[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 183 (Monday, November 6, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5363-S5366]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE VITAL IMPORTANCE OF THE MEKONG RIVER TO SOUTHEAST ASIA
AND THE ROLE OF THE MEKONG-UNITED STATES PARTNERSHIP IN SUPPORTING THE
PROSPERITY OF THE REGION
Mr. MERKLEY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 95, S. Res. 126.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 126) recognizing the vital importance
of the Mekong River to Southeast Asia and the role of the
Mekong-United States Partnership in supporting the prosperity
of the region.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign
Affairs with an amendment to strike all after the resolving clause and
insert the part printed in italic, and with an amendment to the
preamble to strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic,
as follows:
S. Res. 126
[Whereas the Mekong River supports the livelihoods of
approximately 60,000,000 people, making it the most important
river in Southeast Asia and one of the most important rivers
in the world;
[Whereas the Mekong-United States Partnership, comprising
the United States, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and
Vietnam, and the predecessor of that partnership, the Lower
Mekong Initiative, have contributed greatly to the economic,
social, and human resources development of the countries in
the Mekong River Basin and the protection of the Mekong
River;
[Whereas the United States has longstanding diplomatic
relations with the countries in the Mekong River Basin,
including a nearly 200-year-old relationship with treaty ally
Thailand;
[[Page S5364]]
[Whereas the development of the countries in the Mekong
River Basin is critical for the unity, economic strength, and
institutional development of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations, a strategic partner of the United States;
[Whereas the Mekong River is increasingly imperiled by the
threats from worsening and extreme changes in the
environment, coupled with the construction of upstream dams
that have altered the natural flow of the river and vital
ecological processes supported by natural flow;
[Whereas, since 2019, the flow of water in the Mekong River
during the wet season has been abnormally low;
[Whereas the Nuozhadu and Xiaowan Dams in China account for
more than 50 percent of the water storage of all dams in the
Mekong River Basin and can restrict up to 10 percent of the
total wet season flow of the Mekong River, exacerbating
drought conditions downstream;
[Whereas the Mekong River Commission is an integral partner
in ensuring the long-term health of the Mekong River;
[Whereas the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic
Cooperation Strategy can be a leader in supporting river
development and protection;
[Whereas the Mekong Dam Monitor, funded partly by the
Mekong-United States Partnership, has provided essential data
and information about the impacts of hydropower dams along
the Mekong River to the people and governments of the Mekong
River Basin to allow them to prepare for irregular water
flows and mitigate the economic and environmental impacts of
those flows;
[Whereas the Mekong River has become a hub for criminal
elements to traffic in drugs, people, and wildlife,
undermining the rule of law in the countries in the Mekong
River Basin and impacting the world through the proliferation
of illegal drugs and fauna that can cause spillover of
zoonotic diseases;
[Whereas the international community has committed to
support the development of countries along the Mekong River
through internationally recognized development goals;
[Whereas the Friends of the Mekong, which includes the
countries in the Mekong River Basin, the United States,
Australia, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, the
Republic of Korea, the Asian Development Bank, the Mekong
River Commission Secretariat, and the World Bank, is
committed to supporting the shared principles that have
underpinned peace and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific for
decades;
[Whereas close coordination and collaboration with civil
society groups throughout the Mekong River Basin is essential
to the protection of the Mekong River;
[Whereas, among the countries in the Mekong River Basin,
there has been a negative trend toward the detention and
detainment of civil society actors and journalists and an
increase in violations of human rights;
[Whereas the February 1, 2021, military coup in Burma was
illegal and unjustified and has resulted in more than 2,000
deaths, more than 1,000,000 people displaced, and tens of
thousands of people in detention, and continued violence
threatens the stability of the entire region, especially
those countries along the borders of Burma; and
[Whereas diaspora communities from countries in the Mekong
River Basin are a vital part of the United States and help
build thriving people-to-people ties between those countries
and the United States that lead to strong commercial, civil
society, and cultural ties: Now, therefore, be it]
Whereas the Mekong River supports the livelihoods of
approximately 60,000,000 people, making it the most important
river in Southeast Asia and one of the most important rivers
in the world;
Whereas the Mekong-United States Partnership, comprising
the United States, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and
Vietnam, and the predecessor of that partnership, the Lower
Mekong Initiative, have contributed greatly to the economic,
social, and human resources development of the countries in
the Mekong River Basin and the protection of the Mekong
River;
Whereas the United States has longstanding diplomatic
relations with the countries in the Mekong River Basin,
including a nearly 200-year-old relationship with treaty ally
Thailand;
Whereas the development of the countries in the Mekong
River Basin is critical for the unity, economic strength, and
institutional development of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations, a strategic partner of the United States;
Whereas the Mekong River continues to be affected by
environmental changes, coupled with the construction of
upstream dams that have altered the natural flow of the river
and vital ecological processes supported by natural flow;
Whereas, since 2019, the flow of water in the Mekong River
during the wet season has been abnormally low;
Whereas the Nuozhadu and Xiaowan Dams in China account for
