[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 20]
[House]
[Page 27264]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  INTERNATIONAL ACTION NEEDED IN BURMA

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask once again, what more 
must happen in order for the international community to take 
deliberative, decisive action against the ruthless military 
dictatorship in Burma? Why would any country befriend this savage 
dictatorship that has no qualms about engaging in slave labor, 
systematic rape of women, destruction of villages, and murder of many 
innocent civilians?
  The U.N. Security Council should act, not only because of the 
regional security problems related to Burma, but also because of the 
regime's horrific human rights abuses. The abuses have caused a 
humanitarian disaster as hundreds of thousands of people have fled 
across Burma's borders in almost every direction.
  The military's brutal campaigns have created between 600,000 and 1 
million internally displaced people, innocent men, women and children 
who live hiding in the jungles of Burma as they fear further attacks.
  Mr. Speaker, the U.S., the U.N. Security Council, the international 
community should act now to stop the atrocities. Oppose the blockage of 
humanitarian aid, bring an end to the suffering of the people of Burma, 
and address the regional security problems from this regime.

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