*EPF306 05/21/2003
Text: Bush to Congress -- Crisis Between U.S. and Burma Remains
(Letter cites Burmese government's large-scale oppression) (320)

Following is the text of President Bush's message to the House of Representatives on Burma from the May 19 Congressional Record:

(begin text)

CONTINUATION OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO BURMA
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

House of Representatives
May 19, 2003

The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message from the President of the United States; which was read and, together with the accompanying papers, without objection, referred to the Committee on International Relations and ordered to be printed:

To the Congress of the United States:

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. I have sent the enclosed notice, stating that the Burma emergency is to continue beyond May 20, 2003, to the Federal Register for publication. The most recent notice continuing this emergency was published in the Federal Register on May 17, 2002.

The crisis between the United States and Burma that led to the declaration of a national emergency on May 20, 1997, has not been resolved. The actions and policies of the Government of Burma, including its policies of committing large-scale repression of the democratic opposition in Burma, are hostile to U.S. interests and pose a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency with respect to Burma and maintain in force the sanctions against Burma to respond to this threat.

George W. Bush

The White House, May 16, 2003

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

Return to Public File Main Page

Return to Public Table of Contents