[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 1, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S448]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4919. Mr. MENENDEZ (for Mr. Cardin (for himself and Mr. Young)) 
proposed an amendment to the resolution S. Res. 35, condemning the 
military coup that took place on February 1, 2021, in Burma and the 
Tatmadaw's detention of civilian leaders, calling for an immediate and 
unconditional release of all those detained, promoting accountability 
and justice for those killed by the Tatmadaw, and calling for those 
elected to serve in parliament to resume their duties without 
impediment, and for other purposes; as follows:


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page S448, February 1, 2022, in the second column, the 
following appears: SA 4919. Mr. MENENDEZ (for Mr. Cardin) proposed 
an amendment to the resolution S. Res. 35 . . .
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read: SA 4919. Mr. 
MENENDEZ (for Mr. Cardin (for himself and Mr. Young)) proposed an 
amendment to the resolution S. Res. 35 . . .


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


        Strike the preamble and insert the following:
       Whereas, on February 1, 2021, the military of Burma (the 
     ``Tatmadaw'') and its aligned Union Solidarity and 
     Development Party (USDP) conducted a military coup against 
     the civilian government hours before Parliament was to 
     convene in a new session, resulting in the military junta 
     illegally detaining State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, 
     President Win Myint, and members of Parliament, as well as 
     pro-democracy activists from the 88 Generation and other 
     civil society leaders;
       Whereas, since February 1, 2021, the Tatmadaw has detained 
     more than 11,000 people for exercising their rights of 
     freedom of speech and assembly and killed more than 1,400 
     civilians, including children;
       Whereas the Tatmadaw has put the democratically-elected 
     civilian leadership of Burma, including President Win Myint 
     and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, through sham trials 
     for fabricated crimes and sentenced them to lengthy prison 
     terms in order to remove them from political competition;
       Whereas the Tatmadaw has become the world's second largest 
     detainer of journalists, with over 100 journalists imprisoned 
     since the military coup;
       Whereas the Tatmadaw's actions have driven hundreds of 
     thousands from their homes and driven thousands to flee 
     across Burma's borders into Thailand, India, and Bangladesh;
       Whereas fighting between the Tatmadaw and several ethnic 
     armed groups continues, with government forces committing 
     increased abuses against ethnic Karen, Kayah, Kachin, Chin, 
     Rakhine, Shan, and Rohingya minority populations;
       Whereas the Tatmadaw restricted freedom of movement, 
     telecommunications, and the media, limiting access to 
     information to and from Burma during a political and public 
     health crisis;
       Whereas senior generals of the Tatmadaw have been 
     sanctioned by the United States Government for serious human 
     rights abuses and for their role in the coup and are subject 
     to ongoing investigations into their conduct by the 
     International Criminal Court and the International Court of 
     Justice;
       Whereas, on January 28, 2021, the Union Election Commission 
     rejected allegations by the Tatmadaw that fraud played a 
     significant role in determining the outcome of the November 
     2020 elections;
       Whereas Burma's November 8, 2020, elections resulted in the 
     National League for Democracy party securing enough seats in 
     Parliament to form the next government;
       Whereas the Tatmadaw has a long history of committing 
     atrocities against the people of Burma, including the 
     targeting of specific ethnic groups; and
       Whereas senior United States officials have committed to 
     making a determination of whether such atrocities constitute 
     genocide: Now, therefore, be it
                                 ______