[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 18, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8116-S8117]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS INDEPENDENT TASK FORCE ON BURMA

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, the Council on Foreign Relations 
Independent Task Force on Burma today released a report entitled: 
``Burma: A Time for Change''. I am pleased to have had an opportunity 
to serve as a member of the Task Force along with my colleagues, 
Senators Lugar and Feinstein, and Representative Lantos.
  The report describes the State Peace and Development Council's 
repressive rule in Burma, and makes a number of recommendations 
including: increased humanitarian assistance for the people of Burma 
through NGOS, and in consultation with the NLD and other groups 
representative of a multiethnic Burma; an import ban on goods produced 
in Burma, visa denials to leaders of the military regime and its 
political arms, and the freezing of assets abroad; U.S. leadership in 
urging the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution that 
demands the immediate release of Suu Kyi and all other political 
prisoners, and to hold an emergency session to impose other sanctions 
on Burma; U.S. leadership in working with our allies and Burma's 
regional neighbors to bolster support for the struggle for freedom and 
the rule of law in Burma; no certification for Burma on narcotics 
cooperation as it has ``failed demonstrably'' to curtail drug 
production, drug trafficking and money laundering; and increased 
assistance to refugees fleeing Burma in Thailand, India, Bangladesh, 
and China.
  I thank the council for the timeliness of the task force, and all the 
members for their participation.
  Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the executive 
summary of the report be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                        Burma: A Time For Change


                           executive summary

       On May 30, 2003, the Burmese military regime orchestrated 
     violent attacks by pro-government militia on Aung san Suu 
     Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) 
     and her supporters as they traveled outside Mandalay. At 
     least four of her bodyguards were killed as well as a 
     significant number of others. She has been held in custody 
     since then. Following the attacks, the regime arrested more 
     than 100 democracy activists, imprisoned at least a dozen, 
     shut down NLD offices across the country, and closed schools 
     and universities. This is the bloodiest confrontation between 
     Burma's military rulers and democracy supporters since 1988, 
     when the government suppressed a popular uprising against the 
     regime and thousands were killed.
       Burma has been ruled for more than 40 years by a succession 
     of military regimes that have systematically impoverished a 
     country once known for its high literacy rate, excellent 
     universities, and abundant natural resources. Today, Burma is 
     one of the most tightly controlled dictatorships in the 
     world, lacking any freedom of speech, assembly, or the press; 
     denying any due process of law; and perpetuating human rights 
     abuses, such as forced labor, military rape of civilians, 
     political imprisonment, torture, trafficking in persons, and 
     use of child soldiers. Burma is also facing what the United 
     Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) has called a ``silent 
     emergency,'' a health crisis of epidemic proportions. HIV/
     AIDS is spreading rapidly, and malaria, tuberculosis, 
     leprosy, maternal mortality, and malnutrition are pervasive. 
     Government spending on health and education is miniscule.
       Burma is a leading producer of opium and methamphetamine 
     for the illegal drug trade, which is a major source of 
     corruption within Burma. Four decades of military operations 
     against insurgent ethnic nationalities as well as mass forced 
     relocations have created one of the largest refugee 
     populations in Asia. As many as two million people have fled 
     Burma for political and economic reasons; inside Burma, 
     hundred of thousands have been internally displaced. They 
     lack access to food, health care, schools, and even clean 
     water.
       In August 1988, a popular uprising against the military 
     regime was brutally suppressed and thousands were killed. In 
     1990, the regime held elections for a multi-party parliament 
     in which the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung 
     San Suu Kyi who was then under house arrest, won 82 percent 
     of the seats. However, the elections were ignored by the 
     junta and the elected parliamentary representatives never 
     took office. The regime imprisoned hundreds of pro-democracy 
     supporters, including elected members of parliament. 
     Thousands more fled the country.
       After the 1988 uprising, the United States imposed 
     graduated sanctions on Burma, initially terminating economic 
     aid, withdrawing trade preferences, imposing an arms embargo, 
     and blocking loans the grants from international financial 
     institutions. In 1997, based on a presidential finding that 
     the Burmese government had committed large-scale repression 
     and violence against the democratic opposition, the United 
     States banned any new American investments in Burma.
       In 2000, the United Nations, mandated by UN General 
     Assembly resolutions, sent Special Envoy Razali Ismail to 
     Rangoon to promote substantive political dialogue on 
     transition to democratic government between Burmese 
     government and the democratic opposition. Since then, 
     Ambassador Razali has visited Rangoon nine times with no 
     apparent progress toward establishing this dialogue. He is 
     returning to Rangoon in early June.
       In order to strengthen international efforts to install 
     democratic government and end repression in Burma, the Task 
     Force recommends that the United States take specific 
     initiatives in four key areas:

        Humanitarian assistance to address Burma's health crisis

       In view of Burma's massive public health crisis, the United 
     States should increase humanitarian assistance to Burma, 
     provided that funds are given to international nongovermental 
     organizations (NGOs) for basic human needs through a process 
     that requires transparency, accountability, and consultation 
     with the NLD and other groups representatives of a 
     multiethnic Burma.
       Although the United States should not generally provide 
     humanitarian assistance directly to the Burmese government, 
     the United States could provide technical assistance to the 
     Ministry of Health if the Burmese government agrees to meet 
     the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) standard that 
     HIV/AIDS testing be voluntary and confidential.
       The United States should work together with other donor 
     governments, UN agencies, and if possible, the Burmese 
     government State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) to 
     establish certain minimal standards of independence for 
     international NGOs operating in Burma, including clear 
     guidelines for administrative operations, reporting, and 
     other regulations involving duty-free entry privileges, 
     memoranda of understanding and residency permits.

         Promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law

       In view of the recent government-sponsored attacks on 
     members of the democratic opposition, resulting in a number 
     of deaths, and the Burmese government's detention of Aung San 
     Suu Kyi, the United States should urge the United Nations 
     Security Council to adopt a resolution that demands the 
     immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political 
     prisoners and condemns the Burmese government's egregious 
     human rights abuses as well as its refusal to engage in 
     substantive political dialogue with the democratic 
     opposition. In addition, the United States should urge the 
     Security Council to hold an emergency session on Burma to 
     discuss imposing targeted sanctions, which could include 
     denying visas to leaders of the military regime, the Union 
     Solidarity Development Association (USDA) and their families, 
     freezing their assets and imposing bans

[[Page S8117]]

     both on new investment in Burma and on importing goods 
     produced in Burma.
       Because the Burmese military government has failed to 
     address human rights abuses, including the unconditional 
     release of all political prisoners, and to move forward in 
     talks with the NLD and other pro-democracy groups toward 
     establishing a democratic government, the United States 
     should increase well-targeted sanctions, including an import 
     ban on goods produced in Burma, and encourage the United 
     Nations and other countries to join with the United States in 
     adopting similar sanctions.
       The United States should redouble its efforts with the 
     governments of China, Japan and the Association of Southeast 
     Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, particularly Thailand, 
     Singapore and Malaysia, to press the SPDC to work with the 
     NLD and ethnic nationalities toward political transition in 
     Burma. The United States, as a member of the SEAN Regional 
     Forum, should urge ASEAN to consider seriously the cross-
     border effects of internal problems including 
     illegal migration, health, trafficking, narcotics and 
     other issues connected with the internal situation in 
     Burma. The United States should also continue to 
     coordinate closely with the European Union on policies 
     toward Burma.
       Until the SPDC makes substantial progress in improving 
     human rights and engaging in substantive political dialogue 
     with the democratic opposition, the United States should 
     strongly discourage the government of Japan from forgiving 
     outstanding debt from bilateral grants and loans except those 
     that directly address basic human needs. Such aid should 
     exclude infrastructure projects, such as dams and airport 
     renovations, and also be limited to basic human needs. 
     Moreover, the United States should encourage Japan to use its 
     influence with ASEAN governments to urge them to become pro-
     active in support of democracy and human rights in Burma.
       While maintaining its own sanctions on Burma, the United 
     States, as one of the largest donors to the international 
     financial institutions, should urge Asian investors to press 
     the Burmese government to begin implementing the economic 
     measures recommended by the World Bank, International 
     Monetary Fund and the Asian Development Bank as one of the 
     prerequisites for further investment. The United States 
     should also urge China to use its influence to press the 
     Burmese government to reform its economy and move towards 
     democratic governance in order to promote stability in the 
     region.
       In order to develop capacity for future democratic 
     governance and to rebuild technical competence in Burma, the 
     United States should promote cultural, media and educational 
     exchanges with the Burmese, provided that these opportunities 
     are readily accessible to qualified candidates, including 
     representatives of the political opposition. The selection 
     process should include widespread publicity of exchange and 
     fellowship opportunities, a joint selection committee 
     comprised of Burmese civilian authorities (academics, 
     intellectuals) and representatives of the U.S. Embassy in 
     Rangoon who, after consulting broadly, make their selections 
     based on the quality of candidates and their potential to 
     contribute to Burma's future. In addition, the United States 
     should provide increased funding for the American Center in 
     Rangoon as well as for English language training and 
     scholarship opportunities.

               U.S. narcotics control policy toward Burma

       The United States should not certify Burma at this time 
     because it has ``failed demonstrably'' to curtail drug 
     production, drug trafficking and money laundering. In 
     addition, the United States should not provide any counter-
     narcotics assistance to the Burmese government. Increased 
     counter-narcotics cooperation should depend, at minimum, on 
     significant steps by the Burmese government to curb 
     methamphetamine production, to arrest leading traffickers, 
     and to stop channeling drug money into the illicit economy.

        IV. Refugees, migrants and internally displaced persons

       The United States should strongly urge the Thai government 
     to halt deportations of Burmese and protect the security of 
     Burmese living in Thailand, regardless of their status. In 
     addition, the United States should coordinate U.S. policy 
     towards Thailand with donors, such as the governments of 
     Norway, Denmark, Japan, and Canada.
       The United States should provide increased humanitarian 
     assistance, including cross-border assistance, for displaced 
     Burmese along both sides of the Thai-Burma border as well as 
     on Burmese's borders with India, Bangladesh, and China, as 
     well as inside Burma. Support should be provided for clean 
     water, sanitation services, primary health care, reproductive 
     health, and health education for refugees and undocumented 
     migrants living in refugee-like circumstances. Support of 
     education, especially for women and children, is also 
     critical.
       The United States should urge greater access by 
     international NGOs and UN agencies to northern Rakhine State 
     provide humanitarian assistance and monitor abuses committed 
     against Muslim communities and returned refugees.

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