[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 9, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H1193-H1195]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING THE PLIGHT OF PEOPLE WITH ALBINISM IN EAST AFRICA

  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1088) recognizing the plight of 
people with albinism in East Africa and condemning their murder and 
mutilation, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1088

       Whereas, in parts of East Africa, most notably Tanzania, 
     shamans promote the reprehensible belief that people with 
     albinism are less than human, and that their body parts can 
     be made into potions to bring wealth or luck;
       Whereas over the last 2 years, more than 50 adults and 
     children with albinism have been murdered in East Africa by 
     mercenaries who sell their body parts to shamans;
       Whereas countless other people with albinism have survived 
     these attacks, but have been permanently mutilated in the 
     name of profit;
       Whereas two mothers of children with albinism were attacked 
     by gangs who were searching for the children in Eastern 
     Tanzania in November 2008;
       Whereas a 10-year-old boy with albinism, Gasper Elikana, 
     was beheaded by men who fled with his leg in October 2008;
       Whereas a 28-year-old woman with albinism, Mariamu 
     Stanford, was attacked while she slept, losing both of her 
     arms and her unborn child in October 2008;
       Whereas a 17-year-old woman with albinism from Kenya, 
     Vumilia Makoye, was killed by 2 men in her home who sawed off 
     her legs in May 2008;
       Whereas hundreds of children with albinism are living in 
     fear for their lives in rural areas;
       Whereas people with albinism are routinely shunned by their 
     communities and often excluded from East African society;
       Whereas a number of government officials in rural areas of 
     East Africa have ignored or even colluded with local shamans 
     in these degradations;
       Whereas people with albinism in East Africa generally are 
     not provided with life-saving information about preventing 
     skin cancer, and have no means of protecting themselves from 
     excess sunlight; and
       Whereas people with albinism lack access to medical 
     treatment for skin cancer, and the average person in East 
     Africa with albinism dies by age 30 from skin cancer, and 
     only 2 percent of people with albinism in that region live to 
     age 40: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) condemns the murder and mutilation of adults and 
     children with albinism for their body parts;
       (2) expresses support for people with albinism in East 
     Africa who have been the victims of such attacks;
       (3) recognizes that the murder and mutilation of people 
     with albinism in East Africa is a gross violation of human 
     rights;
       (4) urges governments in East Africa, particularly the 
     Governments of Tanzania and Burundi, to take immediate action 
     to prevent further violence against persons with albinism and 
     to bring to swift justice those who have engaged in such 
     reprehensible practices;
       (5) calls upon governments in East Africa, along with 
     international organizations and other donors, including the 
     United States, to actively support the education of people 
     with albinism about the prevention of skin cancer and provide 
     appropriate levels of assistance toward that end;
       (6) calls upon governments in East Africa, along with 
     international organizations, to educate populations in East 
     Africa about the realities of albinism, with the purpose of 
     eliminating discrimination and abuses against people with 
     albinism; and
       (7) calls upon the United States to work with the 
     governments of East Africa, and international organizations 
     and other donors, to eliminate violence against people with 
     albinism.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Chu). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly) and the gentlewoman from Florida 
(Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
this resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume.
  House Resolution 1088 shines a light on the untold horrors men and 
women with albinism have faced and continue to face in East Africa 
where human beings with albinism are butchered and their body parts 
sold for profit. These acts of brutal murder are best told through the 
story of a brave Tanzanian mother, one of the few survivors of the 
attacks. I had the honor of meeting a survivor of one of these attacks, 
a young woman from Tanzania named Mariamu Stanford, who epitomizes the 
essence of bravery.
  These horrific acts, like the crime committed against Mariamu, are 
perpetrated by shamans who believe that the body parts of people with 
albinism have magical powers and can be mixed in potions to bring the 
buyer good luck. Rural villages have strong incentive to harvest the 
limbs of their neighbors with albinism because a single limb can sell 
for as much as $2,000, a king's ransom in Tanzania's countryside.
  Mariamu, who has albinism, is one of the few survivors of these 
attacks. Her story is one of fear, horror, and unbelievable courage. 
She told me her story through an interpreter the last day of the first 
session of this Congress in December.
  One night in October of 2008, when Mariamu was sleep with her toddler 
son, a group of machete-wielding men from her own village broke into 
her home and attacked her. They cut off both of her arms while she 
struggled, screamed and shielded her 2-year-old from the blows. It was 
6 long hours after the attack before Mariamu, who was 5 months 
pregnant, was able to receive any medical treatment. In the end, she 
lost her unborn baby, but she survived; and she is now relaying her 
story in the hopes that these brutal crimes against people with 
albinism will come to an end.
  Mariamu came to the United States for a visit thanks to the 
generosity of many, including some of my constituents from northern 
Virginia with albinism and some who are parents of children with 
albinism, several of whom are here today in the gallery. While she

