[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 19]
[House]
[Pages 26205-26211]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




EXPRESSING SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE IMMEDIATE AND UNCONDITIONAL 
                    RELEASE OF DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI

  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 200) expressing the sense of 
Congress regarding the immediate and unconditional release of Daw Aung 
San Suu Kyi, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 200

       Whereas on August 15, 2007, Burma's ruling military junta, 
     the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), cancelled 
     fuel subsidies resulting in the quintupling of the price of 
     fuel which had an immediate and damaging impact on the living 
     conditions of the Burmese people and Burma's already 
     devastated economy;
       Whereas on August 19, 2007, in reaction to this crippling 
     measure, prominent student and democracy leaders peacefully 
     took to the streets in Rangoon and elsewhere to protest the 
     draconian action of the military junta in Rangoon; during the 
     subsequent weeks, protests continued in Rangoon, and spread 
     to other cities and towns throughout Burma, including 
     Mandalay, Sittwe, Pakokku, Tounggok, Yehangyaung;
       Whereas the growing numbers of protestors peacefully 
     demanded democratic reforms and the release of 1991 Noble 
     Peace Prize Winner Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political 
     prisoners and prisoners of conscience;
       Whereas Buddhist monks actively participated and 
     increasingly led these peaceful demonstrations, culminating 
     in an estimated 100,000 people marching through Rangoon on 
     September 24, 2007; in response to this largest protest since 
     the 1988 demonstrations which were brutally crushed by the 
     Burmese military by firing on unarmed civilians, the Burmese 
     regime threatened to ``take action'', indicating the junta's 
     willingness to significantly increase the level of violence 
     used against the Burmese people;
       Whereas on September 25, 2007, the Burmese junta imposed a 
     60-day (9pm-5am) curfew and a ban on gatherings of more than 
     five people and moved military forces into strategic 
     locations;
       Whereas on September 26, 2007, the Burmese military opened 
     fire on protesting crowds who bravely continued to peacefully 
     demand democratic reforms; the continuing vicious attacks on 
     Buddhist monks and other peaceful protesters, who were simply 
     demanding human rights, democracy, and freedom, led to the 
     reported deaths of 200 people and hundreds of injured to 
     date; democracy and human rights groups further estimate that 
     over 2,000 individuals have been arrested, imprisoned, or 
     tortured as part of this violent crackdown;
       Whereas members of the international and Burmese media 
     covering the protests, including a Japanese photojournalist, 
     have also been killed, injured, or imprisoned by the Burmese 
     Government;
       Whereas the Burmese military junta tried to hide from the 
     world community its indiscriminate attacks on peaceful 
     protestors by severely restricting the use of the Internet, 
     phone lines, and radio and television equipment, making it 
     extremely difficult to gauge the full extent of the 
     government's crackdown on Buddhist Monks and other peaceful 
     demonstrators;
       Whereas on September 27, 2007, the United Nations Security 
     Council held an emergency session in response to the brutal 
     crackdown and Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari updated the 
     Security Council on the situation in Burma; as a result of 
     the Security Council meeting, United Nations Secretary 
     General Ban Ki-moon ordered Special Envoy Gambari to visit 
     the region; on September 30, 2007, Special Envoy Gambari 
     arrived in Burma and was able to meet with Daw Aung San Suu 
     Kyi;
       Whereas the Burmese regime has mobilized all its resources, 
     including armed soldiers stationed in all strategically 
     important locations throughout the country, including 
     religious centers, and has made it impossible for peaceful 
     protesters to gather;
       Whereas the rapid growth of spontaneous demonstrations into 
     the largest Burmese protests in the last two decades should 
     not come as a surprise given the human rights record of the 
     regime over the past two decades;
       Whereas the ruling military junta in Burma has one of the 
     worst human rights records in the world and routinely 
     violates the rights of Burmese citizens, including the 
     systematic use of rape as a weapon of war, extrajudicial 
     killings, arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, as well 
     as slave and child labor;
       Whereas the Burmese regime has destroyed more than 3,000 
     ethnic villages, displaced approximately 2,000,000 Burmese 
     people, more than 500,000 of which are internally displaced, 
     and arrested approximately 1,300 individuals for expressing 
     critical opinions of the government;
       Whereas in 1990, the State Law and Order Restoration 
     Council (SLORC), the military junta in Burma, which renamed 
     itself the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) in 
     1997, nullified the victory of the National League for 
     Democracy (NLD);
       Whereas NLD leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was not allowed to 
     assume the office of Prime Minister and was subsequently 
     placed under house arrest;
       Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was released in July 1995, yet 
     once again placed under house arrest in September 2000;
       Whereas following a second release, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi 
     and several of her followers were attacked by a government-
     sponsored mob on May 30, 2003, and she was then imprisoned at 
     Insein Prison in Yangon;
       Whereas on May 16, 2007, more than 50 world leaders sent a 
     letter demanding the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a 
     demand repeated by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-
     moon, 14 United Nations human rights experts, the European 
     Union, the United States, the Association of Southeast Asian 
     Nations (ASEAN), and the foreign ministers of three ASEAN 
     member states, yet on May 27, 2007, her detention was 
     extended; and
       Whereas for her non-violent struggle for democracy and 
     human rights, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi received the Nobel Peace 
     Prize in 1991: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),  That Congress--
       (1) condemns the despicable crackdown on peaceful 
     protesters in the strongest possible terms and demands that 
     the Burmese junta end its violent crackdown on dissent;
       (2) demands that the People's Republic of China and other 
     countries that provide political and economic support to 
     Burma's military junta end such support until the Burmese 
     regime's violent campaign against peaceful protest has ceased 
     and the Burmese Government has fully met the political 
     demands of the Burmese opposition;
       (3) firmly insists that Burma's military regime begin a 
     meaningful tripartite political dialogue with Daw Aung San 
     Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy, and ethnic 
     nationalities toward national reconciliation, and the full 
     restoration of democracy, freedom of assembly, freedom of 
     movement, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and 
     internationally recognized human rights for all Burmese 
     citizens;

