[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 33, Number 17 (Monday, April 28, 1997)]
[Pages 573-574]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Investment Sanctions Against Burma

April 22, 1997

    Today I am announcing my decision to impose a ban on new U.S. 
investment in Burma.
    I have taken this step in response to a constant and continuing 
pattern of severe repression by the State Law and Order Restoration 
Council (SLORC) in Burma. During the past 7 months, the SLORC has 
arrested and detained large numbers of students and opposition 
supporters, sentenced dozens to long-term imprisonment, and prevented 
the expression of political views by the demo

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cratic opposition, including Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League 
for Democracy (NLD).
    I have therefore imposed sanctions under the terms of the ``Cohen-
Feinstein'' Amendment, a bipartisan measure that I fully support. As 
contained in the Burma policy provision of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1997 (Public Law 104-208), this 
amendment calls for investment sanctions if the Government of Burma has 
physically harmed, rearrested for political acts, or exiled Aung San Suu 
Kyi, or has committed large-scale repression of, or violence against, 
the democratic opposition. It is my judgment that recent actions by the 
regime in Rangoon constitute such repression.
    Beyond its pattern of repressive human rights practices, the Burmese 
authorities also have committed serious abuses in their recent military 
campaign against Burma's Karen minority, forcibly conscripting civilians 
and compelling thousands to flee into Thailand. The SLORC regime has 
overturned the Burmese people's democratically elected leadership. Under 
this brutal military regime, Burma remains the world's leading producer 
of opium and heroin, and tolerates drug trafficking and traffickers in 
defiance of the views of the international community. The regime has 
shown little political will to stop the narcotics exports from Burma and 
prevent illicit drug money from enriching those who would flaunt 
international rules and profit by destroying the lives of millions.
    The United States and other members of the international community 
have firmly and repeatedly taken steps to encourage democratization and 
human rights in Burma. Through our action today, we seek to keep faith 
with the people of Burma, who made clear their support for human rights 
and democracy in 1990 elections which the regime chose to disregard. We 
join with many others in the international community calling for reform 
in Burma, and we emphasize that the U.S.-Burma relationship will improve 
only as there is progress on democratization and respect for human 
rights.
    In particular, we once again urge the authorities in Burma to lift 
restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi and the political opposition, respect 
the rights of free expression, assembly, and association, and undertake 
a dialog on Burma's political future that includes leaders of the NLD 
and the ethnic minorities.