[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 178 (Thursday, December 20, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14053-S14054]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMENDING DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI ON THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF HER 
                    RECEIVING THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to Calendar No. 294, H. Con. Res. 211.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the concurrent 
resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 211) commending Daw 
     Aung San Suu Kyi on the tenth anniversary of her receiving 
     the Nobel Peace Prize and expressing the sense of the 
     Congress with respect to the Government of Burma.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on 
Foreign Relations, with an amendment and an amendment to the preamble.
  (The parts of the concurrent resolution intended to be stricken are 
shown in boldface brackets and the parts of the concurrent resolution 
intended to be inserted are shown in italic.)

                            H. Con. Res. 211

       [Whereas since 1962, the people of Burma have lived under a 
     repressive military regime;
       [Whereas in 1988, the people of Burma rose up in massive 
     prodemocracy demonstrations;
       [Whereas in response to this call for change, the Burmese 
     military brutally suppressed these demonstrations;
       [Whereas opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was placed 
     under house arrest after these demonstrations;
       [Whereas in the 1990 Burmese elections, Daw Aung San Suu 
     Kyi led the National League for Democracy and affiliated 
     parties to a landslide victory, winning 80 percent of the 
     parliamentary seats;
       [Whereas the ruling military regime rejected this election 
     and proceeded to arrest hundreds of members of the National 
     League for Democracy;
       [Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom of speech was 
     restricted by the military regime;
       [Whereas in recognition of her efforts to bring democracy 
     to Burma, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace 
     Prize on October 14, 1991;
       [Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi remained under unlawful house 
     arrest until 1995;
       [Whereas even after her release, the Burmese military 
     regime, known as the State Peace and Development Council 
     (SPDC), has continued to ignore the basic human rights of 
     48,000,000 Burmese citizens and has brutally suppressed any 
     opposition to its authority;
       [Whereas according to the State Department, the SPDC has 
     made no significant progress toward stopping the practice of 
     human trafficking, whereby thousands of people have been sent 
     to Thailand for the purpose of factory and household work and 
     for sexual exploitation;
       [Whereas the SPDC has forced civilians to work in 
     industrial, military, and infrastructure construction 
     operations throughout Burma, and on a large-scale basis has 
     targeted ethnic and religious minorities for this work;
       [Whereas a Department of Labor report in 2000 described the 
     human rights abuses of forced laborers, including beating, 
     torture, starvation, and summary executions;
       [Whereas the worldwide scourge of heroin and 
     methamphetamines is significantly aggravated by large-scale 
     cultivation and production of these drugs in Burma;
       [Whereas the Drug Enforcement Agency has reported that 
     Burma is the world's second largest producer of opium and 
     opiate-based drugs;
       [Whereas officials in Thailand have estimated that as many 
     as 800 million tablets of methamphetamine will be smuggled 
     into their country this year, contributing to the growing 
     methamphetamine problem in Thailand;
       [Whereas there are as many as a million internally 
     displaced persons in Burma;
       [Whereas the SPDC has severely restricted Daw Aung San Suu 
     Kyi's political activities;
       [Whereas in September 2000, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was placed 
     under house arrest when she attempted to visit a National 
     League for Democracy party office on the outskirts of 
     Rangoon, and again when she attempted to travel by train to 
     Mandalay;
       [Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has recently begun talks with 
     the SPDC which are welcomed by the international community, 
     although the slow pace of the talks reflects on the SPDC's 
     sincerity to move toward national reconciliation;
       [Whereas the SPDC has recently allowed the National League 
     for Democracy to open some political offices, and has 
     released some political prisoners, although over 1,800 such 
     prisoners are believed to remain imprisoned;
       [Whereas with the exception of these positive developments 
     the SPDC has made little progress in improving human rights 
     conditions and restoring democracy to the country;
       [Whereas the SPDC has continued to restrict the political 
     power of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for 
     Democracy;
       [Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's struggle to assert the 
     rights of her people has spread beyond politics and into 
     popular culture, as evidenced by others championing her 
     cause, most notably the rock group U2 in their song ``Walk 
     On'', which is banned in Burma; and
       [Whereas, in the face of oppression, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi 
     has remained an outspoken champion of democracy and freedom: 
     Now, therefore, be it]
       Whereas, since 1962, the people of Burma have lived under a 
     repressive military regime;
       Whereas, in 1988, the people of Burma rose up in massive 
     prodemocracy demonstrations;
       Whereas, in response to this call for change, the Burmese 
     military brutally suppressed these demonstrations;
       Whereas opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was placed 
     under house arrest after these demonstrations;
       Whereas, in the 1990 Burmese elections, Daw Aung San Suu 
     Kyi led the National League for Democracy and affiliated 
     parties to a landslide victory, winning 80 percent of the 
     parliamentary seats;
       Whereas the ruling military regime rejected this election 
     and proceeded to arrest hundreds of members of the National 
     League for Democracy;
       Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom of speech, assembly, 
     association, and movement was restricted by the military 
     regime;
       Whereas, in recognition of her efforts to bring democracy 
     to Burma, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace 
     Prize on December 10, 1991;
       Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi remained under unlawful house 
     arrest until 1995;
       Whereas, even after the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, 
     the Burmese military regime, known as the State Peace and 
     Development Council (in this concurrent resolution referred 
     to as the ``SPDC''), has continued to ignore the basic human 
     rights of 48,000,000 Burmese citizens and has brutally 
     suppressed any opposition to its authority;
       Whereas, according to the Department of State, the SPDC has 
     made no significant progress toward stopping the practice of 
     human trafficking, whereby thousands of people have been sent 
     to Thailand and other countries for the purpose of factory 
     and household work and for sexual exploitation;
       Whereas the SPDC has forced civilians to work in 
     industrial, military, and infrastructure construction 
     operations throughout Burma, and on a large-scale basis has 
     targeted ethnic and religious minorities for this work;
       Whereas a Department of Labor report in 2000 described the 
     human rights abuses of forced laborers, including beating, 
     torture, starvation, and summary executions;
       Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration has reported 
     that Burma is the world's second largest producer of opium 
     and opiate-based drugs;

