[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 204 (Tuesday, December 19, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H15104-H15106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CONCERNING HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY IN BURMA

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 274) concerning human rights and democracy in Burma 
and a United Nations General Assembly resolution, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 274

       Whereas the military government of Burma, as a member of 
     the United Nations, is obligated to uphold the Universal 
     Declaration of Human Rights and all other international human 
     rights standards and conventions to which it is a signatory;
       Whereas the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council 
     (hereinafter referred to as the ``SLORC'') in Burma has 
     refused to recognize the results of the May 1990 elections, 
     which the National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu 
     Kyi, won by a landslide;
       Whereas the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in 
     March 1995 unanimously condemned the SLORC's refusal to 
     ``take all necessary steps towards democracy in light of 
     those elections'';
       Whereas the United Nations Commission on Human Rights also 
     expressed grave concern about violations of fundamental human 
     rights in Burma, including torture, summary and arbitrary 
     executions, massive use of forced labor including forced 
     portering for the military, abuse of women, political arrests 
     and detentions, restrictions on freedom of expression and 
     association, and oppressive measures directed at ethnic and 
     religious minorities;
       Whereas the United Nations Commission on Human Rights noted 
     that most of the 1990 democratically elected representatives 
     have been excluded from the SLORC's ``National Convention'' 
     and concluded that the convention does not ``appear to 
     constitute the necessary steps towards the restoration of 
     democracy,'';
       Whereas Burma continues to be one of the world's leading 
     sites of narcotics production and trafficking and, according 
     to the United States State Department, production of opium 
     nearly doubled in Burma since the SLORC took power in a 
     violent coup in 1988;
       Whereas, according to the State Department's International 
     Narcotics Control Strategy Report of March 1995, the SLORC's 
     antinarcotics efforts last year fell far short of the 
     measures necessary to make serious progress against the drug 
     trade, and in addition, the SLORC's lack of control over 
     heroin-producing areas is due to the SLORC's allowing wide-
     ranging, local autonomy (to ethnic armies) in exchange for 
     halting their active insurgencies against Rangoon;
       Whereas the peace agreements signed by the SLORC with 
     ethnic insurgencies since 1989 were supposed to lead to both 
     a decrease in opium production and economic development, but 
     according to the State Department's report, ``neither 
     development nor a reduction in opium cultivation has 
     occurred'';
       Whereas in 1948 when Burma became independent, the annual 
     production of opium was 30 tons, Burma was then a democracy, 
     it exported rice to its neighbors and the world, and it 
     enjoyed a free-market system;
       Whereas today Burma is one of the poorest nations in the 
     world and its opium production has increased some 8,000 
     percent to about 2,575 tons (1992-1993);
       Whereas the drug production increase is the consequence in 
     large degree of the inability of the successive military 
     governments in Rangoon to come to terms with the country's 
     ethnic minorities and the refusal of post-1962 military-
     dominated regimes to permit an open pluralistic society;
       Whereas it is primarily through a democratically elected 
     civilian government in Burma, supported by the Burmese people 
     including the ethnic minorities, that Burma can make 
     significant progress in controlling narcotics production and 
     trafficking;
       Whereas on July 10, 1995, the SLORC responded to 
     international pressure, including 5 resolutions by the United 
     Nations General Assembly, by releasing Aung San Suu Kyi, who 
     had been held under house arrest for 6 years;
       Whereas 16 elected Members of Parliament remain in 
     detention in Burma, along with thousands of other political 
     prisoners, according to Human Rights Watch/Asia, Amnesty 
     International, and other human rights monitoring groups;
       Whereas in July 1995 the International Committee of the Red 
     Cross (hereinafter referred to as the ``ICRC'') closed its 
     office in Burma due to the SLORC's refusal to agree to allow 
     the ICRC confidential regular access to prisoners;
       Whereas the United States ambassador to the United Nations 
     visited Burma in September 1995, met with Aung San Suu Kyi, 
     and also met with leaders of the SLORC and urged them to 
     ``choose the path'' of ``democracy, rather than continued 
     repression and 

