IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 85 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United Nations 

Security Council should immediately impose an arms embargo against 

the military of Burma. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 1, 2023 

Ms. TENNEY (for herself, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Ms. SHERRILL, Mr. BERA, Mr. KEATING, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. WILLIAMS of New York, Ms. NORTON, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. OMAR, Mr. 

MCGOVERN, Mr. SCHNEIDER, and Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE) submitted the 

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

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

the United Nations Security Council should immediately 

impose an arms embargo against the military of Burma. 

Whereas the military of Burma (also referred to as the 

‘‘Tatmadaw’’) conducted a coup against the democratically elected civilian government on February 1, 2021; 

Whereas, on February 2, 2021, the Department of State concluded that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Burma’s ruling party, and President Win Myint, the duly 

elected head of government, were deposed in a military 

coup on February 1, 2021; 


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•HRES 85 IH 

Whereas the Tatmadaw has detained the elected civilian leaders of the country, nullified the results of the November 

2020 democratic elections, and installed a junta, the 

State Administration Council, under a ‘‘state of emergency’’; 

Whereas the Tatmadaw has restricted freedom of movement, 

telecommunications, internet service, and the media, limiting access to information to and from Burma during a 

political crisis and international pandemic; 

Whereas protests opposing the coup have continued across 

Burma, and hundreds of innocent people have died at the 

hands of the Tatmadaw through the brutal use of force; 

Whereas the United States has sanctioned Tatmadaw officials, including Commander in Chief Min Aung Hlaing 

and Burma’s chief of police, Than Hlaing, and Bureau 

of Special Operations commander, Lieutenant General 

Aung Soe; 

Whereas the United States has also designated two entities 

linked to the coup leaders, Myanma Economic Holdings 

Public Company Limited (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation Limited (MEC); 

Whereas, on April 13, 2021, the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said, 

‘‘There are clear echoes of Syria in 2011.’’ in the current 

situation in Burma, and warned, ‘‘I fear the situation in 

Myanmar is heading towards a full-blown conflict. States 

must not allow the deadly mistakes of the past in Syria 

and elsewhere to be repeated.’’; and 

Whereas, on February 3, 2021, United Nations Secretary 

General Anto ́nio Guterres stated, ‘‘We will do everything 

we can to mobilize all the key actors and international 


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•HRES 85 IH 

community to put enough pressure on Myanmar to make 

sure that this coup fails.’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that— 

3 (1) the United Nations Security Council should 

4 immediately impose an arms embargo against the 

5 military of Burma to prevent the continued acquisi6 tion of arms and military equipment and the pro7 liferation of weapons throughout the country, and to 

8 hold the Tatmadaw accountable for— 

9 (A) ongoing violations of human rights and 

10 the security forces’ history of grave abuses 

11 against peaceful protestors of military rule and 

12 against the Rohingya and other ethnic minority 

13 groups; 

14 (B) obstructing humanitarian access to ci15 vilian populations in dire need of assistance; 

16 (C) using increasingly lethal force against 

17 peaceful, prodemocracy demonstrators; and 

18 (D) threatening and arbitrarily detaining 

19 government officials, activists, journalists, stu20 dents, and civil servants, and imposing rolling 

21 internet shutdowns that put lives at risk; 

22 (2) the lifting of a United Nations arms embar23 go should be contingent upon the Tatmadaw— 

24 (A) implementing a permanent cease-fire; 


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•HRES 85 IH 

1 (B) releasing the democratically elected 

2 government leaders from imprisonment; 

3 (C) bearing the primary responsibility for 

4 gross human rights abuses and forced displace5 ment perpetrated by the Tatmadaw’s violent 

6 rule, including but not limited to the Rohingya, 

7 Karen, Rakhine, and Kachin ethnic minorities; 

8 (D) allowing for consistent, unimpeded hu9 manitarian access to vulnerable civilian popu10 lations; 

11 (E) fully restoring internet and tele12 communications access within the country of 

13 Burma; and 

14 (F) establishing a clear and verifiable proc15 ess to immediately transition power back to a 

16 democratically elected civilian-led government; 

17 and 

18 (3) the international community should con19 tinue to support civilians, particularly ethnic minori20 ties, who have been adversely affected by the coup 

21 in Burma and should promote peace and reconcili22 ation dialogues within local civil society. 

Æ 


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