[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 3, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H4795]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HUMAN RIGHTS FOR THE TIBETANS AND THE BURMESE

  (Mr. KIRK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to draw attention to two recent events 
signaling a step backward for basic human rights. The Nepali Government 
violated international law by jailing 18 Tibetan refugees instead of 
turning them over to the United Nations. Nepal then made these refugees 
prisoners of the Chinese, the very people that they were fleeing.
  International refugee law is well settled, that once Tibetans reach 
Nepal, they are turned over to the U.N. for safe passage. Nepal's 
action flies in the face of her commitment to international law, and 
American tourists should not visit Nepal.
  Second, in Burma on Friday the military dictatorship detained many 
members of the National League of Democracy, including Nobel Peace 
Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, and closed all universities. Suu Kyi, 
the elected leader of her country, was beaten, and her whereabouts are 
currently unknown.
  I want to commend Secretary Powell for speaking out against both 
governments, and urge Members of Congress to call attention to these 
two governments, Nepal and Burma, that are turning back the clock on 
human rights.

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