[110th Congress Public Law 209]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


[DOCID: f:publ209.110]

[[Page 122 STAT. 721]]

Public Law 110-209
110th Congress

                                 An Act


 
     To award a congressional gold medal to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in 
   recognition of her courageous and unwavering commitment to peace, 
   nonviolence, human rights, and democracy in Burma. <<NOTE: May 6, 
                         2008 -  [H.R. 4286]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress <<NOTE: 31 USC 5111 
note.>> assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Aung San Suu Kyi was born on June 19, 1945, in Rangoon, 
        Burma, to Aung San, commander of the Burma Independence Army, 
        and Ma Khin Kyi.
            (2) On August 15, 1988, Ms. Suu Kyi, in her first political 
        action, sent an open letter to the military controlled 
        government asking for free, open, and multi-party elections.
            (3) On September 24, 1988, the National League for Democracy 
        (NLD) was formed, with Ms. Suu Kyi as the general-secretary, and 
        it was, and remains, dedicated to a policy of non-violence and 
        civil disobedience.
            (4) Ms. Suu Kyi was subsequently placed under house arrest, 
        where she remained for the next 6 years--without being charged 
        or put on trial--and has been imprisoned twice more; she 
        currently remains under house arrest.
            (5) Despite her detention, the National League for Democracy 
        won an open election with an overwhelming 82 percent of the 
        vote--which the military junta nullified.
            (6) While under house arrest, she has bravely refused offers 
        to leave the country to continue to promote freedom and 
        democracy in Burma.
            (7) For her efforts on behalf of the Burmese people, she has 
        been awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1990, 
        the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000, and the Nobel Peace 
        Prize in 1991.
            (8) Ms. Suu Kyi continues to fight on behalf of the Burmese 
        people, even donating her $1.3 million from her Nobel Prize to 
        establish a health and education fund for Burma.
            (9) She is the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize 
        recipient, spending more than 12 of the past 17 years under 
        house arrest.
            (10) Despite an assassination attempt against her life, her 
        prolonged illegal imprisonment, the constant public vilification 
        of her character, and her inability to see her children or to 
        see her husband before his death, Ms. Suu Kyi remains committed 
        to peaceful dialogue with her captors, Burma's military

[[Page 122 STAT. 722]]

        regime, and Burma's ethnic nationalities towards bringing 
        democracy, human rights, and national reconciliation to Burma.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall make 
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of the 
Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design, to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi 
in recognition of her courageous and unwavering commitment to peace, 
nonviolence, human rights, and democracy in Burma.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation referred 
to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in this 
Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable 
emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck pursuant to section 2 under such regulations as the 
Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost 
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal.
SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--The medals struck pursuant to this Act are 
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States 
Code.
    (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 5. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such 
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck 
pursuant to this Act.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under section 3 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

    Approved May 6, 2008.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 4286:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
                                                        Vol. 153 (2007):
                                    Dec. 17, considered and passed 
                                        House.
                                                        Vol. 154 (2008):
                                    Apr. 24, considered and passed 
                                        Senate.
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 44 (2008):
            May 6, Presidential remarks.

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