[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 21894]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                   SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING BURMA

  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 328) expressing the sense of 
the Congress in recognition of the 10th anniversary of the free and 
fair elections in Burma and the urgent need to improve the democratic 
and human rights of the people of Burma, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 328

       Whereas in 1988 thousands of Burmese citizens called for a 
     democratic change in Burma and participated in peaceful 
     demonstrations to achieve this result;
       Whereas these demonstrations were brutally repressed by the 
     Burmese military, resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives;
       Whereas despite continued repression, the Burmese people 
     turned out in record numbers to vote in elections deemed free 
     and fair by international observers;
       Whereas on May 27, 1990, the National League for Democracy 
     (NLD) led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi won more than 60 percent of 
     the popular vote and 80 percent of the parliamentary seats in 
     the elections;
       Whereas the Burmese military rejected the results of the 
     elections, placed Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and hundreds of 
     members of the NLD under arrest, pressured members of the NLD 
     to resign, and severely restricted freedom of assembly, 
     speech, and the press;
       Whereas 48,000,000 people in Burma continue to suffer gross 
     violations of human rights, including the right to democracy, 
     and economic deprivation under a military regime known as the 
     State Peace and Development Council (SPDC);
       Whereas on September 16, 1998, the members of the NLD and 
     other political parties who won the 1990 elections joined 
     together to form the Committee Representing the People's 
     Parliament (CRPP) as an interim mechanism to address human 
     rights, economic and other conditions, and provide 
     representation of the political views and voice of Members of 
     Parliament elected to but denied office in 1990;
       Whereas the United Nations General Assembly and Commission 
     on Human Rights have condemned in nine consecutive 
     resolutions the persecution of religious and ethnic 
     minorities and the political opposition, and SPDC's record of 
     forced labor, exploitation, and sexual violence against 
     women;
       Whereas the United States and the European Union Council of 
     Foreign Ministers have similarly condemned conditions in 
     Burma and officially imposed travel restrictions and other 
     sanctions against the SPDC;
       Whereas in May 1999, the International Labor Organization 
     (ILO) condemned the SPDC for inflicting forced labor on the 
     people and has banned the SPDC from participating in any ILO 
     meetings;
       Whereas the 1999 Department of State Country Reports on 
     Human Rights Practices for Burma estimates more than 1,300 
     people continue to suffer inhumane detention conditions as 
     political prisoners in Burma;
       Whereas the Department of State International Narcotics 
     Control Strategy Report for 2000 determines that Burma is the 
     second largest world-wide source of illicit opium and heroin 
     and that there are continuing, reliable reports that Burmese 
     officials are ``involved in the drug business or are paid to 
     allow the drug business to be conducted by others'', 
     conditions which pose a direct threat to United States 
     national security interests;
       Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been denied the basic 
     rights to freedom of movement and assemble with members of 
     the NLD by Burmese security authorities who, on August 24, 
     2000, forcibly blocked her and her party from traveling to 
     NLD township offices near Rangoon;
       Whereas after having been halted for nine days at a 
     roadblock, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her party were forcibly 
     returned to Rangoon by Burmese security authorities;
       Whereas since their forcible return to Rangoon Daw Aung San 
     Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders have been held incommunicado in 
     their residences and diplomats and others have been denied 
     access to them;
       Whereas the refusal to allow Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to leave 
     her compound or to allow others access to her has created 
     grave concern for her safety and welfare;
       Whereas the NLD party offices have been ransacked and 
     documents seized by Burmese authorities and access to the 
     party headquarters has been denied to NLD members;
       Whereas the Burmese authorities have continued to refuse to 
     engage in a substantive dialogue with the NLD and other 
     elements of the democratic opposition; and
       Whereas despite these massive violations of human rights 
     and civil liberties and chronic economic deprivation, Daw 
     Aung San Suu Kyi and members of the NLD have continued to 
     call for a peaceful political dialogue with the SPDC to 
     achieve a democratic transition: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the Sense of the Congress that--
       (1) United States policy should strongly support the 
     restoration of democracy in Burma, including implementation 
     of the results of the free and fair elections of 1990;
       (2) United States policy should continue to call upon the 
     military regime in Burma known as the State Peace and 
     Development Council (SPDC)--
       (A) to guarantee freedom of assembly, freedom of movement, 
     freedom of speech, and freedom of the press for all Burmese 
     citizens;
       (B) to immediately accept a political dialogue with Daw 
     Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy (NLD), 
     and ethnic leaders to advance peace and reconciliation in 
     Burma;
       (C) to immediately and unconditionally release all detained 
     Members elected to the 1990 parliament and other political 
     prisoners; and
       (D) to promptly and fully uphold the terms and conditions 
     of all human rights and related resolutions passed by the 
     United Nations General Assembly, the Commission on Human 
     Rights, the International Labor Organization, and the 
     European Union; and
       (3) United States policy should sustain current economic 
     and political sanctions against Burma as the appropriate 
     means--
       (A) to secure the restoration of democracy, human rights, 
     and civil liberties in Burma; and
       (B) to support United States national security 
     counternarcotics interests.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) and the gentleman from American 
Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter).