[[Page 26206]]

       (4) demands the immediate and unconditional release of Daw 
     Aung San Suu Kyi, detained Buddhist monks, and all other 
     political prisoners and prisoners of conscience;
       (5) calls on governments around the world, including the 
     nations of the European Union and the Association of 
     Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to severely tighten their 
     sanctions regimes against Burma, including through the 
     imposition of import bans such as maintained by the United 
     States, with the goal of denying the Burmese ruling junta 
     with hard currency to continue its campaign of repression;
       (6) calls on the United Nations Security Council to 
     immediately pass a resolution imposing multilateral sanctions 
     on Burma's military regime, including a complete arms 
     embargo, and to take other appropriate action to respond to 
     the growing threat the State Peace and Development Council 
     (SPDC) poses in Burma;
       (7) calls on the United States Government to work with its 
     global partners to bring to justice those Burmese military 
     and government leaders who have ordered or participated in 
     any massacre during or after the protests, or who may be 
     guilty of crimes against humanity; and
       (8) calls on the members of ASEAN to immediately suspend 
     Burma's membership in such organization as a response to the 
     violent crackdown on political protesters.

      The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman 
     from California (Mr. Lantos) and the gentleman from New 
  Jersey (Mr. Smith) each will control 20 minutes.The Chair recognizes 
the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the concurrent resolution under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
resolution, and yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, the images from Burma that have flashed across our 
television screens over the past two weeks have stirred the conscience 
of the entire civilized world. Buddhist monks draped in their simple 
crimson robes, peacefully gathering to press for change. Rangoon 
citizens pouring from their homes to join their holy men, their numbers 
swelling to over 100,000. Sandals hurriedly abandoned in the road as 
peaceful marchers were chased away by baton-wielding police. Soldiers 
firing automatic weapons into unarmed crowds. The charred body of a 
Buddhist monk, slain by the ruling junta, lying face down in a pool of 
dirty water stained crimson with his innocent blood.
  These indelible images, Madam Speaker, will not soon fade, nor will 
the anguished cry to us made by the leader of the Burmese Democratic 
movement, Noble Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, and I quote her: ``Use your 
liberty to promote ours.''
  So today, Madam Speaker, we use our liberty here in the Congress of 
the United States to condemn the violent crackdown on dissent in Burma. 
We use our liberty to call for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the 
imprisoned Buddhist monks, and all other Burmese prisoners of 
conscience. And today we use our liberty here in the Congress of the 
United States asking our friends in Asia and Europe to join us in using 
economic leverage to promote democratic change in Burma.
  Since the last bloody crackdown in Burma 17 years ago, we in the 
United States have led the way in imposing tough economic sanctions 
against the ruling junta. Each year, I ask my colleagues to join me and 
my good friend Peter King of New York in renewing import sanctions 
against Burma, and each year this Congress, under both Republican and 
Democratic control, has responded overwhelmingly to our request.
  But Burma's elite will only feel the economic squeeze when other 
countries join us. The enormous flow of aid and trade from China to 
Burma, not to mention China's political support for the regime in the 
United Nations Security Council, must come to an abrupt end. The 
military packages for Burma offered by the world's largest democracy, 
India, must be removed from the table. And our friends in ASEAN, the 
Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who have begun to speak out for 
democratic change in Burma, must move beyond words and suspend Burma's 
membership in this very important regional organization.
  Madam Speaker, when the generals run out of cash, change will come to 
Burma. When military officials cannot send their children to be 
educated abroad, change will come to Burma. And when the Burmese 
officials are no longer welcome at the table of ASEAN, change will come 
to Burma.
  And to those Burmese military officers who are on the fence deciding 
whether to join in the violent campaign of repression or to refuse 
orders to kill and torture your fellow citizens, I have a simple 
message: Do the right thing. As in Germany, as in Rwanda, as in 
Yugoslavia, those who commit war crimes will be brought to justice 
before an International Criminal Tribunal. Put yourself on the right 
side of history.
  The crimes committed by this junta, Madam Speaker, stretch far beyond 
the atrocities of the past few days. This regime has systematically 
used rape as a means of war against ethnic minorities. Recently 
released satellite images show that it has burned and destroyed entire 
villages. And since the regime nullified the democratic elections in 
1990 won by Aung San Suu Kyi, it has arbitrarily arrested and tortured 
dissidents, real and imagined, by the thousands.
  Just a few days ago, the world caught a brief glimpse of Aung San Suu 
Kyi peaking out of the gate of her home, which has become her virtual 
prison. Today, we stand with Aung San Suu Kyi, this courageous woman, 
demanding her freedom, demanding the freedom of all those prisoners of 
conscience in Burma, and demanding far-reaching democratic change.
  Change will not come overnight to Burma, but it will come, and it 
will be my great pleasure to join our distinguished Speaker, Nancy 
Pelosi, a true champion for human rights around the globe, in 
witnessing the inauguration of Aung San Suu Kyi as the true prime 
minister of a free Burma.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  First of all, let me thank Congressman King for offering this very 
important resolution, and my good friend and colleague, Chairman 
Lantos, for bringing this to the floor, as well as Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, 
who serves very admirably as the ranking member.
  This is a very important and very timely resolution. Chairman Lantos 
has been speaking out on behalf of Burma and human rights in Burma for 
years, and this today is another expression of our collective 
bipartisan support for the beleaguered pro-democracy activists in that 
country.
  Madam Speaker, the shocking, unprovoked actions of Burma's brutal 
regime in recent days are part of a long history of repression by that 
country's dictators. The wanton bloodshed, Tiananmen Square-like, was 
just another serious manifestation of hate and cruelty by the junta in 
Rangoon.
  Members will recall, that in 1988 Burmese military forces slaughtered 
several thousand peaceful demonstrators, sending even more into hiding 
in the hills and border areas. The military regime took no heed of 
international criticism of these crimes and continued to suppress the 
most basic freedoms of its people.
  When the National League for Democracy won control at the ballot box, 
the generals nullified that election and harassed, tortured and killed 
parliamentarians and pro-democracy activists. They also harassed, 
incarcerated and put under house arrest Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung 
San Suu Kyi, one of the greatest people on Earth.
  Meanwhile, in 1998, Madam Speaker, a 19-year-old student from my 
district, Michelle Keegan, traveled to Burma to commemorate in a 
peaceful way with other pro-democracy activists the 10th anniversary of 
those 1988 massacres. She and others were locked up, convicted and 
sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. Her only crime was to distribute 
pamphlets calling for democracy in Burma. As a matter of fact, it

