[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 95 (Wednesday, July 20, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 20, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
TRIBUTE TO AUNG SAN SUU KYI AND THE PEOPLE OF BURMA AND CONDEMNATION OF 
                     THE ILLEGAL RULE OF THE SLORC

                                 ______


                         HON. HOWARD L. BERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 20, 1994

  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, today marks the fifth anniversary of the 
detention without trial of Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma, the leader of the 
National League for Democracy, which in 1990 won 80 percent of the 
votes in a national election, despite the Burmese military's every 
attempt to restrict its activities including the detention of its 
leader. The conscience of the world has recognized Suu Kyi's 
distinction, and she has received the Nobel Peace Prize for her 
commitment to nonviolence in the face of one of the most brutal 
dictatorships in the world.
  We are also witnesses to the continued suppression of democracy and 
the continued denial of fundamental human rights in Burma. There can be 
no doubt about the violence and illegality of the rule of the so-called 
State Law and Order Restoration Council [SLORC]. The SLORC has 
frustrated the democratic will of the people of Burma by disregarding 
election results in which its opponents won an overwhelming 80 percent 
of the vote, and by holding Suu Kyi in illegal detention without trial 
for 5 years.
  The SLORC has maintained its illegal rule by a combination of extreme 
violence against its peaceful opponents; corruption, theft of national 
resources, and complicity in narcotics trafficking; and the subjection 
of ordinary citizens of Burma of brutal forced labor.
  The detention of Suu Kyi, under a 1975 law to protect against 
subversive elements, was illegal at the outset and turned the law on 
its head, since it was the SLORC which had subverted political 
legitimacy, whereas Suu Kyi was the legitimate leader of Burma. Even 
then, at the time of her detention, the law made by the Burmese 
military only allowed detention for 3 years. That meant that Suu Kyi 
should have been released 2 years ago. The SLORC has only compounded 
its original illegality by retroactively arrogating to itself the 
authority to detain for 5 years. Unless the SLORC releases her today, 
it will have violated its own illegal rules.
  This is not surprising. The SLORC has demonstrated that it is one of 
the most illegitimate regimes in the world, and one of the worst 
violators of human rights. Its brutality has resulted not only in the 
death and detention of peaceful political opponents, but also in 
widespread refugee migrations from border areas.
  I am proud that the United States has taken such a firm line in our 
own bilateral policy against the illegal SLORC regime, but I believe 
that we should go further still. I believe that we should impose 
economic sanctions; should aggressively pursue internationalization of 
such sanctions; and should forcefully advocate to our allies and 
trading partners the need for an international arms embargo. I also 
believe that all United Nations agencies and other international 
organizations which wish to continue operations in Burma should do so 
only in consultation with the legitimate authorities of Burma.
  I am confident that a resolute policy of isolating the SLORC regime 
will restore to Burma the promising prospect that it faced at the time 
of its independence from Britain. Although the SLORC and its military 
predecessors have been responsible for serious damage to Burma's 
institutions and environment, I am heartened by the observation that 
the people of Burma have miraculously preserved their rich and 
sophisticated culture. How else could the National League for Democracy 
have won so handsomely after three decades of repression and serious 
interference with its right to campaign? This is a real reflection of 
the strength and resilience of the people of Burma. I look forward to 
working with my colleagues and with the administration to help restore 
the Government of Burma to its people, and to then help Burna take its 
place in the community of nations.
  This is a matter which implicates not only the interests of the 
people of Burma, but the interests of the United States in the 
emergence of a stable and just political order in a region of great 
economic interest to us. A stable Burma integrated into the regional 
economy can advance our interests, just as clearly as a violent and 
unstable Burma will act as a drag on the economic potential of the 
region. The short term economic benefits of engaging with the present 
dictatorship are illusory and uncertain. Only a peaceful and legitimate 
political order can offer the security which long-term economic 
planning and investment require.

                          ____________________