                             General Leave

  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on H. Con. Res. 328, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Nebraska?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we are on with the House business now after a very 
important and moving tribute to our late colleague, Bruce Vento. As I 
begin, I must reflect upon the service I had with him for almost 20 
years on the Committee on Banking and Financial Services and earlier 
for 4 years on what was then the House Committee on Interior and 
Insular Affairs, where he really accomplished remarkable things in both 
jurisdictions, but I think he will be known so much for the kind of 
things that he assisted America to preserve and protect in our national 
environment.
  I remember well how much assistance he gave to this Member on a very 
controversial measure related to a scenic river designation in my own 
State.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 328 is before us. It was introduced 
on May 16 by the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Porter) and 
was unanimously approved by the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on 
September 13 and by the House Committee on International Relations on 
September 21.
  For over 10 years, the Burmese military regime, now known as the 
State Peace and Development Council, the SPDC, has refused to implement 
the results of the 1990 elections which were won overwhelmingly by the 
National League for Democracy, the NLD. During this period, and indeed 
since 1962, when General Ne Win and the military seized control, the 
Burmese military has engaged in egregious systematic violence and abuse 
of the fundamental human rights of ethnic minorities and other people 
of the country.
  The abuses of the junta in Rangoon again came under international 
scrutiny when, on August 24 of this year, Aung San Suu Kyi was denied 
the ability to visit NLD party offices outside the capital. For 9 days, 
she was detained at a roadblock and eventually was forcibly removed to 
her residence. She and other NLD party leaders were placed under 
virtual house arrest.
  Despite the military's denials, no independent observer was allowed 
to visit her; and the British ambassador, for example, was roughed up 
when he attempted to force his way into her compound. In addition, 
party offices were ransacked and papers seized.
  To justify their action, the junta has issued the ludicrous charge 
that the NLD had formed an alliance with rebels in the provinces.
  On September 21, the day the committee passed this measure, Aung San 
Suu Kyi was again blocked from traveling outside Rangoon by the 
military regime.
  She planned to travel by train to Mandalay in order to visit with NLD 
party members. Officials at the Rangoon's central train station, 
insisting that there were no train tickets available, refused to sell 
tickets to her and her accompanying party.
  Eventually, after hours of stalemate, police removed her from the 
train station and forced her to return home. Since her September 21 
attempt to travel to Mandalay, Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD party 
leaders remain under de facto house arrest, and the regime has denied 
any contact with foreign diplomats.
  NLD vice chairman Tin Oo is being detained by the military regime.
  This week, the U.N. Secretary General special envoy, Malaysian 
diplomat, Ambassador Razali Ismail, has been in Rangoon meeting with 
senior leaders in the Burmese military regime, including Foreign 
Minister Win Aung and General Khin Nyunt. Despite his mandate to 
promote human rights and restore democracy in Burma, Ambassador Razali 
has yet to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi or any other NLD party leaders.
  This is Razali's second visit to Burma as the U.N. Secretary 
General's special envoy. Clearly not meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi or 
any other NLD leaders brings the U.N.'s credibility into question.
