[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 77 (Wednesday, June 12, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5441-S5442]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       MARTIN AND GRACIA BURNHAM

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss a sad and 
incredibly important situation that happened last week involving 
citizens from my State.
  The war on terrorism claimed another victim.
  This past week brought about the sorrowful conclusion to a long and 
harrowing ordeal for three inspiring people, two of whom are from my 
home

[[Page S5442]]

state of Kansas. Gracia and Martin Burnham, and their fellow hostage, 
Filipino nurse Ediborah Yap, had endured more than a year in captivity 
at the brutal hands of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf that has had 
links to the al-Qaida organization.
  We all know the news reports, some of them almost by heart, of the 
attempted rescue by the Filipino military, who, based on the details 
that I have, demonstrated heroism and bravery in the encounter. And the 
heart-rending deaths of Martin and Ediborah and the wounding of Gracia. 
But today I want to remind all of us that while this may have been the 
end of their ordeal, it is not the end of their struggle, nor of ours.
  The poet John Donne once wrote, ``No man is an island, entire of it 
selfe; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in 
Mankinde; and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it 
tolls for thee.''
  September 11 was a wakeup call, but the bell still tolls. We must not 
let it go unanswered.
  Some people have proclaimed that terrorism is simply a symptom of 
poverty and despair. That it is, if you can believe this, the logical 
response to a life of misery. I have one question then: Why kill those 
who are there to alleviate poverty, to lift despair, and to eliminate 
misery?
  Terrorism is not a symptom of poverty, despair and misery. It is a 
cause. It is the root cause. These men and women do not just attack the 
concept of freedom and freedom-loving people everywhere, they terrorize 
their own people, they ravage their own country.
  That is not logic, that is not strategy; that is evil. Yet, in the 
face of evil, people such as the Burnhams do not flinch. They have 
never flinched. When the governments have left, the missionaries are 
there. When the NGOs have left, the missionaries are there. When the 
charitable organizations have left, the missionaries are there.
  There are some goals too great, some missions really just too 
precious, and so the missionaries are there. They keep going. They are 
always there. And they accept the sacrifices of their work in order to 
stay true to their calling. Even Gracia Burnham,on the day she arrived 
home to her children and her friends and family, seeing them for the 
first time in over 375 days, forcefully said, ``A very bad thing 
happened to Martin and I when we were taken hostage, but we want 
everyone to know that God was good to us every single day of our 
captivity.''
  It is a statement emblematic of the strength, courage and, most of 
all, faith of both of them, and of all missionaries worldwide, who 
every day risk their lives to help others. In fact, the Burnham's story 
started out much like many others.
  Martin first arrived in the Philippines in 1969 with his missionary 
parents. He returned to the United States after high school, met 
Gracia, graduated from Calvary Bible College and the Wichita Aviation 
Education Center, and then completed the New Tribes Mission training 
program, the New Tribes group out of Florida. Not surprisingly, he and 
Gracia then returned to the Philippines, remaining there ever since. In 
fact, their three children, Jeff, Mindy, and Zach, were all born in the 
Philippines.
  And then, on May 27, 2001, while celebrating their 18th wedding 
anniversary, they were kidnapped.
  It was not the marker of celebration they wanted--that of their love 
for each other and for God--but rather that of the beginning of this 
incredible, horrible journey.
  The blame for the year of suffering that Martin, Gracia, and Ediborah 
Yap endured rests squarely upon the shoulders of the terrorist Abu 
Sayyaf Group. They were offered peaceful means to resolve this 
situation, multiple peaceful options. Yet this group insisted upon 
terror, murder, and rampage. They attacked Americans, and they attacked 
their own people. And they never hesitated to kill without compunction, 
without compassion, and without logic. Executing several prisoners, 
including another American that was taken hostage at the time as the 
Burnhams. Guillermo Sabero, a Californian, was beheaded by this same 
Abu Sayyaf Group.

  Terrorists must understand every single U.S. citizen is important, 
that an attack on an American anywhere in the world is an attack on 
America itself.
  Most of all, though, terrorists must understand--must be made to 
understand--that terrorism is never justifiable. Wanton violence that 
harms blameless men, women and children, unpredictable violence that 
strikes fear into innocent hearts and minds is not, and never will be 
justifiable.
  As Philippines President Gloria Arroyo said, ``The fight against 
terrorism is our fight. It is the fight of all of mankind against 
evil.''
  The bell tolls for all of us. Duty beckons all of us.
  And the call is simple. We must continue to support the effort to 
eradicate the Abu Sayyaf Group and other terrorist organizations that 
threaten the security of the Philippines and other peaceful nations.
  Already, U.S. assistance to the Philippines has produced results. 
Civil action and humanitarian projects are improving living conditions, 
and specialized training has resulted in a more capable military. Even 
Gracia Burnham noted, ``We especially want to thank the military men, 
the Fillipinos and the Americans, who risk, and even gave their lives, 
in order to rescue us.''
  As seen by this rescue, the Abu Sayyaf Group is on the run, but it 
needs to be completely eliminated as a threat. I personally will 
continue to encourage any U.S. support requested by the Phillippine 
Government to assist them in their fight against terrorism and its 
causes, and to urge my colleagues to do so as well. After all, the 
struggle is not over, only this ordeal.
  Just this morning, elements of the AFP, the Filipino military, were 
involved in a fierce battle with a group that calls itself the 
Pentagon. It is a splinter group from the Moro Islamic Liberation 
Front. This group has held a south Korean businessman captive since 
February 6, 2001. While defending their country from the scourge of 
terrorism, two Philipino soldiers were killed, and nine members of this 
extremist organization died. That was in this most recent firefight. 
More deaths, and for what?
  Let me be clear. The deplorable actions of the Abu Sayyaf Group 
caused the deaths of Martin, Ediborah, and Guillermo. Let there be no 
equivocation on this point, the Abu Sayyaf Group is criminally culpable 
and must be brought to justice.
  As we all know, terror begets terror, but justice produces justice. 
And a nation founded upon the rule of law has a special responsibility 
to share and enforce that vision.
  This Friday, the Burnham family will be holding a memorial service 
for Martin, not to mourn, but to celebrate his life. Today, I ask all 
of us to do so, to celebrate Martin, to remember his family, and to 
recall our shared duty to ``provide for the common Defense'' and to 
``define and punish . . . Offenses against the Law of Nations.''
  These may seem to be the worst of times, but, like the Burnhams, we 
are a strong, resilient, and, most of all, hopeful people, and we will 
prevail.
  As it says in the Beatitudes:

     Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
     Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
     Blessed are the peacemaker, For they shall be called sons of 
           God.
     Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
     For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  God bless you, Martin Burnham.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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