Reply From CA Senator Feinstein

[ktint@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

             U N I T E D  S T A T E S  S E N A T E
                Washington, DC 20510-0504

Dianne Feinstein
California
                   Committee of Foreign Relations
                   Committee on the Judiciary
                   Committee on  Rules and Administration

                                                         August 27, 1996

K. Tint, Ph.D.
108 North Hidalgo Avenue, #305
Alhambra, California 91801

Dear Dr. Tint:

     Thank you so much for writing to share with me your views regarding
United States policy towards Burma. I appreciate hearing from you. 

      As you may know, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) recently added a
provision to the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill which would have
imposed strict sanctions against Burma by prohibiting U.S. investment in
that country. I was pleased that Senator McConnell brought the issue of
Burma to the forefront: the ruling military junta of Burma, or the State
Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), is one of the most repressive
and anti-democratic governments of the world.
     
      However, while I agree with Senator McConnell's aims, I do not
believe that unilateral sanctions would have the intended impact of
promoting democracy and freedom for the people of Burma. Instead, I believe
the United States must work with relevant,  primarily Asian and European
nations, to develop a multilateral strategy to foster democratic change in
Burma.

     In this regard, Senator Cohen (R-ME) and I introduced an amendment to
the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill to prohibit U.S. assistance to
Burma except for humanitarian, pro-democracy or counter-narcotics programs
and to maintain the President's  flexibility to respond to events in Burma
as they transpire. This amendment would also require the U.S. to ban new
investment in Burma if the SLORC re-arrested or harmed Nobel Peace Prize
winner and pro-democracy activist Aung Sung Suu Kyi. 
    
     I believe that this amendment creates a balance between a principled
stance towards Burma and an effective policy that allows the United States
to retain a voice in promoting democracy in Burma.  I was pleased that a
motion to table the Cohen-Feinstein amendment failed, which allowed the
amendment to pass the Senate by voice vote on July 25, 1996.

    The Foreign Operations Appropriations bill passed the Senate on July
26, and will next be considered by a House-Senate conference.

    Thank you, again, for your letter. I hope that this information was
helpful. If you should have further questions on this or any other matter,
please do not hesitate to contact Kelly Amis of my Washington, D.C.  office
at (202) 224-3841.

             With warmest regards.

                             Sincerely,

                                   Sd. (Dianne Feinstein)

================
Note: The mis-typing in Daw Suu's name is not by me. (KT)

==========Concept========Of===========Discussion================================

Instead of looking upon discussion as stumbling-block in the way of action,
we think it an indispensable preliminary to any wise action at all.

                                Pericles 
                                (490-429 B.C.)
                                Great Democratic Reformer
==========Concept========Of===========Discussion================================