IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 636 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding Burma’s 

2015 elections. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 3, 2016 

Mr. CROWLEY (for himself and Mr. CHABOT) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 

regarding Burma’s 2015 elections. 

Whereas Burma carried out general elections on November 8, 

2015; 

Whereas of the 75 percent of the seats in the national parliament contested in the elections, the National League 

for Democracy won 77 percent of those seats, including 

majorities in both houses of parliament, allowing it to 

form a governing majority with the right to nominate the 

President and nonmilitary Vice President; 

Whereas the pre-election environment included significant 

structural problems put in place by the incumbent authorities via the 2008 military-backed constitution, including article 59(f), which may block opposition leader 

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming President; reVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:08 Mar 04, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR636.IH HR636

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•HRES 636 IH 

quirements that 25 percent of the seats in the national 

and regional parliaments must be filled by soldiers appointed by the military leadership, and article 436, which 

gives the military’s parliamentary minority the ability to 

veto key constitutional amendments; 

Whereas despite this environment, domestic and international 

observers indicated that with respect to the seats being 

contested, the day of the election was largely carried out 

in an organized, peaceful, and historic fashion; 

Whereas the Carter Center indicated in its post-elections 

statement that the Burmese peoples’, ‘‘ . . . empowerment and commitment to the democratic process was not 

only remarkable but crucial to counterbalancing the considerable structural impediments to fully democratic elections. [. . .] However, [Burma’s] transition from authoritarian rule to democracy is incomplete. Additional democratic advances are required to be fully consistent with 

broadly recognized international standards for democratic 

elections and governance. The constitutional framework 

for elections is heavily flawed, limiting the fundamental 

democratic nature of the elected bodies and undermining 

public confidence in work of the election administration.’’; 

Whereas the United States Department of State described 

the elections as an, ‘‘important step forward’’, yet, ‘‘far 

from perfect’’, and indicated that there ‘‘, . . . remain 

important structural and systemic impediments to the realization of full democratic and civilian government, including the reservation of a large number of unelected 

seats for the military; the disfranchisement of groups of 

people who voted in previous elections, including the 

Rohingya; and the disqualification of candidates based on 


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arbitrary application of citizenship and residency requirements.’’; 

Whereas the incumbent government continued to arrest, detain, and charge individuals who had engaged in peaceful 

political activities in the pre-election period, and is continuing the prosecution of these cases in the post-election 

period; 

Whereas Burma’s military has continued attacks in ethnic 

nationality areas, particularly in Shan and Kachin states, 

causing civilian displacement and casualties during the 

pre-and post-election periods, despite limited cease-fire 

and national reconciliation talks initiated by the current 

government; 

Whereas the scale of the National League for Democracy’s 

victory gives it the right to select a new president and 

form a new government, but the 2008 constitution may 

prohibit the NLD from selecting its leader, Daw Aung 

San Suu Kyi, as a candidate for President and still gives 

the military the power to appoint the ministers of defense, border affairs, and interior affairs, key ministries 

where reforms are needed to secure Burma’s democratic 

future; 

Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has for decades stood as 

the leader of Burma’s peaceful, nonviolent opposition 

movement despite years of house arrest, and has consistently called for peaceful national reconciliation in Burma; 

Whereas the United States Congress awarded Daw Aung San 

Suu Kyi the Congressional Gold Medal in 2008 and presented the award in a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda 

in September 2012; 


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Whereas the President of Burma and the Commander in 

Chief of the Burmese military have publicly stated they 

will support a timely and smooth transition to a new 

NLD-led government; and 

Whereas Burma’s new government faces numerous political, 

social and economic challenges, many of which will require cooperation with institutions of governance that remain constitutionally under the control of the Burmese 

military: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the Burmese peoples’ profound 

3 desire for change as reflected in the vote on Novem4 ber 8, 2015; 

5 (2) congratulates those who chose to operate in 

6 the spirit of democracy, whether they won or lost in7 dividual seats; 

8 (3) acknowledges the important roles played by 

9 the international community, Election Day workers, 

10 party observers, and domestic election observers in 

11 preventing fraud; 

12 (4) acknowledges that while Burma has taken 

13 steps toward democratic rule, many important issues 

14 remain unresolved including constitutional, legal, 

15 economic, and security challenges that cause serious 

16 harm and violations of the basic rights of the people 

17 of Burma; 


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1 (5) expresses its deep concern about ongoing at2 tacks in the Kachin and Shan states; 

3 (6) expresses its deep concern about the plight 

4 of the Rohingya people, and urges the current and 

5 future governments of Burma to end discriminatory 

6 practices and instead work toward restoration of and 

7 respect for the rights of the Rohingya and all the 

8 people of Burma; 

9 (7) urges the government and all other stake10 holders to support constitutional reform that would 

11 allow Burma to assume its place amongst the demo12 cratic nations of the world; 

13 (8) calls on the President of the United States 

14 and Secretary of State to focus on— 

15 (A) securing solutions to urgent human 

16 rights and humanitarian problems, including 

17 fulfillment of the 11 human rights and security 

18 commitments made by the current President of 

19 Burma to President Obama; 

20 (B) supporting changes to issues described 

21 by the Department of State as ‘‘structural and 

22 systemic impediments to the realization of full 

23 democratic and civilian government’’ including 

24 constitutional changes; 


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1 (C) bringing about the immediate and un2 conditional release of all political prisoners, in3 cluding those awaiting trial or sentencing; and 

4 (D) supporting an end to offensives 

5 against ethnic nationalities and the creation of 

6 a peaceful federal union acceptable to the peo7 ple of Burma; and 

8 (9) urges the incumbent government to support 

9 a timely, peaceful, and effective transfer of power to 

10 the new government. 

Æ 


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