
                          Rohingya population.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 7, 2018

Mr. Levin submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

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                               RESOLUTION


 
 Calling on Burma's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to release two 
 jailed journalists reporting on violence inflicted upon that nation's 
                          Rohingya population.

Whereas a recent fact-finding mission of the United Nations found that Burma's 
        Rohingya Muslim population has been subjected to ``systemic oppression'' 
        culminating in so-called clearance operations that ``targeted and 
        terrorized the entire Rohingya population'';
Whereas these operations were conducted by Burmese soldiers and security forces 
        and constituted a ``human rights catastrophe'' according to the United 
        Nation's fact-finding report, which called for holding senior Burmese 
        military commanders accountable for genocide and crimes against 
        humanity;
Whereas the United Nations report found such crimes included murder, 
        imprisonment, torture, rape, sexual slavery, and other forms of sexual 
        violence;
Whereas dozens of Rohingya villages have been burned and bulldozed out of 
        existence;
Whereas as result of this violence, persecution, and destruction, nearly 725,000 
        Rohingya had fled to Bangladesh by mid-August 2018;
Whereas the United Nations report found that the head of Burma's civilian 
        government, Aung San Suu Kyi, has failed to use her position or moral 
        authority to protect the Rohingya, and that civilian authorities have 
        instead ``spread false narratives'' about the atrocities committed 
        against the Rohingya;
Whereas, on March 8, 2018, a senior Burmese official, National Security Advisor 
        U Thaung Tun, reportedly made a series of comments designed to deny or 
        downplay any violence and atrocities against Rohingya Muslims, saying 
        the vast majority remain in Burma, and ``if it was genocide, they would 
        all be driven out'';
Whereas some brave journalists have attempted to uncover the truth about 
        atrocities committed against the Rohingya;
Whereas two such reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo of Reuters, were recently 
        sentenced to seven years in prison in Burma for violating state secrets 
        laws in response to their efforts to report on the persecution of 
        Rohingya Muslims;
Whereas the Burmese police captain involved in their arrest reportedly admitted 
        during the trial that his superior ordered him to entrap the 
        journalists;
Whereas United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley called these 
        convictions ``another terrible stain'' on Burma; and
Whereas attempting to silence the duty of the press to uncover the truth is 
        anti-democratic and only further fuels state-sanctioned oppression: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns all efforts to suppress information related to 
        the oppression and violence inflicted upon Burma's Rohingya 
        civilians; and
            (2) calls on the leader of Burma's civilian government, 
        Aung San Suu Kyi, to immediately and unconditionally release 
        the two jailed journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, by 
        exercising her power to order a presidential amnesty.
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