more than 50 percent of the water storage of all dams in the
Mekong River Basin and can restrict up to 10 percent of the
total wet season flow of the Mekong River, exacerbating
drought conditions downstream;
Whereas the Mekong River Commission is an integral partner
in ensuring the long-term health of the Mekong River;
Whereas the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic
Cooperation Strategy can be a leader in supporting river
development and protection;
Whereas the Mekong Dam Monitor, funded partly by the
Mekong-United States Partnership, has provided essential data
and information about the impacts of hydropower dams along
the Mekong River to the people and governments of the Mekong
River Basin to allow them to prepare for irregular water
flows and mitigate the economic and environmental impacts of
those flows;
Whereas the Mekong River has become a hub for criminal
elements to traffic in drugs, people, and wildlife,
undermining the rule of law in the countries in the Mekong
River Basin and impacting the world through the proliferation
of illegal drugs and fauna that can cause spillover of
zoonotic diseases;
Whereas the international community has committed to
support the development of countries along the Mekong River
through internationally recognized development goals;
Whereas the Friends of the Mekong, which includes the
countries in the Mekong River Basin, the United States,
Australia, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, the
Republic of Korea, the Asian Development Bank, the Mekong
River Commission Secretariat, and the World Bank, is
committed to supporting the shared principles that have
underpinned peace and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific for
decades;
Whereas close coordination and collaboration with civil
society groups throughout the Mekong River Basin is essential
to the protection of the Mekong River;
Whereas, among the countries in the Mekong River Basin,
there has been a negative trend toward the detention and
detainment of civil society actors and journalists and an
increase in violations of human rights;
Whereas the February 1, 2021, military coup in Burma was
illegal and unjustified and has resulted in more than 2,000
deaths, more than 1,000,000 people displaced, and tens of
thousands of people in detention, and continued violence
threatens the stability of the entire region, especially
those countries along the borders of Burma; and
Whereas diaspora communities from countries in the Mekong
River Basin are a vital part of the United States and help
build thriving people-to-people ties between those countries
and the United States that lead to strong commercial, civil
society, and cultural ties: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, [That the Senate--
[(1) expresses sincere concern over the environmental,
economic, and humanitarian threats to the Mekong River and
the communities of the Mekong River and continued support to
counter those threats; and
[(2) declares it is the policy of the United States
Government to--
[(A) through the Mekong-United States Partnership and the
Friends of the Mekong, promote the economic and environmental
well-being of the people of Mainland Southeast Asia in the 5
countries through which the Mekong River flows, namely,
Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam;
[(B) support a whole-of-government approach in providing
and coordinating Federal aid and assistance throughout the
Mekong River Basin under the Mekong-United States
Partnership, including programmatic support provided by the
Department of State, the United States Agency for
International Development, and other Federal agencies;
[(C) contribute to the development of quality
infrastructure, the development of national electricity
markets, cross-border energy trade, the facilitation of
cross-border transport, clean energy acceleration and
deployment, the development of micro, small, and medium
enterprises, agriculture, transportation, the facilitation of
trade and investment, strengthened subregional production
linkages and supply chains, digital infrastructure, and the
digital economy in the Mekong River Basin;
[(D) promote engagement and buy-in of the United States
private sector to support inclusive economic growth,
resilience, global health, education, and long-term
development in the region;
[(E) leverage the expertise of the United States, Japan,
the Republic of Korea, Australia, and other partners in high-
quality infrastructure to support the economic development
needs of the countries in the Mekong River Basin;
[(F) support the development of quality infrastructure,
including through projects financed by the United States
International Development Finance Corporation, as
appropriate, in the countries in the Mekong River Basin;
[(G) encourage all members of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations to view the environmental, humanitarian, and
economic threats to the Mekong River as a danger to the
entire region;
[(H) promote effective water use policies, natural
resources management, and environmental conservation and
protection, including--
[(i) through support for a technically sound, well-
coordinated, and consensus-based approach to managing the
shared resources of the Mekong River Basin;
[(ii) through support for environmental conservation,
protection, and resilience in the Mekong subregion; and
[(iii) by enhancing the capacity of countries in the Mekong
River Basin in the sustainable conservation and management of
natural resources, including fishery resources, for
sustainable food security;
[(I) continue the important work that provides vital data
and monitoring to the people and Governments of the Mekong
River;
[(J) support the development of the capacity of the region
to respond to a variety of threats, including countering
transnational crime such as trafficking of drugs, wildlife,
timber, and persons, and criminal activity
[[Page S5365]]
associated with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing,
and to improve health security, including emergency
preparedness and response for pandemics and epidemics,
cybersecurity, and disaster response and preparedness and
humanitarian assistance and disaster relief;
[(K) promote the development of human capital through
education, medical and public health partnerships, vocational
training, youth empowerment, women's economic empowerment,
gender equality, university cooperation, and educational and
professional exchanges;
[(L) work together with countries in the Mekong River Basin
