IIB 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1112 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 22, 2021 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

AN ACT 

To require a report on the military coup in Burma, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protect Democracy in 

3 Burma Act of 2021’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) On March 14, 2005, the House of Rep7 resentatives agreed to H. Res. 135, which estab8 lished the House Democracy Assistance Commission 

9 (later changed to the House Democracy Partnership, 

10 hereafter referred to as ‘‘HDP’’) to work directly 

11 with parliaments around the world to support the 

12 development of effective, independent, and respon13 sive legislative institutions. 

14 (2) HDP approved a legislative strengthening 

15 partnership with Burma in 2016 and organized the 

16 first congressional delegation to meet with the new 

17 civilian-led government, led by State Counselor Aung 

18 San Suu Kyi, and civil society leaders in May 2016. 

19 (3) On February 2, 2021, the U.S. Department 

20 of State assessed that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the 

21 leader of Burma’s ruling party, and President Win 

22 Myint, the duly elected head of government, were de23 posed in a military coup on February 1, 2021. 

24 (4) As part of the military coup, the Burmese 

25 military declared martial law, suspended the civilian26 led government, and detained newly elected Members 


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1 of Parliament in the capitol, Naypyidaw, thereby 

2 usurping the role of the democratically elected gov3 ernment and parliament. 

4 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

5 It is the sense of Congress that— 

6 (1) due to the Burmese military’s seizure of 

7 government through the detention of State Coun8 sellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and 

9 other government leaders, Burma is not represented 

10 by a democratically-elected government; 

11 (2) the inability of newly elected Members of 

12 Parliament to begin their official mandate due to the 

13 Burmese military’s actions directly threatens the 

14 democratic trajectory of Burma’s Parliament, and 

15 thereby the country; 

16 (3) the will and determination of those duly17 elected Members of Parliament who are taking it 

18 upon themselves to continue serving as representa19 tives of the people through alternative methods of 

20 communicating and convening should be lauded; and 

21 (4) by preventing the Parliament from com22 pleting its work, the Burmese military has rendered 

23 impossible and effectively nullified the international 

24 collaborative relationships that have supported and 


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1 strengthened the institution, including the Burmese 

2 parliament’s partnership with HDP. 

3 SEC. 4. POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES REGARDING BUR4 MA’S DEMOCRACY. 

5 It is the policy of the United States to— 

6 (1) condemn the military coup in Burma, to 

7 urge the unconditional release of detained democrat8 ically-elected leaders and civil society members, and 

9 to support a return to Burma’s democratic transi10 tion; 

11 (2) instruct, as appropriate, representatives of 

12 the United States Government to use the voice, vote, 

13 and influence of the United States at the United 

14 Nations to hold accountable those responsible for the 

15 military coup in Burma; and 

16 (3) engage with the Association of Southeast 

17 Asian Nations (ASEAN) and ASEAN member 

18 states to promote a return to Burma’s democratic 

19 transition and democratic values throughout South20 east Asia, and support the centrality of ASEAN 

21 within the regional architecture of the Indo-Pacific. 

22 SEC. 5. REPORT. 

23 Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact24 ment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to 

25 the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 


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1 Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the 

2 Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 

3 Appropriations of the Senate a report on the military coup 

4 in Burma, including a description of efforts to implement 

5 the policy specified in section 4. 

Passed the House of Representatives March 18, 

2021. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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