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Federal Burma Sanctions - Update 7/



Subject: Federal Burma Sanctions - Update 7/31/96

KEEP BURMA SANCTIONS IN THE FOREIGN OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS ACT!

July 31, 1996

* News
* Action Alert
* Background
* List of Conference Committee Members
* Text of Current Sanctions on Burma

NEWS

It now appears less likely that the House/Senate appropriations conference
committee will take up the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act (HR. 3540)
before Congress adjourns on August 3.

If HR.3540 is not taken up by the conference committee in the next two days,
the bill will not be dealt with until September. At present, the conference
committee has not scheduled a time to take up HR.3540.

If action on HR.3540 is delayed until September, Congress has until
September 15 to send the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act to President
Clinton. If HR.3540 is not signed into law at that time, Congress will have
to pass a continuing resolution to keep US foreign policy funded. 

It is expected that there will sharp controversy concerning provisions of
HR.3540 dealing with international family planning. This issue may hold up
passage of HR.3540.

ACTION ALERT

We may well have the opportunity to build up support for tough sanctions on
Burma over the summer. However, if we fail to keep up the pressure, the oil
companies may well lobby to eliminate sanctions entirely.

Please consider the following plan of action:

1. Before Congress adjourns on August 3, call the below Senators and
Representatives daily to find out if the conference committee will take up
HR.3540.

2. Use the time to generate phone calls and faxes to the Senators and
Representatives on the conference committee. Specifically, try to generate
calls to the Senators and Representatives from their home state or district.

3. If the vote is delayed until September, set up a local meeting with your
Senator or Representative to press for tough economic sanctions on Burma.

4. Please post on the net the results of any conversations or meetings.

Call Congress toll-free at: (800) 972-3524

Fax and call Representatives Callahan and Livingston

Rep. Sonny Callahan (R, Alabama)
Chairman
House Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs Subcommittee
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-2041
(202) 225-3598 fax

Rep. Bob Livingston
Chairman
House Appropriations Committee
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-2771
(202) 225-3598 fax

Fax and call the members of the House/Senate Conference Committee

Try to focus on faxing and calling any members that are in your home state.
If you have time left over, call each remaining members' office in turn! 

Again, call Congress toll-free at (800) 972-3524

WHAT TO SAY

1. Express your support for tough economic sanctions on Burma.

2. Ask the Representative/Senator to specifically SUPPORT Senator
McConnell's efforts in committee to MAINTAIN and TOUGHEN the sanctions on
Burma currently contained in the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act
(HR.3540).

BACKGROUND

The current sanctions on Burma contained in the Senate version of HR.3540
are the weaker measure supported by Senators Cohen and Feinstein, not the
stonger version originally attached to the bill by Senaators McConnell and
Moynihan. 

Sanctions on Burma are only part of the Senate version of the bill, not the
House version. It is expected that Representative Livingston (R, Louisiana)
will try to take the already weakened sanctions on Burma out the bill
altogether.

It is in these quiet, often unnoticed meetings that powerful corporations
gut popular legislation. Let's make sure that sanctions on Burma don't get
killed.

-----------------------------------------------------
Simon Billenness
Franklin Research & Development
711 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA 02111
(617) 423 6655 x225
(617) 482 6179
simon_billenness@xxxxxxxxxxxx
-----------------------------------------------------

THE LINE-UP

HOUSE

Bob Livingston (R, Louisiana), Chair Appropriations Committee
David Obey (D, Wisconsin), Ranking Member Appropriations Committee

Foreign Operations Subcommittee Members

Sonny Callahan (R, Alabama), Chair
John Porter (R, Illinois) - HR.2892 co-sponsor!
Jim Lightfoot (R, Iowa)
Frank Wolf (R, Virginia)
Ron Packard (R, California)
Joseph Knollenberg (R, Michigan)
Michael Forbes (R, New York)
Jim Bunn (R, Oregon)

Charles Wilson (D, Texas)
Sidney Yates (D, Illinois)
Nancy Pelosi (D, California) - HR.2892 co-sponsor!
Esteban Edward Torres (D, California)

SENATE 

(A star indicates the Senator supported the McConnell Burma sanctions over
the weaker Cohen/Feinstein sanctions.)

