[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 79 (Thursday, May 21, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5884-S5885]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CONDEMNING THE ACTIONS OF THE BURMESE STATE PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT 
                                COUNCIL

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 160.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 160) condemning the actions of the 
     Burmese State Peace and Development Council against Daw Aung 
     San Suu Kyi and calling for the immediate and unconditional 
     release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise to note passage of a Senate 
resolution on Burma. This resolution reflects the U.S. Senate's 
unequivocal condemnation of the show trial currently being conducted by 
Burmese officials against Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. 
It is bad enough that Suu Kyi has been imprisoned for 13 of the past 19 
years. Now the Burmese regime, the State Peace and Development Council, 
has come up with the flimsiest of pretexts to try to detain her 
further. It appears the regime will do anything to consolidate its grip 
on power. One suspects that the regime wants Suu Kyi behind bars at 
least until elections under its sham constitution are held in 2010.
  I am gratified that this resolution reflects the strong, bipartisan 
view of the Senate on this matter. This resolution, which was authored 
by Senator Gregg, is cosponsored by Senators Feinstein, Durbin, McCain, 
Brownback, Lieberman, Collins, Bennett, Bond and me. It is also 
cosponsored by the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign 
Relations Committee, Senators Kerry and Lugar. A clearer signal from 
this chamber about Suu Kyi could hardly be sent.
  As I noted earlier in the week, the members of the Senate have been 
and will continue to monitor the trial of Suu Kyi with deep concern.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, this morning Secretary of State Hillary 
Clinton appeared before the State Department, Foreign Operations, and 
Related Programs Appropriations Subcommittee to discuss the fiscal year 
2010 budget request for America's international affairs programs and 
operations. We had a productive discussion on the numerous and 
extraordinary challenges that our Nation faces in the world today.
  During the hearing, I brought up the plight of Burmese democracy 
leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who faces criminal charges stemming for an 
uninvited visit by an American citizen to her compound in Rangoon, a 
compound on which she has spent 13 of the last 19 years under house 
arrest. These charges are absurd and have been roundly, and 
appropriately, condemned by the international community.
  Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident but merely the latest 
attempt by General Than Shwe and the State Peace and Development 
Council to persecute Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy 
party.
  I regret that General Than Shwe has made clear his complete and total 
disinterest in improving Burma's relationship with the United States. 
It is apparent that any open hand will be met with a clenched fist.

[[Page S5885]]

  The resolution my colleagues and I offer today recognizes the 
continued injustices in Burma, and it states unequivocally that we 
deplore and condemn the show trial of Suu Kyi. The resolution sends a 
clear message to Suu Kyi and her supporters that the Senate remains 
squarely on the side of freedom and justice in Burma.
  I agree with Secretary Clinton that more can and should be done on a 
bilateral and multilateral basis to secure the release of Suu Kyi and 
all prisoners of conscience in Burma today. The resolution calls for 
the Secretary to reinvigorate such efforts, and I intend to continue to 
work with her in support of human rights in Burma.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider 
be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 160) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 160

       Whereas the military regime in Burma, headed by General 
     Than Shwe and the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), 
     has carried out a longstanding and brutal campaign of 
     persecution against Burmese democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu 
     Kyi and her supporters in the National League for Democracy, 
     ethnic minorities, and ordinary citizens of Burma who 
     publicly and courageously speak out against the regime's many 
     injustices, abuses, and atrocities;
       Whereas the military regime in Burma is solely responsible 
     for failing to provide for the basic needs of the people of 
     Burma and has restricted the activities and movement of 
     United Nations agencies and humanitarian nongovernmental 
     organizations operating in Burma today;
       Whereas Burmese democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has 
     been imprisoned in Burma for 13 of the last 19 years, and 
     many members of the National League for Democracy have been 
     similarly jailed, tortured, or killed;
       Whereas Burmese democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi 
     currently faces criminal charges by the military regime for 
     breaking the terms of her house arrest, which arose from the 
     uninvited visit of an American citizen; and
       Whereas these criminal charges are consistent with other 
     past actions by the military regime to harass and persecute 
     Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) condemns and deplores the show trial of Burmese 
     democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi;
       (2) condemns and deplores the criminal actions by the State 
     Peace and Development Council against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi 
     and members of the National League for Democracy;
       (3) recognizes that currently conditions do not exist in 
     Burma for the conduct of credible and participatory 
     elections;
       (4) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of 
     Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all prisoners of conscience in 
     Burma;
       (5) calls upon the Secretary of State to reinvigorate 
     efforts with regional governments and multilateral 
     organizations (including the People's Republic of China, 
     India, and Japan as well as the Association of Southeast 
     Asian Nations and the United Nations Security Council) to 
     secure the immediate and unconditional release of Daw Aung 
     San Suu Kyi and all prisoners of conscience in Burma; and
       (6) calls upon the State Peace and Development Council to 
     establish, with the full and unfettered participation of the 
     National League for Democracy and ethnic minorities, a 
     genuine roadmap for the peaceful transition to civilian, 
     democratic rule.

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