IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1057 

Calling on Burma’s civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to release two jailed 

journalists reporting on violence inflicted upon that nation’s Rohingya 

population. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018 

Mr. LEVIN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Calling on Burma’s civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to 

release two jailed journalists reporting on violence inflicted upon that nation’s Rohingya population. 

Whereas a recent fact-finding mission of the United Nations 

found that Burma’s Rohingya Muslim population has 

been subjected to ‘‘systemic oppression’’ culminating in 

so-called clearance operations that ‘‘targeted and terrorized the entire Rohingya population’’; 

Whereas these operations were conducted by Burmese soldiers and security forces and constituted a ‘‘human rights 

catastrophe’’ according to the United Nation’s fact-finding report, which called for holding senior Burmese military commanders accountable for genocide and crimes 

against humanity; 


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•HRES 1057 IH 

Whereas the United Nations report found such crimes included murder, imprisonment, torture, rape, sexual slavery, and other forms of sexual violence; 

Whereas dozens of Rohingya villages have been burned and 

bulldozed out of existence; 

Whereas as result of this violence, persecution, and destruction, nearly 725,000 Rohingya had fled to Bangladesh by 

mid-August 2018; 

Whereas the United Nations report found that the head of 

Burma’s civilian government, Aung San Suu Kyi, has 

failed to use her position or moral authority to protect 

the Rohingya, and that civilian authorities have instead 

‘‘spread false narratives’’ about the atrocities committed 

against the Rohingya; 

Whereas, on March 8, 2018, a senior Burmese official, National Security Advisor U Thaung Tun, reportedly made 

a series of comments designed to deny or downplay any 

violence and atrocities against Rohingya Muslims, saying 

the vast majority remain in Burma, and ‘‘if it was genocide, they would all be driven out’’; 

Whereas some brave journalists have attempted to uncover 

the truth about atrocities committed against the 

Rohingya; 

Whereas two such reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo of 

Reuters, were recently sentenced to seven years in prison 

in Burma for violating state secrets laws in response to 

their efforts to report on the persecution of Rohingya 

Muslims; 

Whereas the Burmese police captain involved in their arrest 

reportedly admitted during the trial that his superior ordered him to entrap the journalists; 


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•HRES 1057 IH 

Whereas United States Ambassador to the United Nations 

Nikki Haley called these convictions ‘‘another terrible 

stain’’ on Burma; and 

Whereas attempting to silence the duty of the press to uncover the truth is anti-democratic and only further fuels 

state-sanctioned oppression: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns all efforts to suppress informa3 tion related to the oppression and violence inflicted 

4 upon Burma’s Rohingya civilians; and 

5 (2) calls on the leader of Burma’s civilian gov6 ernment, Aung San Suu Kyi, to immediately and 

7 unconditionally release the two jailed journalists, Wa 

8 Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, by exercising her power to 

9 order a presidential amnesty. 

Æ 


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