Mark Hatfield* (R, Oregon), Chair Appropriations Committee
Robert Byrd* (D, West Virginia), Ranking Member Appropriations Committee

Foreign Operations Subcommittee Members

Mitch McConnell* (R, Kentucky), Chair 
Arlen Specter* (R, Pensylvania)
Connie Mack* (R, Florida)
Jim Jeffords* (R, Vermont)
Judd Gregg* (R, New Hampshire)
Richard Shelby* (R, Alabama)
Robert Bennett* (R, Utah)

Patrick Leahy* (D, Vermont)
Daniel Inouye (D, Hawaii)
Frank Lautenberg* (D, New Jersey)
Tom Harkin* (D, Iowa)
Barbara Mikulski (D, Maryland)
Patty Murray (D, Washington)

Call the Congressional Switchboard toll-free at: (800) 972-3524

---------------------------------------------------------

AMENDMENT NO 5019

By Sen. William Cohen (R-Maine) and others {Sen. Dianne Feinstein
(D-Calif.) Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.)}

                POLICY TOWARD BURMA

        Sec. 569. (a) Until such time as the President determines and
certifies to Congress that Burma hasmade measurable and substantial
progress in improving human rights practices and implementing democratic
government, the following sanctions shall be imposed on Burma:

                (1) Bilateral assistance.-There shall be no United States
assistance to the Government of Burma, other than:
                        (A) humanitarian assistance,
                        (B) counter-narcotics assistance under chapter 8 of
part I of teh Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, or crop substitution
assistance, if the Secretary of State certifies to the appropriate
congressional committees that:
                                i) the Government of Burma is fully
cooperating
                                  with the U.S. counter-narcotics efforts,
and

                                ii) the programs are fully consistent with the
                                United States human rights concerns in
Burma and
                                serve the United States national interest, and
                        (C) assistance promoting human rights and democratic
                        values.
                (2) Multilateral Assistance.- The Secretary of the Treasury
shalll instruct the United States executive director of each international
financial institution to vote against any loan or other utilization of
funds of the respective bank to or for Burma.
                (3) Visas.-Except as required by treaty obligations or to
staff the Burmese mission to the United States, the United States shall not
grant entry visas to any Burmese government official.

                (b) Conditional sanctions.-The President shall prohibit
United States persons from new investment in Burma, if the President
determines and certifies to Congress that, after the date of enactment of
this act, the Government of Burma has physically harmed, rearrested for
political acts, or exiled Daw Aung San Suu Kyi or has committed large-scale
repression of or violence against the democratic oppression.

                (c) Multilateral strategy.-The President shall seek to
develop, in coordination with members of ASEAN and other countries having
major trading and investment interests in Burma, a comprehensive,
multilateral strategy to bring democracy to and improve human rights
practices and the quality of life in Burma, including the development of a
dialogue between the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) and
democratic opposition groups within Burma.

                (d) Presidential reports.-Every six months following the
enactment of this act, the President shall report to the Chairman of the
Committee on International Relations and the House of Senate Appropriation
Committees as the following:
                (1) progress toward democratization in Burma;
                (2) progress on improving the quality of the Burmese
people, including progress on market reforms, living standards, use of
forced labor in the tourism industry, and environmental quality; and
                (3) progress made in development the strategy referred to
in subsection (c).

                (c) Waiver authority.-The President shall have the
authority to waive, temporarily or permanently, any sanction referred to in
subsection (a) or subsection (b) if he determines and certifies to Congress
that the application of such sanction would be contrary to the national
security interests of the United States.

                (f) Definitions.-
                (1) The term "international financial institutions" shall
include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the
International Development Association, the International Finance
Corporation, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, the Asian
Development Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.
                (2) The term "new investment" shall mean any of the
following activities if such an activity is undertaken pursuant to an
agreement, or pursuant to the exercise of rights under such an agreement,
that is entered into with the Government of Burma or a non-governmental
entity in Burma, on or after the date of the certification under subsection
(b):
                        (A) the entry into a contract that includes the
        economical development of resources located in Burma, or the entry into
        a contract providing for the general supervision and guarantee of
        another person's performance of such a contract;

                        (B) the purchase of a share of ownership, including an
        equity interest, in that development;

                        (C) the entry into a contract providing for the
        participation in royalties, earnings, or profits in that development,
        without regard to the form of the participation;

provided that the term "new investment" does not include the entry into,
performance of, or financing of a contract to sell or purchase goods,
services, or technology.

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