to combat pollution, over fishing, natural resource
degradation, and the effects that changes in the global
climate systems are having on the Mekong River, and the
communities that depend on the river, and to support the
abilities of such communities to adapt and build resilience
capacities of those countries;
[(M) encourage all countries in the Mekong River Basin to
provide timely early warning for natural and unnatural
operations of the river;
[(N) support freedom of expression in the countries in the
Mekong River Basin through promoting independent journalism
and the freedom to access information;
[(O) continue to call for the cessation of violence in
Burma and support the return of Burma to a path of inclusive
democracy, so that it can fully contribute to regional
development;
[(P) prioritize the strengthening of people-to-people ties
through United States exchange programs such as the Fulbright
Program, the Peace Corps, the International Visitors
Leadership Program, and the Young Southeast Asian Leaders
Initiative Program, including the Young Southeast Asian
Leaders Initiative Academy at Fulbright University Vietnam;
and
[(Q) recognize that strong democratic institutions, the
promotion and protection of fundamental freedoms, independent
civil society, and free and fair elections are central to
implementing the shared vision of a Mekong River region, and
an Indo-Pacific region, that is free, open, secure, and
prosperous.]
That the Senate--
(1) expresses sincere concern over the environmental,
economic, and humanitarian threats to the Mekong River and
the communities of the Mekong River and continued support to
counter those threats; and
(2) declares it is the policy of the United States
Government--
(A) to, through the Mekong-United States Partnership and
the Friends of the Mekong, promote the economic and
environmental well-being of the people of Mainland Southeast
Asia in the 5 countries through which the Mekong River flows,
namely, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam;
(B) to support providing and coordinating Federal aid and
assistance throughout the Mekong River Basin under the
Mekong-United States Partnership, including programmatic
support provided by the Department of State, the United
States Agency for International Development, and other
Federal agencies;
(C) to contribute to the development of quality
infrastructure, national electricity markets, cross-border
energy trade, cross-border transport, greater energy access,
the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises,
agriculture, transportation, the facilitation of trade and
investment, strengthened subregional production linkages and
supply chains, digital infrastructure, and the digital
economy in the Mekong River Basin;
(D) to promote engagement and buy-in of the United States
private sector to support inclusive economic growth,
resilience, global health, education, and long-term
development in the region;
(E) to leverage the expertise of the United States, Japan,
the Republic of Korea, Australia, and other partners in high-
quality infrastructure to support the economic development
needs of the countries in the Mekong River Basin;
(F) to support the development of quality infrastructure,
including through projects financed by the United States
International Development Finance Corporation, as
appropriate, in the countries in the Mekong River Basin;
(G) to encourage all members of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations to view the environmental,
humanitarian, and economic threats to the Mekong River as a
danger to the entire region;
(H) to promote effective water use policies, natural
resources management, and environmental conservation and
protection, including--
(i) through support for a technically sound, well-
coordinated, and consensus-based approach to managing the
shared resources of the Mekong River Basin;
(ii) through support for environmental conservation,
protection, and resilience in the Mekong subregion; and
(iii) by enhancing the capacity of countries in the Mekong
River Basin on conservation and management of natural
resources, including fishery resources, for long-term food
security;
(I) to continue the important work that provides vital data
and monitoring to the people and Governments of the Mekong
River;
(J) to support the development of the capacity of the
region to respond to a variety of threats, including
countering transnational crime such as trafficking of drugs,
wildlife, timber, and persons, and criminal activity
associated with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing,
and to improve health security, including emergency
preparedness and response for pandemics and epidemics,
cybersecurity, and disaster response and preparedness and
humanitarian assistance and disaster relief;
(K) to promote the development of human capital through
education, medical and public health partnerships, vocational
training, youth empowerment, women's economic empowerment,
gender equality, university cooperation, and educational and
professional exchanges;
(L) to work together with countries in the Mekong River
Basin to combat pollution, over fishing, natural resource
degradation, and the effects that environmental changes are
having on the Mekong River, and the communities that depend
on the river, and to support the abilities of such
communities to adapt and build resilience capacities of those
countries;
(M) to encourage all countries in the Mekong River Basin to
provide timely early warning for natural and unnatural
operations of the river;
(N) to support freedom of expression in the countries in
the Mekong River Basin through promoting independent
journalism and the freedom to access information;
(O) to continue to call for the cessation of violence in
Burma and support the return of Burma to a path of inclusive
democracy, so that it can fully contribute to regional
development;
(P) to prioritize the strengthening of people-to-people
ties through United States exchange programs such as the
Fulbright Program, the Peace Corps, the International
Visitors Leadership Program, and the Young Southeast Asian
Leaders Initiative Program, including the Young Southeast
Asian Leaders Initiative Academy at Fulbright University
Vietnam; and
(Q) to recognize that strong democratic institutions, the
promotion and protection of fundamental freedoms, independent
civil society, and free and fair elections are central to
implementing the shared vision of a Mekong River region, and
an Indo-Pacific region, that is free, open, secure, and
prosperous.
