[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 134 Engrossed in House (EH)]

<DOC>
H. Res. 134

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                        March 19, 2021.
Whereas the military of Burma (hereinafter referred to as the ``Tatmadaw'') held 
        power in Burma between 1962 and 2011;
Whereas provisions in the 2008 Constitution of Burma, written by the Tatmadaw, 
        allocate 25 percent of parliamentary seats to the Tatmadaw, conferring 
        powers on the Tatmadaw that have been used to suppress basic rights, 
        including freedoms of expression, assembly, and association;
Whereas, in 2010, Burma conducted its first election, which was neither free nor 
        fair, under the new Constitution, and which was boycotted by the 
        National League for Democracy (NLD);
Whereas Burma conducted elections in November 2015, in which the NLD came to 
        power;
Whereas Burma's November 8, 2020, elections resulted in the NLD securing enough 
        seats in Parliament to form the next government, notwithstanding the 
        disenfranchisement of more than 1,500,000 voters, mostly from ethnic 
        minority communities in Kachin, Karen, Mon, Rakhine, Shan, and Chin 
        states;
Whereas the Tatmadaw conducted a coup against the civilian government on 
        February 1, 2021, hours before Parliament was to convene in a new 
        session;
Whereas the Tatmadaw claimed they had evidence of parliamentary election fraud 
        perpetrated by the NLD and Burma's Union Election Commission, an 
        allegation that contradicted the judgment of several independent 
        election monitoring organizations that the electoral process and outcome 
        were credible despite minor irregularities;
Whereas the Tatmadaw has detained unlawfully State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, 
        President Win Myint, and other leaders of the NLD, as well as 
        prodemocracy activists from the 88 Generation and other civil society 
        leaders;
Whereas the Tatmadaw has charged State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi with importing 
        walkie-talkies illegally and President Win Myint with violating 
        prohibitions on gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas the Tatmadaw has declared a state of emergency until new elections are 
        held in one year;
Whereas the Tatmadaw has restricted freedom of movement, telecommunications, and 
        the media, limiting access to information to and from Burma during a 
        political and public health crisis;
Whereas, on January 31, 2021, the Secretary-General of the United Nations 
        spokesperson released the following condemnation of the coup, which 
        reads, in part, ``The Secretary-General strongly condemns the detention 
        of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and 
        other political leaders on the eve of the opening session of Myanmar's 
        new Parliament. He expresses his grave concern regarding the declaration 
        of the transfer of all legislative, executive and judicial powers to the 
        military. These developments represent a serious blow to democratic 
        reforms in Myanmar.'';
Whereas, on February 1, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., condemned the coup 
        in a statement that read, in part, ``The military's seizure of power in 
        Burma, the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials, 
        and the declaration of a national state of emergency are a direct 
        assault on the country's transition to democracy and the rule of law.'';
Whereas protests opposing the coup have swept Burma;
Whereas the House of Representatives passed H. Res. 1091 on December 13, 2018, 
        expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the atrocities 
        committed against the Rohingya by the Tatmadaw and security forces 
        beginning in August 2017 constituted crimes against humanity and 
        genocide; and
Whereas the United States has sanctioned Tatmadaw officials previously, 
        including Commander in Chief Min Aung Hlaing, for the atrocities 
        committed against the Rohingya, and the International Court of Justice 
        is investigating the Tatmadaw's conduct: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the military coup that took place on February 1, 2021;
            (2) stands with the people of Burma in their ambition for 
        sustainable peace, a genuine democracy, and the realization of human 
        rights for all, including for ethnic minorities whose human rights have 
        been violated repeatedly and who have been disenfranchised historically;
            (3) condemns any attacks on civilians and supports the use of all 
        diplomatic and development tools to ensure that civilians are safe 
        during conflict;
            (4) calls on the Tatmadaw to--
                    (A) release all those currently detained arbitrarily as a 
                result of the February 1st coup;
                    (B) restore all forms of communications, including internet 
                services;
                    (C) remove all impediments to free travel that have been 
                imposed as a result of the coup, apart from legitimate travel 
                restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic;
                    (D) return to power all members of the civilian government;
                    (E) allow for freedom of expression, including the right to 
                protest, press freedom, and freedom of movement;
                    (F) allow unfettered reporting from local, national, and 
                international media; and
                    (G) refrain from mass evictions; and
            (5) calls on the President of the United States and the Secretary of 
        State to--
                    (A) encourage both the return to power of all members of the 
                civilian government and, subsequently, constitutional reforms to 
                address the power conferred to the Tatmadaw in Parliament and 
                the disenfranchisement of ethnic minorities in Burma;
                    (B) reinstate sanctions and impose new restrictions aimed at 
                the Tatmadaw and those responsible for the February 1st coup;
                    (C) work with the international partners and multilateral 
                institutions, including the United Nations Security Council, to 
                condemn the coup and enact multilateral, targeted sanctions on 
                the military, military-owned businesses, including the Myanmar 
                Economic Corporation and Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited, and 
                others connected to the coup, including an international arms 
                embargo;
                    (D) coordinate with international partners and allies, 
                especially those with economic investments in Burma, with 
                respect to planned economic consequences for the coup and 
                ensuring those consequences are tailored to avoid impacting 
                Burmese civilians;
                    (E) ensure that targeted sanctions allow all necessary 
                exemptions to permit the delivery of humanitarian assistance to 
                civilians in need;
                    (F) ensure that United States-based social media companies, 
                including Facebook, not allow their platforms to be used as 
                vehicles for disinformation campaigns or advocating violence 
                against the Burmese people;
                    (G) implement restrictions on diplomatic, economic, and 
                security relations with Burma until a full restoration of 
                civilian-controlled Parliament, and release of those detained in 
                connection with the coup; and
                    (H) direct the United States Permanent Representative to the 
                United Nations to use the voice, vote, and influence of the 
                United States to bring about greater international cooperation 
                to pursue justice and accountability in Burma.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.