  Mr. Speaker, it is entirely proper, therefore, that the House of 
Representatives go on record condemning these human rights abuses. 
Since her electoral victory in 1990, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has 
repeatedly been arrested, threatened, and harassed.
  The illegal SDPC military regime has done everything possible to 
discredit NLD and its leaders. This is simply wrong, and this body 
should say so.
  Mr. Speaker, at the subcommittee markup, an amendment was approved 
that had the concurrence of the resolution's distinguished author, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Porter), and which was designed to update 
the situation in Burma.
  The amendment updated the current standoff between Aung San Suu Kyi 
and the military by including six new whereas clauses. These clauses 
detailed the denial of right to movement and association, and the 
seizure of documents at NLD party offices.
  The new language makes it clear that Aung San Suu Kyi was clearly 
within her rights in attempting to visit party offices and that there 
was no justification for the roadblock established by the SDPC.
  Mr. Speaker, this Member urges the body to approve H. Con. Res. 328, 
as amended.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, like my colleague, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. 
Bereuter), the chairman of our Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific and 
the Committee on International Relations, I, too, echo the same 
sentiments as I expressed earlier about the passing of our colleague, 
Bruce Vento, from the State of Minnesota, expressing the same sympathy 
and condolences to the members of his family.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to certainly thank the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Porter) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), chairman of our Committee on 
International Relations, and also the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Smith) as the chief cosponsors of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. I would 
first like to say introducing this resolution was very appropriate and 
the fact of the matter is that 12 years ago, thousands of Burmese 
citizens demonstrated in the streets calling for democratic change in 
Burma.
  In May 1990, the National League for Democracy, led by Daw Aung San 
Suu Kyi won more than 60 percent of the popular vote and 80 percent of 
the parliament seats in the elections.
  Despite this, Mr. Speaker, instead of turning over the power to the 
winner of the elections, however, the Burmese military rejected the 
results of the election and, for the past 10 years, have continued 
their brutal crackdown on organized political opposition, free press, 
and freedom of assembly.
  Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has remained under tight control since the 
elections, and Burma's dictators have even denied her ailing husband 
permission to visit his wife one last time before he passed away.
  Mr. Speaker, the State Department's annual human rights report 
identifies more than 1,300 people who continue to suffer inhuman 
detention conditions as political prisoners in Burma. Furthermore, the 
State Department Narcotics Control Report for the year 2000 determined 
that Burma is the second largest worldwide source of illicit opium and 
heroin trafficking.
  The United Nations General Assembly and the Commission on Human 
Rights have responded to this continuing crackdown on basic freedoms by 
condemning nine consecutive resolutions, the persecution of religious 
and ethnic minorities and the political opposition.
  The resolutions have also criticized Burma's record of forced labor, 
exploitation and sexual violence against women. Both the Clinton 
administration and the European Union have similarly condemned 
conditions in Burma and have imposed travel restrictions and other 
sanctions against Burma's dictators.
  Mr. Speaker, the resolution before the House today reiterates that it 
is U.S. policy to support the restoration of democracy in Burma, 
including the implementation of the 1990 elections.
  The resolution also calls on Burma's leaders to guarantee the basic 
human rights of its citizens, to accept a dialogue with Daw Aung San 
Suu Kyi, to immediately release all political prisoners, and to 
promptly uphold the terms of international resolutions on Burma's 
situation.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, the resolution states that the U.S. should 
continue policies designed to secure the restoration of democracy, 
human rights and civil liberties in Burma and to support U.S. national 
security and counternarcotics interests.
  This is a great piece of legislation, Mr. Speaker; and I urge my 
colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 5 minutes to 
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), my colleague on the 
Committee on International Relations, the chairman of the Subcommittee 
on International Operations and Human Rights.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), for yielding me the time; and I 
thank him for his work on behalf of Burmese people, for the fine 
remarks of the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega), for 
the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson), and the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Gilman) for the work on this resolution and, above all, 
to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Porter), the prime sponsor of it.
