*EPF505 11/02/01
Text: Rep. Smith Expresses Support for Measure Honoring Suu Kyi
(H. Con. Res. 211 calls on Burma to recognize election results) (880)
The House International Relations Committee approved by unanimous consent November 1 a resolution that honors Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi on the 10th anniversary of her receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.
Representative Christopher Smith (Republican of New Jersey), had planned to offer a technical amendment as a substitution for the resolution during the markup, but decided instead to bring that amendment up when the full House of Representatives takes up House Concurrent Resolution 211 (H. Con. Res. 211).
H. Con. Res. 211 highlights the struggle by Aung San Suu Kyi for democracy in Burma, and would invite her to address Congress.
The measure describes "the suppression of freedom and democracy by the Burmese military junta and the continuing struggle of Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy to assert the rights of the Burmese people," Smith said in his prepared statement for the committee.
The proposed resolution expresses a sense of Congress that the United States government "should continue to encourage the Government of Burma to restore basic human rights to the Burmese people," Smith, the committee's vice chairman, said in his prepared statement.
The proposed resolution also calls on the Rangoon regime to eliminate the practice of human trafficking, to address the manufacture of heroin and methamphetamines in Burma, to continue to release political prisoners, and "to recognize the results of the 1990 democratic elections, and to allow Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy to enjoy unfettered freedom of speech and freedom of movement," Smith said.
H. Con. Res. 211 now goes before the full House of Representatives for consideration.
Following is the text of Smith's statement to the House International Relations Committee:
(begin text)
Statement of Rep. Christopher Smith
Vice Chairman
House International Relations Committee
November 1, 2001
H. Con. Res. 211, Commemorating Aung San Suu Kyi on the 10th Anniversary of her receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the government of Burma
Mr. Chairman, I urge a unanimous vote in favor of this resolution, which makes clear the continued strong support of Congress for freedom and democracy in Burma and for the struggle of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy to assert the fundamental rights of the Burmese people.
I want to thank and congratulate Congressman King and the 35 bipartisan co-sponsors of this timely and important resolution. I do have an amendment in the nature of a substitute, which makes technical and drafting changes that have been agreed to by Mr. King, Mr. Leach, Mr. Lantos, and others.
Mr. Chairman, ten years ago this month the Nobel committee recognized what the whole world knew: that the only way to restore peace and prosperity to the once-proud nation of Burma is to restore legitimacy.
Burma is different from most other countries in which power is wielded by totalitarian dictatorships, in that we do not have to theorize about what the people would choose if they were allowed to govern themselves. Eleven years ago the military government did allow an election, which they figured they would be able to win by fraud and intimidation and by dividing and conquering the different ethnic groups that comprise the nation of Burma. To their surprise, the good guys won, with overwhelming support from all ethnic groups in all parts of the country. So the dictators simply cancelled the results of the election. Nevertheless, it laid to rest any doubt about the desire of the Burmese people for freedom and democracy and about the fundamental illegitimacy of the military dictatorship that has continued to govern Burma.
This resolution commends Aung San Suu Kyi on the tenth anniversary of her receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. That anniversary occurred on October 14 of this year. The resolution also describes the suppression of freedom and democracy by the Burmese military junta and the continuing struggle of Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy to assert the rights of the Burmese people. It declares the sense of Congress that the United States government should continue to encourage the Government of Burma to restore basic human rights to the Burmese people, to eliminate the practice of human trafficking, to address the manufacture of heroin and methamphetamines, to continue the process of releasing political prisoners, to recognize the results of the 1990 democratic elections, and to allow Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy to enjoy unfettered freedom of speech and freedom of movement. Finally, Mr. Chairman, this resolution declares the sense of Congress that Aung San Suu Kyi should be invited to address a joint meeting of the Congress. It is my hope that this meeting will occur when Aung San Suu Kyi has taken her rightful place as the leader of a free and democratic Burma.
Mr. Chairman, I urge a unanimous YES vote in favor of H. Con. Res. 211 as amended.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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