[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 1, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S449-S452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONDEMNING THE MILITARY COUP THAT TOOK PLACE ON FEBRUARY 1, 2021, IN
BURMA
Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 26 S. Res. 35.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 35) condemning the military coup that
took place on February 1, 2021, in Burma and the Burmese
military's detention of civilian leaders, calling for an
immediate and unconditional release of all those detained and
for those elected to serve in parliament to resume their
duties without impediment, and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign
Relations, with an amendment to strike all after the resolving clause
and insert the part printed in italic, and with an amendment to strike
the preamble and insert the part printed in italic, as follows:
S. Res. 35
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, notwithstanding the
disenfranchisement of more than 1,500,000 voters, mostly from
ethnic minority communities in Kachin, Karen, Mon, Rakhine,
Shan, and Chin states;
Whereas, on January 28, 2021, the Union Election Commission
rejected allegations by the military of Burma (the
``Tatmadaw'') that fraud played a significant role in
determining the outcome of the November 2020 elections;
Whereas, on February 1, 2021, 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 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, since August 25, 2017, 740,000 Rohingya have fled
northern Rakhine State to neighboring Bangladesh to escape a
systematic campaign of atrocities by Burma's military and
security forces, and over three years later, conditions are
still not conducive to the safe, voluntary, and dignified
return of the Rohingya to Burma;
Whereas, according to the Department of State's August 24,
2018, report entitled ``Documentation of Atrocities in
Northern Rakhine State'', violence committed by the Burmese
military (Tatmadaw) against the Rohingya, including from
August to October 2017, was not only ``extreme, large-scale,
widespread, and seemingly geared toward both terrorizing the
population and driving out the Rohingya residents,'' but also
``well-planned and coordinated'';
Whereas, on August 28, 2018, the United States Ambassador
to the United Nations told the United Nations Security
Council that the Department of State report's findings were
``consistent with'' those in an August 27, 2018, report by
the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar
(IIFFMM) which urged that top Burmese military officials be
investigated and prosecuted for genocide; and
Whereas Secretary of State Antony Blinken committed at his
nomination hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations
of the Senate on January 19, 2021, and in subsequent written
responses to questions for the record, that he will oversee
an interagency review of whether the atrocities committed
against the Rohingya in Burma constitute genocide: Now
therefore be it
That the Senate--
(1) supports the people of Burma in their ambition for a
genuine democracy, sustainable peace and genuine ethnic
reconciliation, and the realization of fundamental human
rights for all, including for ethnic minorities whose human
rights have been violated repeatedly and who have been
disenfranchised historically;
(2) calls on the military junta to--
(A) immediately and unconditionally release all those
detained as a result of the military coup on February 1,
2021;
(B) immediately restore all forms of communications,
including access to the internet without surveillance;
(C) remove all impediments to free travel that have been
imposed as a result of the coup;
(D) return to power all members of the civilian government
elected in the November 8, 2020, elections and allow them to
fulfill their mandate without impediment;
(E) allow for freedom of expression, including the right to
protest, peaceful assembly, press freedom, and freedom of
movement; and
(F) allow unfettered reporting from local, national, and
international media;
(3) calls on social media companies to suspend the accounts
of USDP and Tatmadaw military leaders that have used their
platforms to spread disinformation, fear, and psychological
violence;
(4) supports the use of all diplomatic and development
tools to ensure that vulnerable groups, including ethnic and
religious minorities, as well as all children, youth, and
teachers in educational settings are safe, and schools and
universities are not targeted for attacks or use by the
military;
[[Page S450]]
(5) expresses grave concern for the safety and security of
hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who previously
fled the Tatmadaw, and now face challenging conditions in
camps like Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char in Bangladesh or risk
being turned away or moved into holding centers in other
neighboring countries;
(6) calls on the President, the Secretary of State, and the
Secretary of Defense to fully implement section 7008 of the
Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Appropriations Act, 2021 (division K of Public Law 116-260)
and any similar or successor law governing United States
foreign assistance following a coup d'etat, and to
immediately--
(A) impose targeted restrictions aimed at the Tatmadaw,
military-owned or controlled enterprises, and those
responsible for the February 1, 2021, coup;
(B) work with the international community, including at the
United Nations Security Council, with United States allies in
the region, and with the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations, to condemn the coup and take steps to ensure that
international economic engagement in Burma does not
contribute to human rights abuses and enrich individuals
connected to the coup;
(C) support conditionality on diplomatic, economic, and
security relations with Burma, including using the voice and
vote of the United States at multilateral development
institutions, until all those detained in the February 1,
2021, coup are released and there has been a full restoration
of civilian-controlled parliament respecting the November 8,
2020, election results; and
(D) utilize the United States Government's position on the
United Nations Security Council to bring about greater
international cooperation in the pursuit of justice and
accountability in Burma; and
(7) urges the Secretary of State to swiftly conduct an
Interagency Process and issue a determination as to whether
the crimes committed by the Burmese military against the
Rohingya beginning in August 2017 constitute crimes against
humanity or genocide.
Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I rise today to speak about the terrible
tragedy that befell the people of Burma 1 year ago today, when the
Tatmadaw, the Burmese military, reclaimed total power in the coup
d'etat of February 1, 2021. Since then, the military has waged a brutal
campaign against its own people, a people that has nonetheless stood up
to challenge the crackdown through civil disobedience, strikes, and
protests. And when that failed to move the junta, the people of Burma
have been forced to resort to military action against their oppressors.
Burma is a complex, polyglot society made up of many ethnic groups
and religious tradition. Yet the one thing that seems to have united a
wide cross-section of the Burmese people has been this violent rupture
of what for more than decade had been a fitful trend toward increasing
democratization. Today, the opposition to the military has galvanized
the people to such an extent that organized resistance has turned to
increasingly well-organized paramilitary action against the military
and its institutions of repression.
As authoritarianism grows around the world, we must work with like-
minded nations to fight corruption, protect human rights, increase
transparency, and work with civil society to defend democracy and the
freedom of marginalized people around the world.
Throughout its independence, Burma's history has suffered decades of
repressive military rule and civil war with ethnic minority groups, and
what we are seeing today in Burma is no different.
The February 1 military coup and the capture of elected government
officials in Burma was a clear attack on the democratic process of free
and fair elections and the will of the Burmese people. This affront
poses a direct threat to the ongoing stability of the country, its
economy, and the health and welfare of its citizens. On the very same
day the newly elected Parliament was set to assume office, the Burmese
military, the Tatmadaw, staged a coup rather than see their grip on
power and corrupt gains threatened by the will of the Burmese people.
Since the coup took place, Burma's human rights situation has
deteriorated exponentially. The military has detained over 11,000
people for exercising their right to freedom of speech and assembly and
killed more than 1,400 civilians, including children. Fighting between
Myanmar's military and several ethnic armed groups continued, with
government forces committing increased abuses against ethnic Kachin,
Karen, Kayah, Chin, Rakhine, Rohingya, and Shan minority populations.
Military and police abuses were amplified with arbitrary arrests,
detention, torture, and killings in custody. These actions by the
military have driven hundreds of thousands from their homes and
thousands more to flee across Burma's borders into Thailand, India, and
Bangladesh.
We have also seen the Tatmadaw 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.
On February 4, just 3 days after the coup, I introduced this
resolution with Senator Young condemning the military's February 1
military coup. The resolution has been revised through amendments
offered by colleagues and updated to reflect recent events. It retains
the same essential message, calling for the immediate and unconditional
release of all those detained and for elected officials to be allowed
to resume their duties without impediment.
I was heartened to see President Biden take action through a series
of executive orders since last February. I am especially pleased to see
that the Biden administration has issued sanctions in coordination with
our allies. This is not something the U.S. should be acting on
unilaterally.
It is imperative that we move forward with a floor vote on this
resolution, and I am hopeful that we can do the same in the coming days
on the bill I introduced in October, the BURMA Act.
This important legislation authorizes the President to impose
sanctions on individuals and entities who helped stage the February 1
coup d'etat in Burma and are responsible for the subsequent repression
of fundamental freedoms, perpetuation of human rights abuses, use of
indiscriminate violence towards civilians, and other gross atrocities.
Additionally, the bill authorizes increased humanitarian assistance
for Rohingya refugees and provides support for civil society and
independent media; prohibits the import of gemstones from Burma into
the U.S.; calls for the United States to pressure the United Nations to
take more decisive action with regards to Burma; and requests a
genocide determination regarding the persecution of the Rohingya.
It is important for the international community to continue to
pressure the military junta to restore democracy for the people of
Burma. The behavior of the Tatmadaw has not and will not change without
concrete and robust actions from the international community to bring
justice, accountability, and restore democracy.
I remain committed to continuing to work with the Biden
administration and my colleagues in Congress to ensure that the U.S.
and international response to the military coup is coordinated and
targeted to have a strong impact on those responsible, while also
encouraging a peaceful transition of power back to the civilian
government. I continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Burma
and condemn the ongoing violence against them.
Mr. MENENDEZ. I further ask that the committee-reported amendment to
the resolution be withdrawn, and the amendment to the resolution which
is at the desk be considered and agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment, in the nature of a substitute, was
withdrawn.