  Mr. Speaker, just over 10 years ago, in the spring of 1990, the 
people of Burma courageously embraced democracy. In the face of 
intimidation by the Burmese military, they turned out in record numbers 
to participate in freedom and fair elections.
  In those elections, the National League for Democracy, led so aptly 
by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, won more than 60 percent of the popular vote; 
and as my friend, the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega), 
reminded us 80 percent, 80 percent of the seats in parliament went to 
the National League for Democracy. The Burmese military responded by 
rejecting the election results, imprisoning hundreds of NLD Members, 
including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and severely curtailing the civil 
liberties of the Burmese people.
  Since that time, the ruling military thugs, who currently call 
themselves the State Peace and Development Council, have inflicted 
massive human rights violations and economic privations on the people 
in Burma. More than 1,300 political prisoners, including the woman 
elected to lead Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi, still suffer at the hands of 
their government captors.
  Just last month, as we all know, she was forcibly detained when Aung 
San Suu Kyi attempted to travel outside the Burmese capital to 
Mandalay. The Burmese regime routinely uses forced labor, and it 
continues to wage a brutal war against ethnic minorities within its 
borders.
  Mr. Speaker, in August of 1998, I traveled to that region in an 
effort to secure the release of one of my constituents, Michele Keegan, 
who had been seized by the Burmese authorities for passing out cards 
the size of our voting cards that said ``We have not forgotten you. We 
support your hopes for human rights and democracy.''
  The SLORC repeatedly refused my requests for a visa to enter Burma, 
so I had to help negotiate her release from Bangkok, Thailand. After 5 
days of detention, Michele and 17 other foreign activists were expelled 
from Burma, but not until they had been sentenced to 5 years 
imprisonment for sedition.

                              {time}  2015

  Let me remind Members, they handed out a card that said we have not 
forgotten you, we support your hopes for human rights and democracy, a 
little card just handed out on the streets in Rangoon; and for that, a 
5-year sentence. That is just an indication of what they do to their 
own people.
  Mr. Speaker, I am also proud to note that the State Department 
reauthorization bill, H.R. 3472, the Embassy Security Act, which I 
introduced last year that, thankfully, became law, retained a provision 
that helps ensure that the United Nations Development Program, UNDP, 
does not enrich the Burmese military regime. It reduces U.S. 
contributions to UNDP by the amount that that program spends in Burma 
unless UNDP's activities in Burma: One, are focused on eliminating 
human suffering; two, are carried out only through private voluntary 
organizations that are independent of the regime; three, do not benefit 
the regime; and four, are carried out only after consultation with the 
leadership of the National League for Democracy and the leadership of 
the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma.
  The resolution before us today, Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 328, 
properly commemorates the 1990 elections, describes adequately and 
accurately the situation in Burma and expresses the sense of the 
Congress that the United States should strongly support the restoration 
of democracy in that country. It urges the military regime in Burma to 
guarantee basic freedoms for Burmese citizens, to undertake a political 
dialogue with the National League for Democracy and ethnic leaders, and 
to immediately release all political prisoners, and to fulfill the 
conditions of international human rights instruments.
  It also recognizes the current sanctions in place against the 
government of Burma as appropriate means of pursuing democracy and 
civil liberties for the people of Burma.
  Again, I want to thank all those involved, but especially the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Porter) for offering this resolution.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he 
may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Porter) 
who has offered this and many other resolutions important to human 
rights. He will be sorely missed when he retires at the end of this 
session.
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. 
Bereuter) for those kind words, for yielding me the time, and for the 
leadership that he has brought to bear on this and so many other issues 
in Asia and all around the world.
  I also want to commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) as 
well as the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for bringing the 
resolution together with the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) to 
the floor, and for their leadership on human rights in so many 
instances. For such a long time they have stood up and stood for those 
who were oppressed in foreign countries and for the expansion of their 
rights. I commend them again for doing so with respect to the people of 
this country, Burma.
  Mr. Speaker, I have a written statement I will submit for the Record.