[[Page S14054]]

       Whereas officials in Thailand have estimated that as many 
     as 800 million tablets of methamphetamine will be smuggled 
     into their country this year, contributing to the growing 
     methamphetamine problem in Thailand;
       Whereas there are as many as a million internally displaced 
     persons in Burma;
       Whereas the SPDC continues to severely restrict the 
     political activities of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the National 
     League for Democracy;
       Whereas, in September 2000, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was placed 
     under house arrest when she attempted to visit a National 
     League for Democracy party office on the outskirts of 
     Rangoon, and again when she attempted to travel by train to 
     Mandalay;
       Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the SPDC have recently 
     begun talks under the auspices of the United Nations Special 
     Envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, which are welcomed by the 
     international community;
       Whereas the SPDC has recently allowed the National League 
     for Democracy to open some political offices, and has 
     released some political prisoners, although over 1,800 such 
     prisoners are believed to remain imprisoned;
       Whereas, with the exception of these positive developments, 
     the SPDC has made little progress in improving human rights 
     conditions and restoring democracy to Burma;
       Whereas the United Nations General Assembly has recently 
     expressed its concern over the slow progress in the talks 
     between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the SPDC;
       Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's struggle to assert the 
     rights of her people has spread beyond politics and into 
     popular culture, as evidenced by others championing her 
     cause, most notably the rock group U2 in their song ``Walk 
     On'', which is banned in Burma;
       Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the recipient of the 
     Presidential Medal of Freedom; and
       Whereas, in the face of oppression and at great personal 
     sacrifice, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has remained an outspoken 
     champion of democracy and freedom: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring),
       [That--
       [(1) the Congress commends and congratulates Daw Aung San 
     Suu Kyi on the 10th anniversary of her receiving the Nobel 
     Peace Prize, and recognizes her remarkable contributions and 
     tireless work toward bringing peace and democracy to Burma;
       [(2) it is the sense of the Congress that the President and 
     Secretary of State should continue to encourage the 
     Government of Burma to restore basic human rights to the 
     Burmese people, to eliminate the practice of human 
     trafficking, to address the manufacture of heroin and 
     methamphetamines, to continue the process of releasing 
     political prisoners, to recognize the results of the 1990 
     democratic elections, and to allow Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and 
     the National League for Democracy to enjoy unfettered freedom 
     of speech and freedom of movement; and
       [(3) it is the sense of the Congress that Daw Aung San Suu 
     Kyi should be invited to address a joint meeting of the 
     Congress at such time and under such circumstances as will, 
     in the judgment of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, advance rather than 
     endanger her continued ability to work within Burma for the 
     rights of the Burmese people.]

     SECTION 1. COMMENDATION OF DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI AND SENSE OF 
                   CONGRESS WITH RESPECT TO THE GOVERNMENT OF 
                   BURMA.

       (a) Commendation of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.--Congress--
       (1) commends and congratulates Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on the 
     10th anniversary of her receiving the Nobel Peace Prize; and
       (2) recognizes her remarkable contributions and tireless 
     work toward bringing national reconciliation and democracy to 
     Burma.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the President and the Secretary of State should continue to 
     encourage the SPDC to--
       (1) restore basic human rights to the Burmese people;
       (2) eliminate the practice of human trafficking;
       (3) address the manufacture of heroin and methamphetamines;
       (4) release all political prisoners;
       (5) remove all restrictions on the freedom of speech, 
     assembly, association, and movement of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi 
     and members of the National League for Democracy;
       (6) recognize the results of the 1990 democratic elections; 
     and
       (7) take concrete steps to achieve national reconciliation 
     and the restoration of democracy through genuine and 
     substantive dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the committee amendment be 
agreed to, the concurrent resolution, as amended, be agreed to, the 
amendment to the preamble be agreed to, the preamble, as amended, be 
agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any 
statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee amendment was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 211), as amended, was agreed 
to.
  The amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.

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