Mr. MERKLEY. I ask unanimous consent that the Merkley amendment at
the desk to the committee-reported substitute amendment to the
resolution be agreed to; the committee-reported substitute amendment to
the resolution be agreed to; the resolution, as amended, be agreed to;
the committee-reported substitute amendment to the preamble be agreed
to; the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and that the motions to
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment (No. 1362) was agreed to as follows:
(Purpose: To make technical amendments)
Beginning on page 12, line 20, strike ``to support'' and
all that follows through ``to contribute to'' on page 13,
line 3, and insert ``to encourage''.
Beginning on page 13, strike line 23 and all that follows
through page 14, line 2.
On page 15, line 1, strike ``to support'' and insert ``to
encourage''.
In paragraph (2), redesignate subparagraphs (D) through (Q)
as subparagraphs (C) through (P), respectively.
The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was
agreed to.
The resolution (S. Res. 126), as amended, was agreed to.
The amendment to the preamble in the nature of a substitute was
agreed to.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S5365, November 6, 2023, in the third column, the
following language appears: The preamble in the nature of a
substitute was agreed to.
The online Record has been corrected to read: The amendment to
the preamble in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
========================= END NOTE =========================
The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as
follows:
S. Res. 126
Whereas the Mekong River supports the livelihoods of
approximately 60,000,000 people, making it the most important
river in Southeast Asia and one of the most important rivers
in the world;
Whereas the Mekong-United States Partnership, comprising
the United States, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and
Vietnam, and the predecessor of that partnership, the Lower
Mekong Initiative, have contributed greatly to the economic,
social, and human resources development of the countries in
the Mekong River Basin and the protection of the Mekong
River;
Whereas the United States has longstanding diplomatic
relations with the countries in the Mekong River Basin,
including a nearly 200-year-old relationship with treaty ally
Thailand;
Whereas the development of the countries in the Mekong
River Basin is critical for the unity, economic strength, and
institutional development of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations, a strategic partner of the United States;
Whereas the Mekong River continues to be affected by
environmental changes, coupled with the construction of
upstream dams that have altered the natural flow of the river
and vital ecological processes supported by natural flow;
Whereas, since 2019, the flow of water in the Mekong River
during the wet season has been abnormally low;
Whereas the Nuozhadu and Xiaowan Dams in China account for
more than 50 percent of the water storage of all dams in the
Mekong River Basin and can restrict up to 10 percent of the
total wet season flow of the Mekong River, exacerbating
drought conditions downstream;
Whereas the Mekong River Commission is an integral partner
in ensuring the long-term health of the Mekong River;
[[Page S5366]]
Whereas the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic
Cooperation Strategy can be a leader in supporting river
development and protection;
Whereas the Mekong Dam Monitor, funded partly by the
Mekong-United States Partnership, has provided essential data
and information about the impacts of hydropower dams along
the Mekong River to the people and governments of the Mekong
River Basin to allow them to prepare for irregular water
flows and mitigate the economic and environmental impacts of
those flows;
Whereas the Mekong River has become a hub for criminal
elements to traffic in drugs, people, and wildlife,
undermining the rule of law in the countries in the Mekong
River Basin and impacting the world through the proliferation
of illegal drugs and fauna that can cause spillover of
zoonotic diseases;
Whereas the international community has committed to
support the development of countries along the Mekong River
through internationally recognized development goals;
Whereas the Friends of the Mekong, which includes the
countries in the Mekong River Basin, the United States,
Australia, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, the
Republic of Korea, the Asian Development Bank, the Mekong
River Commission Secretariat, and the World Bank, is
committed to supporting the shared principles that have
underpinned peace and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific for
decades;
Whereas close coordination and collaboration with civil
society groups throughout the Mekong River Basin is essential
to the protection of the Mekong River;
Whereas, among the countries in the Mekong River Basin,
there has been a negative trend toward the detention and
detainment of civil society actors and journalists and an
increase in violations of human rights;
Whereas the February 1, 2021, military coup in Burma was