[[Page 26207]]

was a very small business card. Very small. They handed those out, and 
for that she got 5 years.
  I travelled to the region at the time in an effort to help negotiate 
the release of these young people, including my constituent. I 
repeatedly was denied a visa to enter Burma, but from Bangkok remained 
in close contact with the U.S. Embassy in Rangoon, and others as we 
were pressing for the release of Ms. Keegan and the five other 
Americans.
  Together, along with family members of the detainees and others, we 
made these dictators understand that the whole world, including the 
U.S. Congress and the American people, were watching and would somehow 
hold them accountable. In response to international pressure, the 
government soon released them and then expelled them from the country. 
She and those other Americans were the lucky ones. Others from other 
countries regrettably spent long periods of time in jail.
  Sorry to say, the members of the junta in Rangoon are not people who 
readily listen to reason. This body has addressed the situation in 
Burma several times over the years. I chaired a hearing on human rights 
abuses in Burma in September of 1998, and we shed further light on 
these issues in February of 2006 at a hearing entitled ``Human rights 
in Burma. Where are we now and what do we do next?''
  Clearly we need to do more. Yes, we have sanctions. Chairman Lantos 
is the prime sponsor of legislation imposing sanctions on Burma. But, 
unfortunately, the other countries, the ASEAN countries and other 
countries of the world, have not followed suit the way they ought to.
  We need to be united in this effort. That is when we will get the 
junta to stand up and take notice, especially when the PRC does 
something other than enable and facilitate these abuses.
  Madam Speaker, now as the courageous Burmese people again dare to 
demonstrate peacefully for change in their society, the junta has once 
again unleashed the military, killing more of their people and 
imprisoning at least 700 Buddhist monks and 500 others. Former 
prisoners in Burmese jails have told us at hearings and at meetings of 
the torture, humiliation and deprivation that they experienced.
  One called it the closest thing to hell on Earth that he could 
imagine. We have good reason to fear that those who are arrested in 
recent days, that they too now are spending time in hell.
  So we have a duty, Madam Speaker, an obligation, to speak out in the 
face of these outrages. We need to call in the strongest way possible 
for the restoration of democracy and the restoration of human rights in 
Burma and the unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi.
  Those with interests in Burma, especially the Chinese government, 
would like to turn a blind eye to these continuing abuses. China may be 
happy to have another egregious human rights abuser in the spotlight 
deflecting attention as it prepares to host the world for the Olympics 
amidst its own repression. But we must hold the Chinese accountable, as 
well, at home and abroad, and they need to step up to the plate and do 
what they can to stop this terrible repression in Burma.

