[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 11693-11694]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                BIRTHDAY WISHES TO DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI

  Mr. McCONNELL. As with all supporters of freedom and democracy in 
the, world, I rise today to extend birthday wishes to Daw Aung San Suu 
Kyi, the Nobel Laureate who remains under house arrest in Burma.
  Much like her previous several birthdays, Suu Kyi's birthday today 
almost certainly will not be a happy one. The ``gift'' given to Suu Kyi 
by the ruling State Peace and Development Council, SPDC, a few weeks 
ago was the news that it was again extending her detention.
  Under the autocratic rule of the SPDC, drug trafficking, disease and 
human rights violations are rampant and pose growing problems to the 
region as a whole. The SPDC adheres to policies that seek only to 
consolidate its own power, and the ruined lives of the Burmese people 
are the result. Indeed, there is little reason for celebration in Burma 
today.
  The plight of Suu Kyi symbolizes the plight of her countrymen. 
Moreover, her commitment to freedom and justice through peaceful 
political change has created a legacy that will endure long after the 
SPDC's reign is no more.
  The best gift the free world can give Suu Kyi is to remain steadfast 
in support of freedom in Burma today. She can count on my support.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that an op-ed in today's Wall 
Street Journal by Under Secretary of State Paula Dobriansky be printed 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

             [From the Wall Street Journal, June 19, 2006]

                     ``Press for Change in Burma''

                        (By Paula J. Dobrainsky)

       Today marks the 61st birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi, the 
     elected leader of Burma's National League for Democracy. It 
     is the third consecutive birthday that she has spent under 
     detention--and a stark reminder that not only she, but 50 
     million fellow Burmese are living without basic freedoms and 
     human rights. Absent change, Burma is likely to continue a 
     dangerous decline that threatens the welfare of its people 
     and its neighbors alike.
       Only by unconditionally releasing Ms. Suu Kyi and all other 
     political prisoners, restoring a democratic form of 
     government, and observing international standards of human 
     rights can Burma's regime bring stability, prosperity and 
     peace to its country--and international respect to its 
     leaders. Toward that end, we are seeking a United Nations 
     Security Council resolution that underscores the 
     aforementioned goals, which were communicated by U.N. 
     Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari 
     to senior Burmese officials during his visit to the country 
     last month. The U.S. is committed to working with the U.N. 
     Security Council, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, regional 
     institutions and governments to press for genuine national 
     reconciliation in Burma.
       The threat to the Burmese people from their own leaders is 
     clear: In only the last few months, attacks against ethnic 
     minorities have displaced thousands. Military units abuse 
     their power regularly and commit egregious human rights 
     abuses with impunity, including rape, forced labor, murder 
     and torture. The regime's continued economic mismanagement 
     and corruption have led to a widespread failure of the 
     banking system and rampant inflation, which increases the 
     daily hardships of the Burmese people. Making matters worse, 
     the military's

[[Page 11694]]

     restrictions on U.N. and nongovernmental organizations have 
     hampered the ability of relief organizations to deliver 
     assistance to Burma's most vulnerable populations.
       Infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and avian 
     flu are best controlled by responsible governments with 
     transparent public health systems that cooperate closely with 
     international institutions. Yet even as the Burmese regime 
     spends considerable sums to finish relocating its capital, 
     malnutrition is rising and thousands are dying from treatable 
     diseases like malaria and tuberculosis. This tragic failure 
     calls into question the Burmese junta's willingness and 
     ability to protect and improve the well-being of its people.
       Burma's people are not alone in facing the consequences of 
     their government's actions: the country's deterioration poses 
     a real danger to its neighbors and--in today's interconnected 
     world--even to those far away. The drug trade and trafficking 
     in persons are rampant; both flow across porous borders and 
     spread corruption, political instability and disease.
       America will persist in its strategy to increase 
     international pressure on Burma by working with individual 
     governments and regional organizations, such as the European 
     Union, to seek to return the country to its people through a 
     transparent, inclusive political process. The U.S. 
     administration will continue to impose economic sanctions on 
     the Burmese government, while insisting upon the 
     unconditional release of Ms. Suu Kyi and other political 
     prisoners; an end to attacks on civilians and other human 
     rights violations; and a real dialogue leading to peace, 
     democracy and national reconciliation.
       In Asia, the U.S. will continue to collaborate with Burma's 
     neighbors, including members of the Association of Southeast 
     Asian Nations, who have a particular interest in seeing 
     Burma's decline reversed. Asean leaders have already publicly 
     called for the release of political prisoners and for the 
     resumption of a national dialogue with all political 
     stakeholders. On June 3, Indonesian Foreign Minister Hasan 
     Wirayuda stated that ``the junta [can] not deflect criticism 
     of the Nobel peace laureate's detention by saying it was an 
     internal matter. The truth is no country can claim that human 
     rights abuses are its own internal affairs.''
       Finally, the U.S. will work in the U.N. to press for change 
     in Burma. We are pleased that the U.N.'s Economic and Social 
     Council will discuss Burma's forced labor practices in its 
     July session. The U.S. will continue to pursue a U.N. 
     Security Council resolution. As U.S. Secretary of State 
     Condoleezza Rice has said, America stands with the people of 
     Burma, and we have not forgotten their dream of democracy.
       The economic, political and public health situation in 
     Burma has deteriorated to the point where the regime's 
     combination of repression and its unwillingness--or 
     inability--to meet its own citizens' needs pose a threat to 
     the peace, security and stability of the region. We must all 
     act together to help the Burmese people win the freedom and 
     prosperity they deserve.

  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)
 Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, on vote No. 175, I was necessarily 
absent due to a weather delay with my plane from New York (Delta 1959). 
Had I been present for that vote, I would have voted to confirm the 
nomination of Sandra Segal Ikuta to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth 
Circuit.

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