  Mr. Speaker, Burma is a country of almost 50 million people. We talk 
today about the National League for Democracy. We talk about Daw Aung 
San Suu Kyi and her great leadership for the things that all human 
beings on this planet ought to be accorded, basic human dignity and 
basic rights as opposed to the rights of their governments. Yet, in 
Burma, it is not just the National League for Democracy or Daw Aung San 
Suu Kyi, it is all the people of Burma who suffer at the hands of this 
terrible military dictatorship.
  There are no rights in Burma. There are no rights to speak freely. 
There are no rights to worship freely. There are no rights to assemble. 
There are no rights to stand up and be counted for the things that 
people believe ought to be done. There are no free elections.
  The only free election that has been held in Burma in at least the 
last 50 years was the one held in 1990 that was won by the National 
League for Democracy, as has been detailed by each of the gentlemen 
today.
  Unfortunately, that chance for a better life for the Burmese people 
was stolen away by the military who now run one of the worst regimes in 
the world in terms of abusing their population.
  In August, as the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) and the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) detailed, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi 
and her followers in the National League for Democracy were again 
particularly abused as they have been in the past.
  But I want to say today, there is nothing this regime can do that 
will ever overcome this lady. She won the Nobel Prize for Peace. She 
has an indomitable spirit that cannot be crushed. She is a person of 
great integrity, great intelligence and great articulation. She is a 
person of beauty because she stands as an example to the Burmese people 
of what life could be, how beautiful it could be if only they could 
live in freedom.
  Lately, the international community, thank God, has finally begun to 
see the regime in Burma for what it is. Most recently, Switzerland 
decided not only to condemn the conduct of the SPDC, but also to impose 
sanctions, not as strong as I would like to see, not as strong as those 
that the United States has imposed, but sanctions; and perhaps we are 
beginning to see some change in the international community to bring 
pressure to end the repression in Burma.
  Gradually this world is changing. Gradually the world is coming 
together to stand up for basic human rights for all peoples. The fall 
of Slobodan Milosevic. The war crimes tribunal that brings people who 
violated the rights of others, even in times of war, before a tribunal 
for accountability. Maybe some day soon we will find a way to believe 
that the most important thing that we can do on this Earth is to care 
about one another and to care about establishing a rule of law that 
guarantees basic human rights.
  It is unfortunate that in so many places in the world today that is 
not being observed, in China and Sudan and Turkey and Burma and many 
other places. But we are gradually moving in the right direction. The 
message today is that we must always, always stand and knock on the 
door day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year 
until the rights of every single human being on this planet are 
established and protected. Because the denial of the rights of any 
single person is the denial of the rights of every one of us.
  I want to commend the committee and the subcommittee for bringing 
this resolution forward, for insisting that we recognize that it has 
been 10 years since the people of Burma chose a freely elected 
government and 10 years of ongoing repression by a military regime that 
wants to offer no rights.
  Someday soon, Mr. Speaker, this is going to change. The United States 
of America must stand up and be counted day after day and year after 
year to make certain that this happens.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 328, 
commemorating the tenth anniversary of the free and fair elections in 
Burma. I would like to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), 
the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), and the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith) for their leadership in bringing this resolution to 
the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, Burma is a country governed by a military junta. Burma 
is a country with no respect for human rights and no rule of law. On 
May 27th, 1990, the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Daw 
Aung San Suu Kyi, won a majority of the parliamentary seats in the 
nationally held elections. This was a great victory for the champions 
of democracy and human rights in Burma.
  However, the Burmese military regime, known as the State Peace and 
Development Council (SPDC), arbitrarily annulled the results and 
arrested Aung San Suu Kyi and hundreds of NLD members. Many were forced 
to flee the country, and ever since, freedoms of assembly, speech and 
the press have been severely restricted. Hundreds of NLD members are 
political prisoners and still hundreds more live in exile around the 
world.
  Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been forced to live under house arrest in 
Rangoon most of the time since 1989. The past two months have seen the 
outrageous treatment of the Nobel Peace Prize winner exacerbated. Twice 
in less than two months, Suu Kyi has been detained when she has tried 
to travel outside the capital. Soldiers have surrounded her car on the 
road side, removed her from the train station and surrounded her house, 
while she is forced to sit idly inside.