                              {time}  1515

  Madam Speaker, I wholeheartedly endorse this resolution. I ask my 
colleagues and the global community to act to end the suffering in 
Burma and bring about democratic reforms that the Burmese people so 
desperately desire.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the author of the resolution, the distinguished gentleman 
from New York (Mr. King).
  Mr. KING of New York. Madam Speaker, I am proud to stand today in 
support of H. Con. Res. 200. Let me thank at the outset Mr. Smith for 
the work he has done for so many years for the cause of human rights in 
so many countries, often at great risk to himself. I thank him for 
that, and we all admire him for his tenacity. I have a special regard 
for the chairman of the committee, Mr. Lantos, who is cosponsoring this 
resolution with me and has been such an outspoken advocate of freedom 
and human rights in Burma for so many years. Even when it is not on the 
television screens and the eyes of the world are not watching, Mr. 
Lantos has been there, dedicating himself to this issue; and I have 
been privileged to be able to work with him on this.
  Madam Speaker, as terrible as the atrocities have been in Burma over 
the past 6 to 7 weeks, the fact is this is unfortunately merely an 
extension of the type of tyrannical behavior which has characterized 
the junta in Burma for almost two decades now. This is a junta which 
tramples upon human rights. They use rape and torture and murder as an 
instrument of policy.
  When we see the hundreds of innocent, freedom-loving people who have 
been murdered over the past several weeks, who have been tortured and 
arrested and abused, when we see the innocent Buddhist monks who have 
been shot down, when we see that communication into and out of Burma 
has been shut off by the junta, we can only assume the worst.
  That is why it is incumbent upon the international community to speak 
with one voice, as we are speaking with one voice here in Congress. 
This is not a Republican or Democratic issue, or majority or minority 
issue. It is a world issue, an issue of human rights. For all of these 
years Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been in prison or under house arrest and 
now imprisoned again, she has become a symbol of that fight. When we 
talk about symbols, often we forget these are real human beings who are 
paying the price for being symbols of freedom and justice and who are 
willing to put their lives and their freedom on the line.
  That is why this resolution calls for her release and the release of 
all of the political prisoners and an end to the repressive actions of 
the Burmese junta. In saying this, as Mr. Lantos and Mr. Smith have 
said, yes, the United States has been at the forefront of this. But it 
is so important for neighboring countries now to step forward, 
especially China and India.
  When we think of China, which is going to be hosting the Olympic 
Games and is trying to clean up its image in the eyes of the world, is 
attempting to project itself as a true country on the world scene, the 
fact is if China continues in any way to support Burma, to be silent in 
the face of what the junta is doing, it really puts a cloud and a 
tarnish over whatever image China is attempting to establish for 
itself. And that will be kept in mind by world governments as we 
approach the Olympic Games next year. So it is essential that China 
step forward and work with the world community, work with the United 
States, work with the United Nations, work with countries in the region 
to put pressure on the junta in Burma to ease, stop and, end its 
oppressive tactics.
  As Mr. Lantos said, we are also sending a very clear signal to the 
military leaders, the officers, in Burma who are part of this junta, 
telling them that the world will hold them responsible for what they 
do. The world will hold them accountable.
  As Mr. Lantos knows better than anyone in this House, we saw what 
happened when military leaders in Germany felt they could go forward 
and do what they were ordered to do and carry out those atrocities 
against innocent people. Nuremburg showed that is not a permissible 
defense. Similarly, it will not be a permissible and acceptable defense 
for the military leaders in Burma who continue to carry out these 
atrocities. They just can't say, We were following orders.
  So our message to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is that we stand with you. Our 
message to the Buddhist monks is we stand with you. Our message to the 
oppressed people of Burma is that we stand with you. And our message to 
the Government of China is we are watching what you are going to do as 
far as putting pressure on the junta. And our message to the military 
leaders in Burma is the world is watching you and will hold you 
accountable and will

[[Page 26208]]

know what you did. You will face justice when this is over, depending 
on whether you did the right or you continued to carry out the 
atrocities ordered upon you.
  So with that, I strongly urge the adoption of H. Con. Res. 200. I 
applaud the fact that the House of Representatives is speaking with one 
voice. We have put partisanship aside. We stand as one and have put 
differences aside. I thank Mr. Lantos and Mr. Smith for the leadership 
they have shown over the years. I urge adoption of the concurrent 
resolution.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder).
  Mr. SOUDER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York, as 
well as Chairman Lantos, for his leadership on this issue.
  Fort Wayne, Indiana, my hometown, is estimated to have 2,000 or 3,000 
people from Burma, the greatest number of refugees from Burma in the 
United States. Many are coming in directly. Many are coming through 
Washington and Los Angeles and heading to Indiana because of our job 
situation. It is important to note because as Americans become more 
internationally aware, just like in Iraq there are different groups, 
and in Afghanistan there are different groups, it is important to say 
``people of Burma'' because the Mon and other subgroups were persecuted 
by the Burmese inside Burma.
  What they all agree on is the current situation in Burma is 
intolerable. The violent suppression of Buddhist monks and the peaceful 
demonstrators in Burma, they want the immediate, unconditional release 
of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who is their elected leader. They all know she 
is the elected leader. Regardless of the differences they have in their 
country, they elected a leadership and worked together, like what we 
