III 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 320 

Congratulating the people of Burma on their commitment to peaceful 

elections. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 19, 2015 

Mr. MCCAIN (for himself, Mr. MCCONNELL, Mr. DURBIN, and Mr. RUBIO) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Relations 

DECEMBER 10, 2015 

Reported by Mr. CORKER, with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

DECEMBER 16, 2015 

Considered, amended, and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Congratulating the people of Burma on their commitment 

to peaceful elections. 

Whereas Burma conducted general elections on November 8, 

2015, the country’s first national vote since a civilian 

government was introduced in 2011 that ended nearly 50 

years of military rule; 

Whereas the people of Burma have, by their vigorous participation in electoral campaigning and public debate, 

strengthened the foundations of a free and democratic 

way of life; 


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SRES 320 ATS 

Whereas preliminary reports indicate that voter turnout exceeded 80 percent; 

Whereas international observers have reported that election 

day was largely free and fair and conducted in an orderly 

and peaceful fashion despite broader structural concerns 

such as the disenfranchisement of the Rohingya; 

Whereas the ruling military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party suffered a dramatic loss at the polls, 

and the National League for Democracy won a sizable 

majority in both chambers of Burma’s Union Parliament, 

the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, and will select Burma’s next 

President; 

Whereas Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has 

symbolized the struggle for freedom and democracy in 

Burma and has actively supported democratic reform 

through her leadership of the National League for Democracy; 

Whereas the National League for Democracy espouses a policy of nonviolent movement towards multi-party democracy in Burma, supports national reconciliation, and endorses strengthening democratic institutions, protecting 

human rights, implementing free market economic reforms, and reinforcing rule of law; 

Whereas President Thein Sein and Commander-in-Chief Min 

Aug Hlaing made public commitments to respect the election results and vowed to abide by the law to ensure an 

orderly and prompt transition to a new government; and 

Whereas the continued democratic development of Burma is 

a matter of fundamental importance to the advancement 

of United States interests in Southeast Asia and is supVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:35 Dec 19, 2015 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR320.ATS SR320

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SRES 320 ATS 

ported by the United States Senate: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) congratulates the people of Burma for em3 bracing democracy through their participation in the 

4 November 8, 2015, general elections, and for their 

5 continuing efforts in developing a free, democratic 

6 society that respects internationally recognized 

7 human rights; 

8 (2) recognizes the National League for Democ9 racy’s victory as a reflection of the will of the Bur10 mese people; 

11 (3) calls on the Union Solidarity and Develop12 ment Party to undertake a peaceful transfer of 

13 power and abide by the law to ensure an orderly and 

14 prompt transition to a new government; 

15 (4) encourages all parties to pursue national 

16 reconciliation talks and work together in the spirit 

17 of national unity to seek what is best for the coun18 try; 

19 (5) recognizes that while the Government of 

20 Burma has made important progress towards de21 mocratization, there remain serious challenges and 

22 impediments to the realization of full democratic and 

23 civilian government, including the reservation of 

24 unelected seats for the military and the disenfranVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:35 Dec 19, 2015 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR320.ATS SR320

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SRES 320 ATS 

1 chisement of groups of people including the 

2 Rohingya; 

3 (6) expresses hope that newly elected members 

4 of parliament will contribute to the ongoing political 

5 transformation and will herald a new generation of 

6 responsible democratic leadership in Burma; 

7 (7) calls on the Government of Burma to sup8 port meaningful efforts to reform the 2008 Constitu9 tion of Burma, with the full and unfettered partici10 pation of all the people of Burma and in a manner 

11 that promotes and protects democratic development 

12 of Burma and safeguards against arbitrary inter13 ference by the military; 

14 (8) calls on the Government of Burma to re15 lease all political prisoners; 

16 (9) supports negotiations between the Govern17 ment of Burma and ethnic groups and organizations 

18 toward a genuine national ceasefire; 

19 (10) encourages the President of the United 

20 States, in close and timely consultation with Con21 gress, to continue to support efforts to promote gen22 uine democratic transition and to ensure that any 

23 changes in United States policy toward Burma, in24 cluding the consideration of any potential relaxation 


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SRES 320 ATS 

1 of restrictions, are aligned with support for a gen2 uine and sustainable democratic transition; and 

3 (11) reaffirms that the people of the United 

4 States will continue to stand with the people of 

5 Burma in support of democracy, partnership, and 

6 peace. 

Æ 


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