[[Page H1194]]

was here for nearly 2 weeks in December, Mariamu was fitted with 
prosthetic arms donated by the Orthotic Prosthetic Center in Fairfax 
County, Virginia; and she underwent intensive physical therapy.
  She is a rare survivor of a horrific and inhumane crime that is of 
growing concern in East Africa. More than 54 people with albinism have 
been butchered in the region, most of them women and children. In 
November of 2008, a 6-year-old girl was shot dead in Burundi's eastern 
province of Ruyigi, close to the border of Tanzania. Her attackers 
removed her head and limbs, leaving only her dismembered torso. In 
January of 2009, three men armed with machetes killed an 8-year-old boy 
in Burundi and smuggled his limbs into Tanzania. Every one of these 
stories borders on the unbelievable and, quite frankly, must turn every 
stomach of those of us who have to hear them.
  Not only do people with albinism face violence in parts of the world, 
but they are also at high risk for medical complications such as skin 
cancer and poor vision due to the lower melanin levels in their skin. 
In East Africa's harsh sun, this is a lethal combination, but 
oftentimes people with albinism have no choice but to expose themselves 
to the sun with little protection as they must be outside to work, go 
to school, and attend everyday business.
  Unfortunately, the medical issues that people with albinism face are 
the least of their worries. The threat of brutal violence looms over 
them at all times. Tanzania Prime Minister Mizengo Peter Pinda has 
condemned, correctly, this violent crime against people with albinism, 
but judicial and enforcement barriers remain.
  My meeting with Mariamu and local families concerned about her 
plight, and albinism in general, has moved me to take action. I am 
contacting President Obama and the State Department to urge them to 
place diplomatic pressure on Tanzania's federal and local governments 
to end these crimes now, these crimes against humanity, and to provide 
education to dispel the myth that body parts of those with albinism 
have any special properties.
  I also believe we must look at providing humanitarian and medical 
assistance to people with albinism in East Africa, with a focus in 
Tanzania where most of these crimes have occurred. To this end, I 
introduced House Resolution 1088, a resolution recognizing the plight 
of people with albinism in East Africa, condemning these murders and 
mutilations, and advocating remedies to bring an end to this heinous 
and misguided behavior.
  Specifically, the resolution urges governments in East Africa, 
particularly the governments of Tanzania and Burundi, to take immediate 
action to prevent any further violence against persons with albinism 
and to bring to swift justice those who have engaged in such 
reprehensible practices. It also calls upon those governments, along 
with international organizations and other donors, including the United 
States, to actively support the education of people with albinism about 
the prevention of skin cancer and provide appropriate levels of 
assistance toward that end.