are trying to do in Iraq and like what we are trying to do with the 
different tribes in Afghanistan. They chose a leader, and then the 
leader was locked up.
  In 1990, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was rightfully elected, and the junta 
placed her under arrest. This has been going on for 18 years. She has 
been locked up for 12 of the 18 years since the election.
  In Fort Wayne, I hear many stories as I talk to individuals who have 
talked to their relatives who have lived in concentration camps, in 
effect, more refugee camps; but at times they felt both abused by the 
Thai Government that wants to move them back to Burma, by the Burmese 
Government that is trying to chase them out. They have been abused in 
the camps. They have been raped in the camps, and they have had their 
money stolen in the camps.
  We have a huge challenge in America, and it is speaking to broader 
questions than just Burma, which is how to handle situations, because 
our area has also become in the top three of refugees from Darfur. One 
of the challenges we are having is Catholic Social Services has come to 
me and said we don't have the support system to handle, and the State 
Department has come back and said what do you want to do, leave the 
people in the refugee camps? They aren't doing well in the refugee 
camps.
  We have to understand that we no longer live in an isolated world. 
What happens in Burma and the demonstrations you are seeing in Burma 
and the persecution of the people in Burma, the terrible tragedies in 
Darfur, what happens in Iraq and Afghanistan impacts all of us. It 
impacts us in our hometowns. If we are going to be the Nation that 
welcomes immigrants, there is only so much we can handle, and we need 
to put international pressure on some of these countries to handle 
their own regional problems. This resolution helps us move in that 
direction.
  They have to have changes in Burma. It is not only unfair to the 
people who come to the United States; it is unfair to the people 
trapped in the camps. It is unfair to the monasteries being emptied out 
in Burma, and it is unfair to the people being persecuted throughout 
Burma. If we don't stand up and force some changes for human liberties 
in Burma, we are going to face another type of catastrophe like is 
happening in Darfur while the world watches.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, before yielding to our distinguished 
Speaker, I would like to say a word comparing our Speaker to the 
subject of this resolution, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
  These are two extraordinary women of deep courage and commitment, but 
there is one profound difference in their political lives: when Members 
of this body elected Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of this House, she assumed 
that position. When the people of Burma elected Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to 
serve as their Prime Minister, she was subjected to onerous 
imprisonment and persecution for almost two decades.
  It gives me a great deal of pleasure and pride to yield such time as 
she may consume to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, an 
indefatigable fighter for human rights and the champion of a fellow 
woman political leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
  Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time and thank him for his leadership in bringing this resolution to 
the floor. I thank him for mentioning my name in the same breath with 
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. You compliment me, Mr. Chairman. You and I know 
that the sacrifice she has been making for so many years is 
incomparable, really, in the world.
  For many years, many of us, Chris Smith, Dana Rohrabacher, John 
Porter when he was here, worked on this issue for a very long time. 
John Porter and Chairman Lantos co-chaired the Human Rights Caucus, and 
the issue of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and repression in Burma was and has 
been an important priority for them.
  So today we are coming together again following this horrible 
crackdown in Burma, and I am pleased to rise in support of the 
resolution condemning that crackdown on the peaceful protesters in 
Burma and calling for the immediate release of Burma's democracy 
leader, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. I thank 
Mr. Lantos for bringing this resolution to the floor.
  Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for many decades has been a leader on this 
issue. She won the last democratic election in 1990 and has spent the 
last decade under house arrest away from her husband and her two 
children. Who in the world could have the courage and strength that she 
has had? When her husband was ill and was in the United Kingdom for his 
treatment, she could not visit him. When he passed away, she could not 
attend his funeral. Imagine the personal sacrifice of this great 
leader. Imagine the turmoil within her. But she understood that the 
democracy for all of the people of Burma was more important than the 
personal needs that she had for her family. What greatness.
  She has seen her supporters beaten, tortured and killed; and, yet, 
she has never responded with hatred and violence. All she ever asked 
for was peaceful dialogue.
  Others have mentioned some of the provisions of the legislation, and 
I think it is important to continue to mention them: condemn the 
crackdown. Mr. King particularly emphasized the role of China in all of 
this. And, yes, we should act in a bipartisan way, Mr. King.
  This resolution demands that the People's Republic of China and other 
countries that provide political and economic support for Burma's 
military junta end such support.
  This resolution firmly insists that Burma's military regime begin a 
meaningful tripartite political dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the 
National League for Democracy, and ethnic nationalities; demands the 
immediate unconditional release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, detained monks 
and other political prisoners and prisoners of conscience; calls on 
governments around the world, including the nations of the European 
Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to severely 
tighten their sanctions regime against Burma; calls on the United 
Nations Security Council to immediately pass a resolution imposing 
multilateral sanctions on Burma's military regime.
  Of course, this cannot happen without China's cooperation on the 
Security Council. That is why their role is so important. It is also 
important because of the role they have played in