[[Page H15105]]
     dictatorial control,'' and declared that ``fundamental change in the 
     United States policy towards Burma would depend on 
     fundamental change in the SLORC's treatment of the Burmese 
     people; and
       Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Burma, 
     Professor Yozo Yokota, visited the country in October 1995 
     and will deliver a preliminary report of his findings to the 
     current session of the United Nations General Assembly: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives calls on--
       (1) the Burmese Government to immediately begin a political 
     dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, other democratic leaders, and 
     representatives of the ethnic minorities to release 
     immediately and unconditionally detained Members of 
     Parliament and other political prisoners, to repeal 
     repressive laws which prohibit freedom of association and 
     expression and the right of citizens to participate freely in 
     the political life of their country, to resume negotiations 
     with the International Committee of the Red Cross on access 
     to prisoners, and help control the massive flow of heroin 
     from Burma; and
       (2) the President, the Secretary of State, and the United 
     States ambassador to the United Nations to actively support 
     and promote a resolution at the current session of the United 
     Nations General Assembly reiterating the grave concerns of 
     the international community and calling on the SLORC to take 
     concrete, significant steps to fulfill its obligations to 
     guarantee respect to basic human rights and to restore 
     civilian, democratic rule to the people of Burma.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York [Mr. Gilman] will be recognized for 20 minutes, and the gentleman 
from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton] will be recognized for 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman].
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago, Aung San Suu Kyi announced that her party, 
the National League for Democracy, would no longer participate in 
Slorc's sham constitutional convention. Suu rightly pointed out that 
her nation could never be expected to accept a constitution that was 
forced upon the convention participants by the military. It was very 
good to learn that our representatives at the U.N. refused this week to 
cosponsor a U.N. human rights resolution on Burma because it did not 
refer to the withdrawal, and subsequent expulsion, from the national 
convention of delegates from Suu Kyi's party.
  Slorc demands that the constitution stipulates a leading role for the 
military in Burma's political process and would exclude anyone married 
to a foreigner from assuming the office of the president. Suu is 
married to an Oxford professor.
  Slorc claims that her decision to boycott the convention is 
confrontation politics. Suu was right to point out that ``what they 
have termed confrontational is that we have asked for dialogue, which 
we want in order to prevent confrontation. To silence the views of 
people whose opinions are different by putting them in prison is far 
more confrontational.''
  I am deeply concerned that a senior official of the Slorc in response 
to Suu's statement called Suu a traitor who should be annihilated. That 
sort of remark is not taken lightly by this committee.
  Our Nation has very serious reasons to be concerned about what occurs 
in Burma and to Suu Kyi. High on our priority is the illicit drug 
production that has had a devastating impact on our cities, families 
and schools. In 1948 when Burma became independent, the annual 
production of opium was 30 tons. Burma was then a democracy, it 
exported rice to its neighbors and the world, and it enjoyed a free-
market system. It was known as the ``rice bowl'' of Asia. Today, Burma 
is one of the poorest nations in the world and its opium production has 
increased some 8,000 percent to about 2,575 tons in 1992-1993.
  What is the reason for this massive increase? Bertil Litner, the 
Burma reporter for the Far East Economic Review, states in his book 
``Burma in Revolt,'' that Burmese drug production is the consequence 
of:

       The inability of successive governments in Rangoon to come 
     to terms with the country's ethnic minorities and the refusal 
     of post-1962 military-dominated regimes to permit an open, 
     pluralistic society.