  Since September 22nd when she was again placed under house arrest, 
her telephone lines have been cut, and she has been denied all 
communication. Presently, it is not only Suu Kyi being suppressed, 
other members of the NLD's central executive committee are either in 
detention or being kept incommunicado under virtual house arrest, with 
approximately one hundred NLD members, including members of the NLD 
women's group having been arrested by the military in recent days.
  I commend the statements in recent days from the international 
community, condemning the SPDC. Switzerland announced last week that it 
would impose sanctions on Burma, similar to those imposed by the 
European Union, which include freezing assets, visa bans and an arms 
embargo. Although these sanctions are not as strong as current U.S. 
sanctions, slowly the international community is coming together to 
demonstrate that we will not do business or work with these egregious 
violators of human rights.
  We must stand together as one, against those who, when they violate 
the rights of one of us, violate the rights of all.
  The United States is seen as a beacon of light and of hope around the 
world. We must remember what our country stands for: democracy, the 
rule of law, freedom of speech and free and fair elections. The Burmese 
can not exercise any of these basic human rights.
  I hope that all of my colleagues will join me in standing with our 
fellow duly-elected representatives in Burma and join their call to 
take their rightful places in parliament.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). Does the gentleman from Nebraska 
(Mr. Bereuter) yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) to 
control the time?
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Gilman) and ask unanimous consent that he be permitted to control 
the time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Nebraska?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask the Chair how much time we have 
remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) has 
4 minutes remaining.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this measure recognizes the 10th anniversary of the 
freedom and fair elections in Burma and the urgent need to improve the 
democratic and human rights of the people of Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi 
and members of the parliament who were elected in 1990 have not been 
able to establish a government inside of Burma. Many of her supporters 
have been and still are in prison. Thousands have been tortured and 
murdered.
  The government relies heavily on slave and forced labor for 
construction projects. The International Labor Organization, the ILO, 
has even banned it from participating in any ILO meetings.
  The government of Burma is indifferent to the illicit drug trade and 
was recently decertified for not fully cooperating to our Nation. It 
has provided a safe haven to notorious Burmese drug dealer Khun Saw. It 
was just reported that Secretary of Defense Cohen was in Thailand 2 
days ago and that the Thai are now asking for 50 helicopters to fight 
against the drug traffickers.
  The Thai military has estimated that some 600 million amphetamine 
pills flooded Thailand just last year from across the border with 
Burma. Thai community leaders have frequently accused Burma of 
destroying Thai youth, warning that drug addiction was reaching crisis 
proportions in Thailand with more than 600,000 young people reportedly 
hooked on amphetamines.
  On September 19, Secretary Cohen said, ``We understand now that there 
is a serious problem concerning Thailand by virtue of methamphetamine 
being produced and distributed from Burma. The drug problem will be 
high on the agenda of the commander of the U.S. forces in the Pacific, 
who is due to visit Thailand next week.
  On September 21, Aung San Suu Kyi was prevented from boarding a train 
to leave Rangoon, and many of her supporters were arrested. Since that 
time, diplomats and friends have been prevented from seeing her, and no 
one knows the whereabouts of her arrested colleagues.
  Just 2 days ago, Mr. Speaker, the government-run newspaper in Rangoon 
issued a statement by officials stating, ``Anyone confronting the 
military government in Myanmar is committing what amounts to high 
treason.''
  Mr. Speaker, the only way for the drug production to end in Burma is 
for our Nation and for the world to take a stronger stand against the 
illegal Burmese government so that it steps down and hands over the 
reigns of power to the democratically elected government of Aung San 
Suu Kyi.
  Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this 
measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would truly be remiss, and it will probably be the 
last opportunity I have before we adjourn, if I did not express my 
personal sense of appreciation and gratitude to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Porter), not only as cochairman of our Human Rights 
Caucus, but certainly for his outstanding leadership and service that 
he has rendered to our Nation.
  I want the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Porter) to know how much I 
really appreciate his friendship over the years that I have got to know 
him.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 328, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and concurrent resolution, as 
amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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