[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 128 (Wednesday, September 23, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1782]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1999

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                               speech of

                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 17, 1998

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4569) making 
     appropriations for foreign operations, export financing, and 
     related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
     1999, and for other purposes.

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, Today I want this Congress to 
focus on a government that has spent years practicing torture on its 
own people. However, when you go home and turn on the evening news, 
good luck trying to find any story that reveals this particular human 
rights issue. And better luck getting this administration to pay any 
attention to the plight of thousands of innocent civilians.
  We speak of tragedies all over the world this time of the year. We 
speak of the struggles in Africa, Cambodia, and Burma. We reprimand 
China for its draconian abortion policies and illegal human organ 
sales. We threaten to stop international military and educational 
training (IMET) from Indonesia for abuses in East Timor. We even 
criticize longstanding allies like Turkey for its treatment of its 
Kurdish citizens without addressing the brutal murders carried out by 
the PKK, a Kurdish Marxist terrorist organization.
  Unfortunately, there is one human rights issue that continues to 
escape the attention of this administration, some Members of Congress 
and the media. That issue involves the plight of the Sikhs in Punjab or 
Khalistan; the plight of the Kashmiris; the plight of Christians in 
Nagaland; and the plight of the ``untouchables'', the lowest caste in 
India's caste system.
  Mr. Speaker, the Indian Government is one of the world's worst human 
rights abusers. You may ask, well if that's true, why doesn't the world 
know?
  Since the 1970's, Amnesty International and other human rights groups 
have been barred from India. Mr. Speaker, even the Government of Cuba 
allows Amnesty into their country.
  In fact, there are half-million Indian soldiers occupying Punjab, and 
another half-million troops occupying Kashmir. Since 1947, India has 
killed over 200,000 Christians in Nagaland; 250,000 Sikhs in Punjab 
from 1984-1992; and 53,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988.
  For the last sixteen years, I have been coming to this well to call 
attention to Punjab, where the Indian military receives cash bounties 
for the slaughter of innocent children. And to justify their actions, 
they are labeled ``terrorists''.
  According to our own State Department, India paid over 41,000 cash 
bounties to police for killing innocent people from 1991-1993!
  Also in Punjab, Sikhs are picked up in the middle of the night only 
to be found floating dead in canals with their hands and feet bound 
together. Some Kikhs are only so fortunate, many are never found after 
their abduction.
  Recently, the India Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the 
supreme court that it had confirmed nearly 1,000 cases of unidentified 
bodies that were cremated by the military!
  And it does not get any better in Kashmir. Women, because of their 
Muslim beliefs, are taken out of their homes in the middle of the night 
and are gang-raped while their husbands are forced to watch and wait 
inside at gunpoint.
  It was hoped that the new governments in Delhi and Punjab would stop 
the repression which the Indian Supreme Court describes as ``worse than 
a genocide!''
  Mr. Speaker, opponents will say the recent election in Punjab of a 
Sikh dominated coalition and the fact that an ``untouchable'' is now 
the President of India is evidence of their democratic progress.
  But, I can tell you that this new government in Punjab is closely 
aligned with the authoritiarian BJP Prime Minister Gudjaral of India 
and India's ``untouchable'' president is merely a figurehead. Mr. 
Speaker, would democracies continue the rampant campaign of genocide?
  On July 22, 1998, Baljit Singh, a Sikh youth of Burj Dhillwan 
Village, died of complications from torture-style brutality inflicted 
by the Punjab police.
  Also in July of 1998, police picked up Kashmira Singh of the village 
of Khudial Kalan on the pretext that they were investigating a theft. 
They then tortured him for 15 days. They rolled logs over his legs 
until he couldn't walk; they submerged him in a tub of water; and they 
slashed his thighs with razor blades and stuffed hot peppers into the 
wounds.
  On April 1, 1998, Brother Luke, a Roman Catholic priest was murdered 
in the eastern state of Bihar. His body was found with a bullet hole 
through the head. He was a member of Mother Teresa's world-renowned 
charity organization. This is the fourth priest in 2 years that has 
been murdered in India.
  On October 30, 1997, Reverend A.T. Thomas was found beheaded also in 
Bihar, apparently killed for aiding the no-caste ``untouchables.'' 
Amnesty International has linked the Bihar state government to the 
murder of Rev. Thomas! The Catholic Bishops conference of India has 
criticized the government for doing nothing to protect Catholic priests 
and for failing to prosecute those responsible.
  On July 12, 1997, in Bombay, 33 Balits (black untouchables) were 
killed by Indian police during demonstrations.
  On July 8, 1997, 36 people were killed in a train bombing in Punjab. 
Two ministers of the Punjab Government have blamed the Punjab police. 
The bombing occurred a day after 9 policemen were convicted of murder!
  On March 5, 1997, a death squad picked up Kashmir Singh, an 
opposition party member. He was thrown in a van, tortured, and 
murdered. Finally, his bullet-ridden body was dumped out on the 
roadside.
  These military forces operate beyond the law with complete impunity!
  Mr. Speaker, the United States should not support a government that 
condones widespread abuses with our hard-earned tax dollars! It is time 
India is held accountable for its continued violation of basic human 
rights!
  The Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, ``untouchables,'' and women of India 
are desperately looking to this Congress for help. The time has come 
for action, it is time for America to take a stand!
  Considering all this, the President still requested $56.5 million in 
development assistance for India in fiscal year (FY) 1999. That is an 
increase of almost $1 million over last year.
  As everyone is aware, as a result of India's recent nuclear test, the 
President has imposed a broad range of sanctions on India for violation 
of section 102(b) of the Arms Export Control Act. Also known as the 
Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act of 1994, or more popularly, the 
Glenn Amendment--it prohibits a variety of assistance and commercial 
transactions between the U.S. and any country if the President 
determines that that country--if it is a non-nuclear-weapon state--has 
detonated a nuclear explosive device.
  India has disregarded regional and international stability by placing 
missiles and exploding thermonuclear weapons, fission weapons, and 
hydrogen bombs near the Pakistan border. Indeed, their behavior has 
been clearly unacceptable, and they are being properly punished. I 
applaud the President for his fortitude.
  And, if the President continues to follow through with the current 
law, this should send a strong signal to the Indian Government that it 
is not going to be business as usual with the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, the American people are tired of helping bullies who 
punish their own people and threaten neighbors. India is still the 5th 
largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid in the world; India is the 
world's largest borrower from the World Bank with more than $44 billion 
in loans; India votes against the U.S. at the United Nations more often 
than any other country, except Cuba.
  It does not justify sending more hard-earned tax dollars to a country 
that claims to be the largest democracy in the world, but obviously 
shares none of our most cherished values.
  Democracies don't commit genocide!
  Let's put the brakes on the foreign aid gravy train to India!
  Ask the President not to waver on his stance with India!

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