  Unfortunately, some U.S. officials have taken the position that the 
human rights problem should be kept separate from the drug problem. 
What these officials have failed to recognize is that the human rights 
problem is directly linked to the drug production. As Bertil Litner 
points out, the majority of the opium grown in Burma is grown so that 
ethnic minorities can protect themselves.
  While their leaders are not angels, it is very difficult to grow 
anything else in those regions and they need the money for arms. Until 
they feel confident that a representative form of government is 
established in Rangoon, they will continue to grow opium just like they 
have for the past 40 years.
  A democratic Burma led by Suu Kyi and the other members of parliament 
elected and thrown into prison in 1990, will help us to resolve the 
Burmese drug production problem that is spiraling out of control. 
Threatening Suu Kyi and her democratic followers threatens our Nation's 
efforts in the drug area.
  Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 274.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. HAMILTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my friend and chairman, 
the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], for bringing this resolution 
before the House. It is a timely statement of our opposition to 
repressive measures practiced by the Government of Burma and to Burma's 
continued failure to address the grave drug trafficking problem in a 
serious manner.
  I believe it is important that this committee and this Congress speak 
up for political freedom and human rights whenever they are threatened. 
The United States should not, and will not, turn a blind eye toward 
political repression or a violation of fundamental human rights in 
Burma or anywhere else in the world.
  Unfortunately, the people of Burma are governed by a ruthless 
military regime that has no understanding of the concepts of freedom or 
liberty or of individual rights. That is why it is important for the 
Congress to send a strong and unambiguous signal that clearly places 
the United States on the side of the Burmese people and their 
aspirations for democracy and human rights.
  Similarly, this committee should reiterate its strong support for a 
vigorous attack on the very serious problem of drug trafficking.
  House Resolution 274 calls on the Government of Burma to take 
concrete and effective action to control the massive flow of heroin 
from Burma. In this context, I also believe it is important for the 
United States to continue to support alternative development activities 
being conducted by the United Nations drug control program in the 
principal opium growing areas of Burma.
  Given the limited contact we can and should have with the State Law 
and Order Restoration Counsel, or SLORC, I believe that these efforts 
have the best chance of impacting opium production in Burma at this 
time.
  I urge the support of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter], the distinguished chairman of 
our Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 274, the resolution 
concerning Burma and the U.N. General Assembly that this body is 
considering today is both important and timely. Recent developments 
have heightened tension in Burma. Burma's democratic opposition leader 
Aung Sang Suu Kyi recently announced that she and her party, the NLD, 
would boycott the national constitutional convention organized by 
Burma's military junta, the SLORC. SLORC responded by expelling the NLD 
from the convention, thus foreclosing any chance for dialog between the 
Government and the opposition. Without dialog between the democratic 
opposition and the SLORC the prospects for democracy and stability in 
Burma are bleak. Clearly, conditions in Burma are once again on a 
downward spiral.
  This Member commends the distinguished gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Gilman], chairman of the House International Relations Committee, for 
his 

[[Page H15106]]
tireless efforts in promoting democracy in Burma and other parts of 
Asia and, specifically, for his initiative in drafting this resolution. 
House Resolution 274 addresses the human rights and narcotics problems 
in Burma in a constructive way. This Member hopes that Burma's generals 
understand that the Congress of the United States wants to promote 
cooperative ties between our two countries, but that would only be 
possible if they take effective action to expand human rights and 
democracy in Burma and to clamp down on Burma's massive opium 
production.
  The Committee on International Relations unanimously approved House 
Resolution 274 on December 14. This Member understands the 
administration has no objections to the resolution as amended and 
approved by the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific and the Committee 
on International Relations, which I chair.
  This Member urges all of our colleagues to support House Resolution 
274.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Richardson].
  (Mr. RICHARDSON asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution 
which urges the governing State Law and Order Restoration Council to 
open a dialog with Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for 
Democracy, release all political prisoners, repeal laws limiting 
freedom of association and expression, and help control the flow of 
heroin from Burma.
  I commend Ambassador Madeleine Albright for her tremendous work on 
this issue. I encourage all Members to support the work of our U.N. 
Representative as she relentlessly pursues the cause of Burmese 
democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Ambassador Albright had a great 
meeting in Burma this fall with Aung San Suu Kyi.
  I join Ambassador Albright's endorsement of the recent U.N. 
resolution which urges the Government of Burma to cease its violations 
of internationally recognized human rights.
  The United States did not cosponsor the U.N. resolution because it 
did not focus on several specific problem areas that must be 
recognized. Additionally, the U.N. resolution fails to take into 
account the impact of recent developments in Burma that have given us 
cause for great concern. It is imperative that the SLORC understand 
that the United States and the international community will not 
tolerate threats or actions that suppress the advancement of the 
democratic movement in Burma.
  The bill before us today sends a message to the SLORC that is 
consistent with Ambassador Albright's policy.
  I would like to caution Members of the risks we take by treating 
Burma in the same manner as we handled South Africa under its former 
regime. We need to weigh the merits of isolating Burma, prohibiting 
trade or investment, denying access to international capital flows, and 
employing economic pressures to force the current military regime, 
SLORC, to act according to our wishes.
  We need to keep in mind that the United States economic role in Burma 
is limited. And, while I support efforts to employ what leverage we 
have to our advantage, I insist that we use it wisely.

                              {time}  1115

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. 
Richardson] for his strong support of democracy in Burma. I know the 
gentleman has traveled to Burma. He was instrumental in helping to gain 
the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, and we commend the 
gentleman for his efforts and thank him for his participation in this 
debate.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bunn of Oregon). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] that the 
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution. House Resolution 
274, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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