The amendment (No. 4918), in the nature of a substitute, was agreed
to as follows:
(Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)
Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the
following: ``That the Senate--
(1) supports the people of Burma in their ambition for
democracy, sustainable peace, and genuine ethnic and
religious reconciliation, and the realization of
internationally recognized human rights for all, including
for ethnic and religious groups whose human rights have been
violated repeatedly and who have been disenfranchised
historically;
(2) calls on the Tatmadaw to--
(A) immediately and unconditionally release all political
prisoners detained as a result of the military coup on
February 1, 2021;
(B) immediately restore all forms of communications,
including access to the internet without surveillance;
(C) immediately end the use of violence and allow for a
legal process for accountability and justice for those
unlawfully detained, injured, and killed by the Tatmadaw;
(D) remove all impediments to free travel that have been
imposed as a result of the coup;
[[Page S451]]
(E) return to power all members of the civilian government
elected in the November 8, 2020, elections and allow them to
fulfill their mandate without impediment;
(F) allow for freedom of expression, including the right to
protest, peaceful assembly, press freedom, and freedom of
movement; and
(G) allow unfettered reporting from local, national, and
international media;
(3) calls on social media companies to suspend the accounts
of the Union Solidarity and Development Party and the
Tatmadaw that have used their platforms to spread
disinformation, fear, and psychological violence;
(4) supports the use of all diplomatic, economic, and
development tools to ensure that vulnerable groups, including
ethnic and religious groups, as well as all children, youth,
and teachers in educational settings are safe, and schools
and universities are not targeted for attacks or use by the
Tatmadaw;
(5) expresses grave concern for the safety and security of
hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons
(referred to in this resolution as ``IDPs'') and refugees who
have been displaced by the Tatmadaw and now face challenging
conditions in camps;
(6) expresses grave concern for the 3,000,000 people of
Burma who are in need of humanitarian aid, including the
223,000 IDPs in Burma, of which 165,000 remain in the
southeast, adding to those already displaced in Rakhine,
Chin, Shan and Kachin states;
(7) encourages Burma's neighboring countries, including
Thailand, India, and Bangladesh, to meaningfully assist
refugees who have fled and continue to flee the Tatmadaw;
(8) calls on the President, the Secretary of State, and the
Secretary of Defense to fully implement section 7008 of the
Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Appropriations Act, 2021 (division K of Public Law 116-260)
and any similar or successor law governing United States
foreign assistance following a coup d'etat, and to
immediately--
(A) impose targeted restrictions aimed at the Tatmadaw,
military-owned or controlled enterprises, and those
responsible for the February 1, 2021, coup;
(B) work with the international community, including at the
United Nations Security Council, with United States allies in
the region, and with the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations, to condemn the coup, delegitimize the junta, and
take steps to ensure that international economic engagement
in Burma does not contribute to human rights abuses and
benefit individuals connected to the coup;
(C) support conditionality on diplomatic, economic, and
security relations with Burma, including using the voice and
vote of the United States at multilateral development
institutions, until all those detained in the February 1,
2021, coup are released and there has been a full restoration
of civilian-controlled parliament respecting the November 8,
2020, election results;
(D) utilize the United States Government's position on the
United Nations Security Council to bring about greater
international cooperation in the pursuit of justice and
accountability in Burma;
(E) legitimize and provide assistance to the National Unity
Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the
National Unity Consultative Council, the Civil Disobedience
Movement in Myanmar, and other entities promoting democracy
in Burma, while simultaneously denying legitimacy and
resources to the junta;
(F) promote national reconciliation among the diverse
ethnic and religious groups in Burma;
(G) counter support to the junta by the People's Republic
of China and the Russian Federation; and
(H) secure the restoration of democracy, the establishment
of an inclusive and representative civilian government and a
reformed military reflecting the diversity of Burma and under
civilian control, and the enactment of constitutional,
political, and economic reform in Burma; and
(9) urges the Secretary of State to swiftly conduct an
Interagency Process and issue a determination as to whether
the targeting and murder of innocent civilians by the
Tatmadaw during and after the February 1, 2021, coup d'etat,
specifically those associated with ethnic and religious
groups in Burma, and crimes committed by the Tatmadaw against
such ethnic and religious groups prior to the coup constitute
crimes against humanity or genocide.
Mr. MENENDEZ. I know of no further debate on the resolution.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
Hearing none, the question is on adoption of the resolution, as
amended.
The resolution (S. Res. 35), as amended, was agreed to.
