III

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 234

Expressing the sense of the Senate concerning the fifth year of imprisonment

of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi by Burma’s military dictatorship, and for

other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 28 (legislative day, JUNE 7), 1994

Mr. MOYNIHAN (for himself, Mr. PELL, Mr. SIMON, Mr. D’AMATO, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. HELMS, Mr. PRESSLER, and Mr. FEINGOLD) submitted the

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

JUNE 29 (legislative day, JUNE 7), 1994

Reported by Mr. PELL, without amendment

JULY 15 (legislative day, JULY 11), 1994

Considered and agreed to

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate concerning the fifth year

of imprisonment of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi by Burma’s

military dictatorship, and for other purposes.

Whereas on July 19, 1994, Nobel Peace Prize winner Daw

Aung San Suu Kyi will have endured five years of unlawful house arrest by the State Law and Order Restoration

Council (in this preamble referred to as the ‘‘SLORC’’),

the military junta in Burma;
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SRES 234 ATS

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;

Whereas despite numerous pledges, the SLORC has failed to

honor the results of the May 1990 elections;

Whereas the United States recognizes the individuals who

won the 1990 elections as the legitimate representatives

of the Burmese people;

Whereas the United States has not sent an ambassador to

Rangoon to protest the failure of the SLORC to honor

the 1990 elections and the continued human rights

abuses suffered by the Burmese people;

Whereas the United Nations General Assembly stated in resolution 48/150 that no evident progress has been made

to restore democracy in accordance with the will of the

people of Burma as expressed in the 1990 election;

Whereas the Special Rapporteur for Burma appointed by the

United Nations Commission on Human Rights has been

denied access to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners in Burma;

Whereas the Government of Thailand has in the past generously provided safe haven to the many Burmese forced to

flee the brutal repression of the SLORC regime;

Whereas despite pressure from the SLORC, the Government

of Thailand has allowed Burmese democracy leaders to

operate within its borders, and has granted visas for

international travel;

Whereas recent reports indicate that the Government of

Thailand has adopted more restrictive policies toward

Burmese refugees in Thailand;
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SRES 234 ATS

Whereas reports have indicated that some Rohingya refugees

located in Bangladesh have been returned to Burma

against their will; and

Whereas the members of the Association of Southeast Asian

Nations (ASEAN) will meet in Bangkok, Thailand in

July 1994, and the SLORC has been invited to attend

the opening meeting: Now, therefore, be it hereby

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the

2 United States Government should—

3 (1) enunciate a clear and strong policy to pro4 mote democracy in Burma;

5 (2) strongly encourage ASEAN members at the

6 meetings in Bangkok in July to join United States

7 efforts to—

8 (A) seek the immediate release of Daw

9 Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political pris10 oners in Burma and allow them to participate

11 fully in the Burmese political process;

12 (B) achieve the transfer of power to the

13 winners of the 1990 democratic election;

14 (C) join the arms embargo which the

15 United States continues to maintain against

16 Burma; and

17 (D) end the gross human rights abuses

18 perpetrated by the SLORC, including torture,

19 arbitrary arrests, executions, forced labor,
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1 forced relocation and the rape and trafficking

2 of women;

3 (3) clearly and publicly indicate the continued

4 opposition of the United States to SLORC participa5 tion in ASEAN;

6 (4) work to implement United Nations General

7 Assembly resolution 48/150, unanimously adopted

8 on December 20, 1993, and pledge to seek inter9 national sanctions through the United Nations, in10 cluding a multilateral arms embargo, and the ap11 pointment of a special envoy to facilitate the trans12 fer to democracy in Burma;

13 (5) oppose commercial arrangements that only

14 provide financial support for the SLORC;

15 (6) oppose foreign aid and financial assistance

16 from international financial institutions such as the

17 World Bank and the International Monetary Fund

18 which only provide financial support for the SLORC;

19 (7) encourage the Government of Thailand to

20 allow Burmese political leaders and refugees, includ21 ing the Karen, Mon, and Karenni, and other ethnic

22 groups, to continue their efforts to bring democratic

23 change to Burma without fear of harassment or

24 other pressure;
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1 (8) continue the current United States policy of

2 not sending an ambassador to Rangoon until such

3 time as the SLORC has taken concrete steps to end

4 human rights abuses and transfer power to the

5 democratically elected leaders of Burma; and

6 (9) investigate claims of forced repatriation of

7 Rohingya refugees and encourage adequate monitor8 ing to prevent Burmese refugees from being repatri9 ated against their will.

Æ