[[Page 26209]]

propping up the junta. I am disappointed but not surprised that China 
is using its veto power at the United Nations Security Council to block 
the condemnation of the recent crackdown. For many years, the Chinese 
Government has helped prop up the Burmese, I think of them as thugs, 
but the Burmese regime, by blocking multilateral sanctions and 
providing substantial economic and military assistance to the Burmese 
Government.
  China is Burma's largest trading partner, and it is estimated that 
China controls more than 60 percent of the Burmese economy and has 
provided close to $3 billion in military aid since the early 1990s.

                              {time}  1530

  Simply said, the Burmese regime would not have the strength and power 
that it has absent the support of China. We're calling on China to use 
its influence to bring about a political negotiation with the pro-
democracy activists. This is a golden opportunity for China to show 
that it can be a force for peace and stability in the world.
  In the last few weeks, we all know that we've seen an extraordinary 
turn of events in Burma. This has been there for a long time. The 
repression has been there for a long time, but in these last few weeks, 
courageous people led by Buddhist monks have taken to the streets to 
stand up to a corrupt, illegitimate military regime that has repressed 
the country for nearly 20 years.
  The ruthless crackdown is outrageous, and the international community 
must not stand by while peaceful protesters are arrested, beaten and 
murdered.
  Let there be no doubt that the United States stands with the freedom-
seeking people of Burma in their just cause.
  President Bush is to be commended for supporting tougher sanctions on 
those responsible for the gross violations of human rights. We can and 
should go further in bringing diplomatic pressure to bear on the 
regime. I know we all look forward to working closely with the 
President on this as we go forward.
  And so I again commend Aung San Suu Kyi as years ago, she called on 
individuals, organizations and governments to support Burma's democracy 
movement, and at that time, she said please use your liberty to promote 
ours.
  Today, on the floor of the United States House of Representatives, we 
are doing just that. I commend Aung San Suu Kyi for her courage and her 
leadership. The people of Burma are rising up and demanding their 
country back. The world must meet this challenge to our conscience.
  I thank again Mr. Lantos and Mr. Smith and all of my colleagues, in a 
bipartisan way, in support of democracy in Burma.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, we have one remaining 
speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Rohrabacher).
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Speaker of the 
House Pelosi. Over the years we have worked, along with Chairman 
Lantos, on many human rights issues, and it has always been the people 
of Burma that were the most inspiring of those people that we sought to 
stand with over the years in these human rights causes that have 
unified us and Congressman Smith and so many others in this body.
  Chairman Lantos again, of course, has provided such leadership. His 
life, of course, is exemplary of a person who holds such values as 
human rights and democracy and that we hold dear and affirm today.
  Today, the Congress of the United States speaks with one voice. The 
people of Burma, we are on your side. Be courageous. You are not alone.
  To the gangsters in uniform who have held the people of Burma in 
bondage for decades, you will be held accountable. Now is the time to 
join with the people of Burma. If, instead of joining them and trying 
to build a new Burma, that you bloody your hands even more, you will be 
held accountable. Your bank accounts will be frozen and you will be 
arrested for crimes against humanity if you leave your country.
  And I can promise that those of us who hold dear human rights in this 
Congress will not rest until those actions are taken against you as 
individuals if you are committing these crimes against the people of 
Burma.
  We call on those in the Burmese military, who take orders from the 
gangster regime that runs that country, we call on them to change 
sides. Now is the time for the Burmese military to join the people of 
Burma in creating a democratic and free society.
  The military clique that gives orders to the military of Burma has no 
lawful authority. They are criminals. They are the criminals who have 
made deals with the government in China to steal Burma's natural 
resources and to impoverish the people of Burma in the process.
  Let us not overlook the role of China in this crime. China has 
provided the military junta in Burma with over a billion and a half 
dollars of military aid over the last few years. It is the government 
of China that has enabled this monstrous dictatorship to hold 50 
million people in bondage. It is China which has blocked the actions of 
the United Nations to stop the junta slaughter of Burmese monks and 
other peaceful demonstrators who, right as we speak, are losing their 
lives in the cause of human freedom.
  I ask my colleagues to support my efforts and others' efforts who 
have come here. We have several people who have already cosponsored a 
resolution to hold China accountable for what they are doing in Burma. 
This is only a taste of what we're going to experience around the world 
as China becomes a monstrous power in this planet. We have built up 
their economy. We have not only permitted them to become a powerful 
force in the world; we have subsidized the growth of power of this 
Chinese monster that now not only supports Burma, but is involved with 
the genocide in Darfur.
  The United States should not be participating in an Olympics that is 
being hosted by a regime that commits genocide in Darfur and Burma.
  Finally, let us today remember Aung San Suu Kyi. She represents not 
just the people of Burma, but she is the one who represents the higher 
aspirations and the higher ideals of humanity. She has suffered for 
many long decades peacefully in her home. Now, she has been taken from 
house arrest and sent to a prison. We do not know what fate she is 
suffering. We know that she is in the hands of murderers. We know she 
is in the hands of people who torture and would slaughter peaceful 
monks in the streets. So our hearts go out to her, and we keep her in 
our prayers, but we also suggest that if anything happens to Aung San 
Suu Kyi, the rise of anger will be heard not only from Washington but 
from around the world, for every decent and freedom-loving person will 
rise up. So those criminals who now slaughter the monks on the streets 
of Rangoon should understand that we are watching and the whole world 
is watching, and we speak with one voice.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to our 
distinguished colleague from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy 
in permitting me to speak on this resolution and for the leadership of 
his Foreign Affairs Committee in bringing this forward.
  Madam Speaker, one of the most inspiring events of my life was being 
able to spend an afternoon with Aung San Suu Kyi in her compound in 
Burma with my son and daughter. Having a chance to meet this gentle 
woman, a clarion voice for democracy, for human rights, a strong and 
steadfast beacon for the 50 million people. Burma, a country that a 
generation ago was poised to be one of the bedrocks of that area in 
southeast Asia, a country that is rich in natural resources, with a 
gentle and sophisticated people have been taken over, as my colleagues 
have mentioned, by a gang of thugs. The Burmese have suffered untold 
privation, brutality by the regime as symbolized by their treatment of 
this gentle woman who was appropriately awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 
It is

[[Page 26210]]

