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New Legislation by Rep. Rohrabacher



Subject: New Legislation by Rep. Rohrabacher on June 13, 1996

Attn: Burma and Burmese Activists
Re: U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher introduced another legislation (H.CON.RES 188)


Dear Friends,

I would strongly like to suggest that we all should write a letter to Congressman
Rohrabacher by supporting his effort and thought for democracy and human rights in
Burma. 
OR we can also make a phone call to his office in Washington, DC. 


The Honorable Dana Rohrabacher
U.S. House of Representatives
Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2338
Washington, DC 20515
Telephone (202)225-2415
Facsimile (202)225-0145

In peace and solidarity,

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FILE hc188.ih
          HCON 188 IH
          104th CONGRESS
          2d Session
          H. CON. RES. 188
          Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to increasing
          political oppression in Burma.


                             IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                      June 13, 1996

          Mr. ROHRABACHER submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
              which was referred to the Committee on International Relations


                                  CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

          Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to increasing
          political oppression in Burma.
          Whereas since 1962 Burma has been ruled by a military dictatorship;
          Whereas as part of a crackdown against the Burmese pro-democracy
          movement, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (hereafter in
          this resolution referred to as `SLORC') was established by the
          military dictatorship in 1988;
          Whereas on May 27, 1990, the people of Burma voted overwhelmingly 
          in a free election for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League
          for Democracy (hereafter in this resolution referred to as `NLD');
          Whereas despite numerous pledges, the SLORC has failed to honor the
          results of the 1990 elections;
          Whereas the United States has not sent an ambassador to Rangoon in
          protest of the failure of the SLORC to honor the 1990 elections and
          the continued human rights abuses suffered by the Burmese people;
          Whereas in response to the massacre of thousands of Burmese
          participating in peaceful democratic demonstrations, the Congress
          adopted a provision as part of the Customs and Trade Act of 1990
          requiring the President to impose appropriate economic sanctions on
          Burma;
          Whereas currently the United States has suspended economic aid to
          Burma, placed an embargo on arms sales, denied Burma benefits under
          the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), and decertified Burma
          as a narcotics cooperating country;
          Whereas the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994
          and 1995 (Public Law 103-236), approved April 30, 1994, placed 
          Burma on the list of international `outlaw' states that includes
          Libya, North Korea, and Iraq and which is set forth in section
          307(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2227(a)),
          thus mandating that voluntary United States funding for any United
          Nations agency will be automatically reduced if the agency conducts
          programs in Burma;
          Whereas on July 15, 1994, the Senate adopted Senate Resolution 234
          calling on the executive branch to encourage members of the
          Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to work with the
          United States to achieve the transfer of power to the winners of
          Burma's 1990 democratic election;
          Whereas on July 25, 1994, the House of Representatives adopted 
          House Resolution 471, which urged the Burmese regime to transfer
          power to democratically elected leaders of Burma and to respect
          human rights;
          Whereas on June 28, 1995, the House of Representatives agreed to an
          amendment to H.R. 1868, which prohibited funds for international
          narcotics control or crop substitution assistance for the Burmese
          regime;
          Whereas in early 1995 the SLORC conducted a military campaign
          against ethnic minorities, many of whom are Christian, along the
          border between Burma and Thailand, including the headquarters of 
          the Democratic Alliance of Burma at Mannerplaw;
          Whereas on July 10, 1995, after six years of unlawful detention, 
          the SLORC released Nobel Peace Prize winner Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,
          the leader of the NLD;
          Whereas since the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the SLORC has
          rejected her efforts to establish a timetable for dialogue and
          national reconciliation and has denied the NLD a meaningful role in
          a credible political process;
          Whereas the 1995 Human Rights Watch World Report states that 
          Muslims in the Arakan State, a province of Burma, are subject to
          forced relocations, forced labor, and religious persecution;
          Whereas on December 19, 1995, the House of Representatives adopted
          House Resolution 274, which calls on the Burmese regime to begin a
          political dialogue with democratically elected leaders of Burma,
          release political prisoners, guarantee respect for basic human
          rights, and restore civilian and democratic rule to the people of
          Burma;
          Whereas Aung San Suu Kyi has called for a halt to private foreign
          investment until progress towards democracy begins in Burma;
          Whereas various United States cities have passed resolutions
          condemning United States private investment in Burma;
          Whereas protests on university campuses against United States 
          policy in Burma are growing in frequency;
          Whereas the SLORC regime has purchased $2,000,000,000 in weapons
          over the last 3 years from the People's Republic of China and other
          countries;
          Whereas on June 7, 1996, SLORC passed Law 5/96, which outlawed the
          drawing up, writing, or distribution of the state constitution of
          Burma without legal authorization;
          Whereas penalties for writing a constitution involve a minimum of 3
          years and a maximum of 20 years in prison, in addition to
          unspecified fines;
          Whereas during the period of May 26th-29th, 1996, 258 delegates to 
          a conference on democracy in Rangoon were arrested and jailed;
          Whereas of the 258 delegates arrested, 238 were elected in 1990 as
          members of the parliament;
          Whereas the Report of the Special Representative of the United
          Nations, published in March, 1996, indicated that forced labor,
          forced porterage, torture, and arbitrary killing are still
          widespread in Burma;
          Whereas SLORC has refused to file any charges against Khun Sa, the
          world's most notorious heroin trafficker, and rejected requests by
          the United States to have him extradited to the United States;
          Whereas the Karenni and the Karen, ethnic groups in Burma, are
          strong supporters of democracy and the United States;
          Whereas thousands of innocent Karenni civilians have been killed by
          unprovoked attacks by SLORC troops in the Karenni state;
          Whereas the Karen ethnic group faces constant attacks by SLORC
          troops, resulting in many deaths and destruction of villages; and
          Whereas in the near future, Aung San Suu Kyi and members of the
          democratic movement in Burma may begin to write a legitimate state
          constitution for the people of Burma: Now, therefore, be it

             Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
          concurring), That if the SLORC regime arrests Aung San
          Suu Kyi, otherwise limits her freedom, or exiles her--
                (1) the Congress will adopt legislation to prohibit future
              investment in Burma; and
                (2) the United States should use all means necessary to bring
              Khun Sa to trial in the United States.

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