Mr. MENENDEZ. I further ask that the committee-reported amendment to
the preamble be withdrawn; that the amendment to the preamble, which is
at the desk, be considered and agreed to; that the preamble, as
amended, be agreed to; that the amendment to the title be considered
and agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made
and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment to the preamble, in the nature of a
substitute, was withdrawn.
The amendment (No. 4919), in the nature of a substitute, was agreed
to as follows:
(Purpose: To amend the preamble)
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
The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
The title amendment (No. 4920) was agreed to as follows:
(Purpose: To amend the title)
Amend the title so as to read: ``A resolution 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.''.
The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as
follows:
S. Res. 35
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
[[Page S452]]
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
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the people of Burma in their ambition for
democracy, sustainable peace, and genuine ethnic and
religious reconciliation, and the realization of
internationally recognized human rights for all, including
for ethnic and religious groups whose human rights have been
violated repeatedly and who have been disenfranchised
historically;
(2) calls on the Tatmadaw to--
(A) immediately and unconditionally release all political
prisoners detained as a result of the military coup on
February 1, 2021;
(B) immediately restore all forms of communications,
including access to the internet without surveillance;
(C) immediately end the use of violence and allow for a
legal process for accountability and justice for those
unlawfully detained, injured, and killed by the Tatmadaw;
(D) remove all impediments to free travel that have been
imposed as a result of the coup;
(E) return to power all members of the civilian government
elected in the November 8, 2020, elections and allow them to
fulfill their mandate without impediment;
(F) allow for freedom of expression, including the right to
protest, peaceful assembly, press freedom, and freedom of
movement; and
(G) allow unfettered reporting from local, national, and
international media;
(3) calls on social media companies to suspend the accounts
of the Union Solidarity and Development Party and the
Tatmadaw that have used their platforms to spread
disinformation, fear, and psychological violence;
(4) supports the use of all diplomatic, economic, and
development tools to ensure that vulnerable groups, including
ethnic and religious groups, as well as all children, youth,
and teachers in educational settings are safe, and schools
and universities are not targeted for attacks or use by the
Tatmadaw;
(5) expresses grave concern for the safety and security of
hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons
(referred to in this resolution as ``IDPs'') and refugees who
have been displaced by the Tatmadaw and now face challenging
conditions in camps;
(6) expresses grave concern for the 3,000,000 people of
Burma who are in need of humanitarian aid, including the
223,000 IDPs in Burma, of which 165,000 remain in the
southeast, adding to those already displaced in Rakhine,
Chin, Shan and Kachin states;
(7) encourages Burma's neighboring countries, including
Thailand, India, and Bangladesh, to meaningfully assist
refugees who have fled and continue to flee the Tatmadaw;
(8) calls on the President, the Secretary of State, and the
Secretary of Defense to fully implement section 7008 of the
Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Appropriations Act, 2021 (division K of Public Law 116-260)
and any similar or successor law governing United States
foreign assistance following a coup d'etat, and to
immediately--
(A) impose targeted restrictions aimed at the Tatmadaw,
military-owned or controlled enterprises, and those
responsible for the February 1, 2021, coup;
(B) work with the international community, including at the
United Nations Security Council, with United States allies in
the region, and with the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations, to condemn the coup, delegitimize the junta, and
take steps to ensure that international economic engagement
in Burma does not contribute to human rights abuses and
benefit individuals connected to the coup;
(C) support conditionality on diplomatic, economic, and
security relations with Burma, including using the voice and
vote of the United States at multilateral development
institutions, until all those detained in the February 1,
2021, coup are released and there has been a full restoration
of civilian-controlled parliament respecting the November 8,
2020, election results;
(D) utilize the United States Government's position on the
United Nations Security Council to bring about greater
international cooperation in the pursuit of justice and
accountability in Burma;
(E) legitimize and provide assistance to the National Unity
Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the
National Unity Consultative Council, the Civil Disobedience
Movement in Myanmar, and other entities promoting democracy
in Burma, while simultaneously denying legitimacy and
resources to the junta;
(F) promote national reconciliation among the diverse
ethnic and religious groups in Burma;
(G) counter support to the junta by the People's Republic
of China and the Russian Federation; and
(H) secure the restoration of democracy, the establishment
of an inclusive and representative civilian government and a
reformed military reflecting the diversity of Burma and under
civilian control, and the enactment of constitutional,
political, and economic reform in Burma; and
(9) urges the Secretary of State to swiftly conduct an
Interagency Process and issue a determination as to whether
the targeting and murder of innocent civilians by the
Tatmadaw during and after the February 1, 2021, coup d'etat,
specifically those associated with ethnic and religious
groups in Burma, and crimes committed by the Tatmadaw against
such ethnic and religious groups prior to the coup constitute
crimes against humanity or genocide.
____________________