time for us not only to speak resolutely but for us to work behind the 
scenes and overtly with countries like China, India and Thailand that 
can, in fact, have a significant influence on the behavior of the 
government in Burma. We must work for the Asean countries and speak 
with one voice about the intolerable behavior that is being evidenced 
by this regime.
  There are many areas that the United States is involved with 
internationally where there isn't a consensus, where Members on this 
floor will debate with themselves and disagree about the best path 
forward. Yet as it relates to Burma, I think there is no debate. There 
is no confusion. There is no division. We need to speak as one. We need 
to work to fashion that international consensus. We need to make sure 
that we use every resource possible to put the spotlight on the 
problem, and help save the Burmese people.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, we have no further requests 
for time, and I yield back the balance our time and urge a strong 
``yes'' vote for this resolution.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, before yielding back our time, I would 
like to make mention of a visit I had yesterday afternoon from the 
ambassador of China on the subject of Burma.
  We had a long and difficult discussion. The Chinese Ambassador 
outlined for me the various steps his government has taken in recent 
days to deal with the crisis in Burma. I pointed out to him that 
gestures are not enough, that with the enormous leverage China has over 
Burma, China must take serious, substantive measures to compel the 
Government of Burma to give back the freedom to its own people and her 
freedom to Aung San Suu Kyi, the legally elected leader of Burma.
  I call on the Government of China, just a few months short of the 
opening of the Beijing Olympics, to do the right thing, to exert its 
enormous influence on behalf of the people of Darfur, on behalf of the 
people of Burma, and by inviting His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, for a 
dialogue in Beijing. Nothing would make the climate for the opening of 
the Beijing Olympics more positive and salutary than a serious dialogue 
between the Government of China and the Dalai Lama.
  There have been so many negative developments from China's point of 
view in recent times: the selling of food, the selling of tooth paste, 
the selling of children's toys, all of them dangerous to consumers in 
this country. There is a deep concern here that China's insatiable 
appetite for raw materials closes their eyes and minds to human rights 
violations across the globe, from Darfur to Burma.
  This is a glorious opportunity for the government in China to do the 
right thing, and to do the right thing vis-a-vis Burma is to put 
pressure on the military junta to ease up on the Burmese people and to 
give Aung San Suu Kyi her right to live in freedom as the elected 
leader of the Burmese people.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. 
Con. Res. 200, a resolution that condemns the Burmese Junta for their 
violent suppression of Buddhist Monks and other peaceful demonstrators 
in Burma and demands the immediate release of opposition leader Daw 
Aung San Suu Kyi. As a cosponsor of this resolution, I believe it is 
important for Congress to show its support for Burma's call for 
democracy.
  In 1988, the Burmese military established rule through a military 
junta, and named themselves the State Peace and Development Council 
(SPDC). This repressive regime arrested those who opposed them, 
including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is the leader of the legitimately 
elected political party, the National League of Democracy. SPDC, which 
has changed the country's name to Myanmar, has forcefully led the 
Burmese citizens ever since. According to the U.S. Department of 
State's Country Reports on Human Rights, as well as private 
organizations, Burma's human rights record has worsened in recent 
years. These reports have cited government and military abuses of 
civilians that include killings, torture, rape, arbitrary arrests, and 
forced labor.
  This past August, the SPDC ended fuel subsidies, which led to 
excessive costs for gas. The Burmese citizens, unhappy with yet another 
burden, held pro-democracy rallies and called for the transfer of power 
to Aung San Suu Kyi. These rallies were ended forcefully by the SPDC, 
but Buddhist Monks, nuns and students have continued to peacefully 
protest the regime. The SPDC has recently banned the assembly of 
citizens in public, as well as attacked, arrested and killed those 
involved in the protests.
  Madam Speaker, the ongoing violence and repression of peaceful 
protests for democracy is a travesty. H. Con. Res. 200 shows our 
country's support for the Burmese citizens' right to challenge their 
regime. This resolution also demands the release of other political 
prisoners who are detained by the regime, and calls on the United 
Nations Security Council to take the appropriate action against the 
State Peace and Development Council. The United States has already 
imposed heavy sanctions on the SPDC for many years, but we must also 
call on other countries, including China and India, who benefit from 
Burma's natural gas exports, to keep the pressure on the SPDC to end 
this atrocity.
  As a member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, I will continue 
to work with my colleagues to keep pressure on the Burmese regime and 
express support for those citizens who peacefully congregate for a new 
government. Passing H. Con. Res. 200 is an important and necessary step 
for Congress to take as we work to achieve this goal.
  Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, the horrendous massacre that is taking 
place in Burma is despicable and unconscionable. Now is the time for 
Members of this House to condemn the military junta and support human 
rights by supporting my good friend, Representative Peter King's 
resolution on Burma.
  On September 27, 2007 the military junta violated the sacred 
traditional sanctuary of Buddhist temples in mass coordinated pre-dawn 
raids. More than 200 monks were arrested. What we know is that at least 
five monks, eight civilian protestors, and a Japanese photographer were 
killed by the army. But how many more were gunned down or dragged off 
in the middle of the night by the junta may never be known.
  This resolution not only calls for the immediate and unconditional 
release of Nobel Peace Price laureate Aung San Suu Kyi but also for a 
restoration of democracy and human rights that has eluded the people of 
Burma for so long. The Rangoon Massacre only makes our call for the 
return to democracy ever more urgent.
  Burma was once the richest country in Southeast Asia and the world's 
largest rice exporter. However, as a result of decades of corruption 
and gross mismanagement, Burma is now an economic failure. Countless 
Burmese are regularly victimized by human traffickers as they seek a 
better life outside the country. The junta's decision in August to hike 
fuel prices further threatened the people's livelihood. This led to the 
largest street demonstrations in two decades. So, instead of listening 
to the will of the people, the generals have only made things worse by 
cracking down violently.
  Aung San Suu Kyi is the daughter of Burma's George Washington. Ms. 
Suu Kyi is the living symbol of Burmese democracy, and this year she 
turns 62. How much longer must democracy and freedom be held hostage?
  President Bush, in his recent speech before the United Nations 
General Assembly in New York, announced plans for new U.S. sanctions 
against the military regime in Burma. I join the President in calling 
on the U.N. to act more decisively in the face of the unprecedented 
demonstrations taking place in that country. Now is the time for the 
world community to stand up for human rights and democracy.
  Who else will join the U.S. in raising their voice against this 
injustice? Singapore has issued a strong statement on behalf of the 
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. I commend them for this. 
However, more needs to be done. Burma's neighbors can make a real 
difference by letting the junta know that their actions will not be 
tolerated. China, India, and Russia must act too because the world is 
watching.
  The U.S. Congress must speak loudly and clearly. Let there be no 
mistake. As the senior Republican on the Asia Subcommittee of the House 
Foreign Affairs Committee, I strongly and wholeheartedly urge passage 
of this resolution today. We must stand with the people of Burma; they 
have waited long enough and can wait no longer.
  Mr. PAUL. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this legislation not 
because I do not sympathize with the plight of the oppressed people of 
Burma, particularly as demonstrated by the continued confinement of 
Aung San Suu Kyi. Any time a government represses its citizenry it is 
reprehensible. My objection to this legislation is twofold. First, the 
legislation calls on the United Nations Security Council to ``take 
appropriate action'' with regard to Burma and its internal conditions. 
This sounds like an