illegal and unjustified and has resulted in more than 2,000
deaths, more than 1,000,000 people displaced, and tens of
thousands of people in detention, and continued violence
threatens the stability of the entire region, especially
those countries along the borders of Burma; and
Whereas diaspora communities from countries in the Mekong
River Basin are a vital part of the United States and help
build thriving people-to-people ties between those countries
and the United States that lead to strong commercial, civil
society, and cultural ties: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) expresses sincere concern over the environmental,
economic, and humanitarian threats to the Mekong River and
the communities of the Mekong River and continued support to
counter those threats; and
(2) declares it is the policy of the United States
Government--
(A) to, through the Mekong-United States Partnership and
the Friends of the Mekong, promote the economic and
environmental well-being of the people of Mainland Southeast
Asia in the 5 countries through which the Mekong River flows,
namely, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam;
(B) to encourage the development of quality infrastructure,
national electricity markets, cross-border energy trade,
cross-border transport, greater energy access, the
development of micro, small, and medium enterprises,
agriculture, transportation, the facilitation of trade and
investment, strengthened subregional production linkages and
supply chains, digital infrastructure, and the digital
economy in the Mekong River Basin;
(C) to promote engagement and buy-in of the United States
private sector to support inclusive economic growth,
resilience, global health, education, and long-term
development in the region;
(D) to leverage the expertise of the United States, Japan,
the Republic of Korea, Australia, and other partners in high-
quality infrastructure to support the economic development
needs of the countries in the Mekong River Basin;
(E) to encourage all members of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations to view the environmental,
humanitarian, and economic threats to the Mekong River as a
danger to the entire region;
(F) to promote effective water use policies, natural
resources management, and environmental conservation and
protection, including--
(i) through support for a technically sound, well-
coordinated, and consensus-based approach to managing the
shared resources of the Mekong River Basin;
(ii) through support for environmental conservation,
protection, and resilience in the Mekong subregion; and
(iii) by enhancing the capacity of countries in the Mekong
River Basin on conservation and management of natural
resources, including fishery resources, for long-term food
security;
(G) to continue the important work that provides vital data
and monitoring to the people and Governments of the Mekong
River;
(H) to encourage the development of the capacity of the
region to respond to a variety of threats, including
countering transnational crime such as trafficking of drugs,
wildlife, timber, and persons, and criminal activity
associated with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing,
and to improve health security, including emergency
preparedness and response for pandemics and epidemics,
cybersecurity, and disaster response and preparedness and
humanitarian assistance and disaster relief;
(I) to promote the development of human capital through
education, medical and public health partnerships, vocational
training, youth empowerment, women's economic empowerment,
gender equality, university cooperation, and educational and
professional exchanges;
(J) to work together with countries in the Mekong River
Basin to combat pollution, over fishing, natural resource
degradation, and the effects that environmental changes are
having on the Mekong River, and the communities that depend
on the river, and to support the abilities of such
communities to adapt and build resilience capacities of those
countries;
(K) to encourage all countries in the Mekong River Basin to
provide timely early warning for natural and unnatural
operations of the river;
(L) to support freedom of expression in the countries in
the Mekong River Basin through promoting independent
journalism and the freedom to access information;
(M) to continue to call for the cessation of violence in
Burma and support the return of Burma to a path of inclusive
democracy, so that it can fully contribute to regional
development;
(N) to prioritize the strengthening of people-to-people
ties through United States exchange programs such as the
Fulbright Program, the Peace Corps, the International
Visitors Leadership Program, and the Young Southeast Asian
Leaders Initiative Program, including the Young Southeast
Asian Leaders Initiative Academy at Fulbright University
Vietnam; and
(O) to recognize that strong democratic institutions, the
promotion and protection of fundamental freedoms, independent
civil society, and free and fair elections are central to
implementing the shared vision of a Mekong River region, and
an Indo-Pacific region, that is free, open, secure, and
prosperous.
____________________