  Finally, it urges the United States to work with the governments of 
East Africa and international organizations and other donors to 
eliminate violence against people with albinism.
  I urge my colleagues to join Mariamu Stanford and me in bringing 
international attention to this horrific abuse of human beings and to 
bring those who have perpetrated that violence to justice by voting 
``yes'' on this measure.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in support of House Resolution 1088.
  In 2008, an undercover reporter for the BBC's Swahili Service broke 
the horrific story of the occult-based killings of albinos in parts of 
eastern Burundi and northwest Tanzania. Since that time, it has been 
revealed that albinos have been killed and mutilated by so-called 
``hunters'' who sell their victims' body parts to unscrupulous 
traditional healers. The hunt is driven by the absurd belief that 
albinos possess mystical powers and that their body parts can be used 
as talismans to bring wealth and good luck. The market itself is driven 
by greed. It has been reported that a complete set of body parts can 
fetch up to $75,000 on the black market.
  To be clear, the hunting and mutilation of albinos in East Africa is 
by no means a common practice. The number of attacks is relatively few 
in terms of the broader population.
  The hunting and mutilation of people simply because they look 
different is profoundly disturbing and requires us to condemn it. This 
resolution calls upon the governments in East Africa, particularly in 
Burundi and Tanzania, to take effective action to end these senseless 
attacks which constitute gross human rights violations. It also calls 
upon those governments, with support from international organizations 
and other donors, to take effective action to educate the general 
population with a view toward eliminating discrimination and abuse.
  I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly) for introducing 
this measure, and I encourage my colleagues to support it.
  With that, Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I want to thank my friend and colleague 
from Florida for her cooperation and support and leadership on this 
issue.
  I have to say, just on a personal note, there are many issues I 
thought I would face when I came here to the United States House of 
Representatives; this was not one of them. It is an incredible tale, 
but it is something that we can do something about by bringing pressure 
to bear on the governments in East Africa. I thank my friend from 
Florida in helping to make that happen today.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of H. Res. 1088, ``Recognizing the plight of people with 
albinism in East Africa and condemning their murder and mutilation.''
  Let me begin by thanking my colleague Representative Gerry Connolly 
for introducing this resolution, as it is important that we recognize 
the plight of albinos in East Africa.
  In recent years, the belief that albino body parts, particularly 
limbs, have magical powers has driven thousands of Africa's albinos 
into hiding. According to a report released in November of last year by 
the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies 
(IFRC), the killings of albino people in Burundi and Tanzania, based on 
occult practices, have triggered a crisis involving almost the entire 
albino population of the two countries.
  The stories of these victims are heart wrenching. I recall an article 
in the New York Times in 2008 that vividly describes the horror and 
fear that many Albinos live with on a daily basis.
  ``In May 2008, Vumilia Makoye, 17, was eating dinner with her family 
in their hut in western Tanzania when two men showed up with long 
knives, ``Vumilia was like many other Africans with albinism. She had 
dropped out of school because of severe near-sightedness, a common 
problem for albinos, whose eyes develop abnormally and who often have 
to hold things like books or cell phones two inches away to see them. 
She could not find a job because no one would hire her. She sold 
peanuts in the market, making $2 a week while her delicate skin was 
seared by the sun. When Vumilia's mother, Jeme, saw the men with 
knives, she tried to barricade the door of their hut. But the men 
overpowered her and burst in. ``They cut my daughter quickly,'' she 
said, making hacking motions with her hands. The men sawed off 
Vumilia's legs above the knee and ran away with the stumps. Vumilia 
died. Yusuph Malogo, who lives nearby, fears he may be next. He is also 
an albino and works by himself on a rice farm. He now carries a loud, 
silver whistle to blow for help. ``I'm on the run,'' he said.''
  According to the Red Cross, thousands more albinos across a huge 
swathe of countryside, are unable to move freely to trade, study or 
cultivate fields for fear of albino hunters. These albinos fear losing 
their lives and limbs to unscrupulous dealers who can make up to 
$75,000 selling a complete dismembered set.
  In his New Year's address to the nation, President Jakaya Kikwete of 
Tanzania said the nation that the government would step up efforts to 
stamp out the albino killings. I commend the government of Tanzania for 
acknowledging the danger posed to albinos in their country, but I hope 
that Tanzania and Burundi will do more to educate their nations about 
albinos. The Albino Association of Tanzania says that although just 
4,000 albinos are officially registered in the country, they believe

[[Page H1195]]

the actual number could be as high as 173,000. A census is now under 
way to try to verify the figures.
  In addition, in 2008, President Kikwete nominated Al-Shymaa Kway-Geer 
to represent the albino community at the national level. Ms. Kway-Greer 
is the first Minister of Parliament with albinism.
  Yet, despite these improvements, people with albinism still live in 
fear. As Samuel Mluge, a Tanzania albino remarked to the reporter, ``I 
feel like I am being hunted.'' No one should live in this state of 
fear. We must vocally denounce such killings, and do everything we can 
to prevent them from occurring in the future. I ask that my colleagues 
support this resolution. I also ask my colleagues for their continued 
support albinos in East Africa.
  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests 
for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1088, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas 
and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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