[[Page 26211]]

open door for an outside military intervention under the auspices of 
the United Nations, which is something I do not support.
  More importantly, perhaps, I am concerned that while going around the 
world criticizing admittedly abhorrent governmental actions abroad we 
are ignoring the very dangerous erosions of our own civil liberties and 
way of life at home. Certainly it is objectionable that the Burmese 
government holds its own citizens in jails without trial. But what 
about the secret prisons that our own CIA operates around the globe 
that hold thousands of individuals indefinitely and without trial? 
Certainly it is objectionable that the government of Burma can declare 
Aung San Suu Kyi a political prisoner to be held in confinement. But 
what about the power that Congress has given the president to declare 
anyone around the world, including American citizens, ``enemy 
combatants'' subject to indefinite detention without trial? What about 
the ``military commissions act'' that may well subject Americans to 
military trial with secret evidence permitted and habeas corpus 
suspended?
  So while I am by no means unsympathetic to the current situation in 
Burma, as an elected Member of the United States House of 
Representatives I strongly believe that we would do better to promote 
freedom around the world by paying better attention to our rapidly 
eroding freedom here at home. I urge my colleagues to consider their 
priorities more closely and to consider the much more effective 
approach of leading by example.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in 
support of H. Con. Res. 200, condemning the violent suppression of 
Buddhist monks and other peaceful demonstrators in Burma and calling 
for the immediate and unconditional release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. I 
want to congratulate my good friend and colleague, the distinguished 
Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security from New 
York, Peter King, on this extremely timely resolution on the 
deteriorating human rights situation in Burma.
  When this bill was first introduced in August, the main concern was 
for the well-being of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Daw Aung San 
Suu Kyi, and the overall deplorable human rights situation in Burma. 
Little did the members of Congress or the Committee know that only a 
few weeks later we would be witnessing this unrelenting brutality, as 
the Junta released its military personnel to crack down on the non-
violent protesters and the Buddhist Monks. These actions set a new low 
even for this regime.
  Even before this latest escalation, Burma's human rights record was 
abysmal. Systematic rapes as a means of war against ethnic minorities, 
the burning and destruction of their villages, the torture and 
arbitrary arrest of dissidents and trafficking in people and illicit 
drugs, are all hallmarks of this illegitimate regime. This unenviable 
record guarantees the military government a leading place among the 
world's worst human rights offenders. The Burmese regime has led this 
beautiful and resource-rich country down the spiraling path of 
degradation, instability, economic plunder and bankruptcy.
  Prominent pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Daw Aung 
San Suu Kyi, has had various restrictions placed on her activities 
since the late 1980s. Her party, the National League for Democracy, won 
a landslide victory in 1990 in Burma's first multi-party elections for 
30 years, but she has never been allowed to govern. In 1990, the ruling 
military junta placed the rightfully and lawfully elected Daw Aung San 
Suu Kyi under house arrest, where she has remained ever since. During 
her arrest, she was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 
in 1990, and the Nobel Peace Prize the year after. Her sons Alexander 
and Kim accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf. Aung San Suu Kyi 
used the Nobel Peace Prize's 1.3 million USD prize money to establish a 
health and education trust for the Burmese people.
  On August 15, in a sign of incredible courage, non-violent 
protesters, took spontaneously to the streets and protested the 
government's actions, demanding the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and 
a meaningful dialogue to national reconciliation and democracy. 
Thousands of Buddhist monks started leading protests on September 18, 
and were joined by Buddhist nuns on September 23. Undeterred by threats 
of military retaliation, on September 24, as many as 100,000 protesters 
led by monks marched in the largest protest Burma has seen in two 
decades.
  In the wake of the protests, hundreds were arrested, beaten, and 
severely tortured. Peaceful monks were disrobed and severely abused, 
tortured and imprisoned. Over the past week, nearly 4,000 monks have 
been rounded up by the military. There are reports of hundreds if not 
thousands of bodies now littering the jungles near Burma's largest 
cities.
  A United Nations Special Envoy has been in Burma since Saturday, but 
has yet to meet with the Senior Gen. Than Shwe. Instead of the meeting 
Gambari sought Monday, he was sent to a remote northern town for an 
academic conference on relations between the European Union and the 
Association of Southeast Asian Nations, diplomats reported, speaking on 
the condition of anonymity. This circus show must stop. The Burmese 
military leaders need to stop parading these diplomats around, and real 
dialogue needs to start, so that we can bring an end to the unrelenting 
violence.
  This resolution before us rightly calls on our government to continue 
its leadership role in the international community to move the U.N. 
Security Council to act swiftly on Burma, and shine a bright spotlight 
on the actions of those countries, such as the People's Republic of 
China, which collaborate with this despicable regime. They need to use 
their influence with the Burmese government to bring an immediate end 
to those despicable actions, and to force the regime to enter into a 
meaningful tripartite dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the National 
League of Democracy, and the ethnic groups.
  I urge all Members of Congress to join me in supporting H. Con. Res. 
200 and in sending the Burmese military regime and the international 
community a wakeup call. The United States will stand unwavering with 
the people of Burma, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and the National League of 
Democracy. It is essential that these violence ends and a peaceful 
resolution is reached. The Burmese people are yearning for democracy, 
and as the world's shining beacon of democracy, the United States must 
not let these protests be in vain. I call on Burma's military leaders 
to allow its people to freely elect its government and to call for the 
immediate and unconditional release of Nobel Prize Winner Daw Aung San 
Suu Kyi.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Madam Speaker, the horrific violations of human rights 
in Burma have alarmed leaders in the United States and around the 
world. When repressed people across the globe cry out for help, America 
has an obligation to lead the calls for justice and equality. In Burma, 
a nation with a long history of egregious human rights violations, a 
repressive regime has cracked down on civil liberties and peaceful 
protests. The State Peace and Development Council, a military junta and 
illegitimate ruling party, has brutally cracked down on dissidents 
using rape and murder as their tools of terror. Now, leaders of the 
legitimately elected opposition, lead by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, face 
increased violence and incarcerations. This bipartisan resolution 
expresses Congress's support for the immediate release of Daw Aung San 
Suu Kyi and restoration of democracy in Burma. I believe the United 
Nations should swiftly act in response to this dangerous and growing 
threat in Southeast Asia. As the world watches the events in Burma, the 
United States must take a firm leadership role to speak for the voices 
that have been silenced by repression and make perfectly clear that 
this brutality will not be tolerated.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 200, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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