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, and Mr. PRESSLER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

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;

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;
2

SRES 234 IS

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;

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
3

SRES 234 IS

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 Unit15 ed States continues to maintain against Burma;

16 and

17 (D) end the gross human rights abuses

18 perpetrated by the SLORC, including torture,

19 arbitrary arrests, executions, forced labor,

20 forced relocation and the rape and trafficking

21 of women;

22 (3) clearly and publicly indicate the continued

23 opposition of the United States to SLORC participa24 tion in ASEAN;
4

SRES 234 IS

1 (4) work to implement United Nations General

2 Assembly resolution 48/150, unanimously adopted

3 on December 20, 1993, and pledge to seek inter4 national sanctions through the United Nations, in5 cluding a multilateral arms embargo, and the ap6 pointment of a special envoy to facilitate the trans7 fer to democracy in Burma;

8 (5) oppose commercial arrangements that only

9 provide financial support for the SLORC;

10 (6) oppose foreign aid and financial assistance

11 from international financial institutions such as the

12 World Bank and the International Monetary Fund

13 which only provide financial support for the SLORC;

14 (7) encourage the Government of Thailand to

15 allow Burmese political leaders and refugees, includ16 ing the Karen, Mon, and Karenni, and other ethnic

17 groups, to continue their efforts to bring democratic

18 change to Burma without fear of harassment or

19 other pressure;

20 (8) continue the current United States policy of

21 not sending an ambassador to Rangoon until such

22 time as the SLORC has taken concrete steps to end

23 human rights abuses and transfer power to the

24 democratically elected leaders of Burma; and
5

SRES 234 IS

1 (9) investigate claims of forced repatriation of

2 Rohingya refugees and encourage adequate monitor3 ing to prevent Burmese refugees from being repatri4 ated against their will.

Æ