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President Letter to Congress on San



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May 20, 1997

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Message Creation Date was at 20-MAY-1997 16:37:00

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_______________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                              May 20, 1997

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Pursuant to section 570(b) of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing,
and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1997 (Public Law 104-208) (the
"Act"), I hereby report to the Congress that I have determined and
certified that the Government of Burma has, after September 30, 1996,
committed large-scale repression of the democratic opposition in Burma. 
Further, pursuant to section 204(b) of the Inter-national Emergency
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1703(b)) (IEEPA) and section 301 of the
National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1631), I hereby report that I have
exercised my statutory authority to declare a national emergency to
respond to the actions and policies of the Government of
Burma and have issued an Executive order prohibiting United States
persons from new investment in Burma.

 The order prohibits United States persons from engaging in any of the
following activities after its issuance:

-- entering a contract that includes the economic development of
resources located in Burma;

-- entering a contract providing for the general supervision and
guarantee of another person's performance of a contract that includes
the economic development of resources located in Burma;

-- purchasing a share of ownership, including an equity interest, in the
economic development of resources located in Burma;

-- entering into a contract providing for the participation in
royalties, earnings, or profits in the economic development of resources
located in Burma, without regard to the form of the participation;

-- facilitating transactions of foreign persons that would violate any
of the foregoing prohibitions if engaged in by a United States person;
and 

-- evading or avoiding, or attempting to violate, any of the
prohibitions in the order.

Consistent with the terms of section 570(b) of the Act, the order does
not prohibit the entry into, performance of, or financing of most
contracts for the purchase or sale of goods, services, or technology. 
For purposes of the order, the term "resources" is broadly defined to
include such things as natural, agricultural, commercial, financial,
industrial, and human resources.  However, not-for-profit educational,
health, or other humanitarian programs or activities are not considered
to constitute economic development of resources located in Burma.  In
accordance with section 570(b), the prohibition on an
activity that constitutes a new investment applies if such activity is
undertaken pursuant to an agreement, or pursuant to the exercise of
rights under an agreement that is entered into with the Government of
Burma or a non-governmental entity in Burma, on or after the effective
date of the Executive order.

 My Administration will continue to consult and express our concerns
about developments in Burma with the Burmese authorities as well as
leaders of ASEAN, Japan, the European Union, and other countries having
major political, security, trading, and investment interests in Burma
and seek multilateral consensus to bring about democratic reform and
improve human rights in that country.  I have, accordingly, delegated to
the Secretary of State the responsibilities in this regard under section
570(c) and (d) of the Act.

 The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the  Secretary of
State, is authorized to issue regulations in  exercise of my authorities
under IEEPA and section 570(b) of the Act to implement this prohibition
on new investment. All Federal agencies are also directed to take
actions within their authority to carry out the provisions of the
Executive order.

 I have taken these steps in response to a deepening pattern of severe
repression by the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) in
Burma. During the past 7 months, the SLORC has arrested and detained
large numbers of students and opposition supporters, sentenced dozens to
long-term imprisonment, and prevented the expression of political views
by the democratic opposition, including Aung San Suu Kyi and the
National League for Democracy (NLD).  It is my judgment that recent
actions by the regime in Rangoon constitute large-scale
repression of the democratic opposition committed by the Government of
Burma within the meaning of section 570(b) of the Act.

 The Burmese authorities also have committed serious abuses in their
recent military campaign against Burma's Karen minority, forcibly
conscripting civilians and compelling thousands to flee into Thailand. 
Moreover, Burma remains the world's leading producer of opium and
heroin, with official tolerance of drug trafficking and traffickers in
defiance of the views of the international community.

I believe that the actions and policies of the SLORC regime constitute
an extraordinary and unusual threat to the security and stability of the
region, and therefore to the national security and foreign policy of the
United States.

 It is in the national security and foreign policy interests of the
United States to seek an end to abuses of human rights in Burma and to
support efforts to achieve democratic reform. Progress on these issues
would promote regional peace and stability and would be in the
political, security, and economic interests of the United States.

The steps I take today demonstrate my Administration's resolve to
support the people of Burma, who made clear their commitment to human
rights and democracy in 1990 elections, the results of which the regime
chose to disregard.

I am also pleased to note that the Administration and the Congress speak
with one voice on this issue, as reflected in executive-legislative
cooperation in the enactment of section 570 of the Foreign Operations
Act.  I look forward to continued close consultation with the Congress
on efforts to promote human rights and democracy in Burma.

In conclusion, I emphasize that Burma's international isolation is not
an inevitability, and that the authorities in Rangoon retain the ability
to secure improvements in relations with the United States as well as
with the international community.  In this respect, I once again call on
the SLORC to lift restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi and the political
opposition, to respect the rights of free expression, assembly, and
association, and to undertake a dialogue that includes leaders of the
NLD and the ethnic minorities and that deals with the political future
of Burma.

In the weeks and months to come, my Administration will continue to
monitor and assess action on these issues, paying careful attention to
the report of the U.N. Special Rapporteur appointed by the U.N. Human
Rights Commission and the report of the U.N. Secretary General on the
results of his good offices mandate.  Thus, I urge the regime in Rangoon
to cooperate fully with those two important U.N. initiatives on Burma.

I am enclosing a copy of the Executive order that I have issued.  The
order is effective at 12:01 a.m., eastern daylight time, May 21, 1997.

       WILLIAM J. CLINTON

	THE WHITE HOUSE,
    	May 20, 1997.

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