[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 145 (Thursday, September 27, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S12280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     COURAGE AND BRUTALITY IN BURMA

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, for the past 10 days, people around the 
world have watched with admiration and increasing trepidation as over 
100,000 courageous Burmese citizens, led by thousands of maroon clad 
Buddhist monks, have demonstrated peacefully in Burma's capital city in 
support of democracy and human rights. They have been calling for an 
end to military dictatorship and the release of Burma's rightful, 
democratically elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been either in 
prison or under house arrest for 11 of the past 18 years.
  Today, there are reports that Burmese soldiers had cordoned off the 
streets, fired tear gas, shot and killed several of the protesters and 
a Japanese journalist, raided monasteries and arrested opposition party 
members and hundreds of monks. The vicious response by the Burmese 
military against masses of peaceful, dignified, unarmed citizens, while 
not surprising, is intolerable and should be universally condemned.
  Earlier this week, President Bush made a forceful statement before 
the United Nations General Assembly criticizing the repression of 
Burma's military leaders and announcing tighter sanctions and visa 
restrictions. The President's announcement is welcome.
  U.S. leadership is essential, but it can only go so far. Bringing 
democracy and human rights to the Burmese people will require far 
stronger pressure from its neighbors and trading partners such as 
China, Thailand, Russia, and India. It will require these and other 
nations to disavow the failed policies of engagement with the Burmese 
junta.
  I have long believed that engagement is most often the best policy, 
but there comes a time when it has demonstrably failed, and there is no 
more obvious example of this than Burma. A different approach is long 
overdue.
  Burma's friends and allies must make unequivocally clear what 
President Bush and others have said, and what the brave citizens of 
Burma are calling for: Burma will suffer severe economic sanctions 
unless Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners are released and 
the generals in charge agree to hand over power.
  In his own speech at the United Nations, Secretary General Ban Ki-
moon voiced hope that the Burmese junta would ``exercise utmost 
restraint'' and engage in a dialogue with ``relevant parties'' in 
seeking national reconciliation. Obviously, that has not happened. 
Since then, the Secretary General has sent his special envoy to Burma 
to try to convince the Burmese junta to resolve this crisis peacefully.
  It is very disappointing that China, Burma's largest trading partner, 
has once again put its economic interests, and Burma's corrupt 
generals, above the fundamental rights of the Burmese people. China, 
which has more influence over the Burmese junta than any other 
government, blocked the U.N. Security Council from adopting a 
resolution condemning the violence.
  It is a sad commentary on a country that the rest of the world 
entrusted to host the next Olympics. While China has urged the generals 
to exercise restraint, history has shown that in Burma words alone are 
not enough. We hoped China would act differently this time, but so far 
we have been mistaken.
  Many times in the past, peaceful protests in Burma have been put down 
with brute force. Countless Burmese citizens have been imprisoned or 
killed for doing nothing more than speaking out in support of 
democracy.
  The past 10 days of protests have attracted far greater crowds, and 
because of the Internet the whole world can see their numbers, their 
bravery, and the strength of their conviction. The people of Burma are 
an inspiration to people everywhere, and they are asking for our 
support. Without it they cannot succeed. If all nations stand united 
behind them now, Burma's long nightmare can finally come to an end.

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