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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1768 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1768

Welcoming the release of Burmese democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize 
   Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi on November 13, 2010, and calling for a 
continued focus on securing the release of all political prisoners and 
                   prisoners of conscience in Burma.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 15, 2010

  Mr. Hastings of Florida (for himself, Ms. Edwards of Maryland, Ms. 
 Bordallo, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, 
Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Holt, Mr. Crowley, Mr. King of New York, Mr. Pitts, 
 Mr. Hall of New York, Mr. Cao, Mr. Schock, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mr. 
  Olver, and Mr. Wolf) submitted the following resolution; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 
  Committees on Ways and Means and the Judiciary, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Welcoming the release of Burmese democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize 
   Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi on November 13, 2010, and calling for a 
continued focus on securing the release of all political prisoners and 
                   prisoners of conscience in Burma.

Whereas Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been imprisoned in Burma 
        for 15 of the last 21 years, and many members of the National League for 
        Democracy (NLD) have been similarly jailed, tortured, or killed;
Whereas Aung San Suu Kyi was first put under house arrest on July 20, 1989, and 
        was offered freedom if she left the country, but refused;
Whereas in 1990, Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the NLD, won the country's 
        first election in decades by a landslide, but the military regime did 
        not honor the election result;
Whereas even under house arrest, she demonstrated unwavering and determined 
        political leadership, provided inspiration, and garnered respect from 
        the people of Burma and democracy-loving people around the world;
Whereas Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her 
        nonviolent struggle against oppression, with the Norwegian Nobel 
        Committee citing her as ``one of the most extraordinary examples of 
        civil courage in Asia in recent decades'';
Whereas Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the highest civilian awards in the United 
        States, including the Presidential Medal of Honor in 2000 which 
        recognizes those individuals who have made ``an especially meritorious 
        contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, 
        world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors'' 
        and, in 2008, the Congressional Medal of Honor for ``her courageous and 
        unwavering commitment to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and democracy 
        in Burma'';
Whereas from broad sanctions to support for the democratic opposition for over a 
        decade, the United States along with many countries and institutions 
        around the world have united to place international pressure for 
        democratic reform in Burma and the release of all Burmese political 
        prisoners;
Whereas the week before the release of Aung San Suu Kyi were the highly 
        contested November 7 Burmese elections, which President Obama declared, 
        ``The November 7 elections in Burma were neither free nor fair, and 
        failed to meet any of the internationally accepted standards associated 
        with legitimate elections. The elections were based on a fundamentally 
        flawed process and demonstrated the regime's continued preference for 
        repression and restriction over inclusion and transparency''; and
Whereas Aung San Suu Kyi is one of over 2,200 political prisoners and one of 
        millions of Burmese struggling against military rule: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) welcomes the release of Burmese democracy leader and 
        Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi;
            (2) honors Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi for 
        her tireless work in pursuit of human rights and democracy in 
        Burma;
            (3) calls for Aung San Suu Kyi's release to be 
        unconditional and final with her security guaranteed;
            (4) calls on governments around the world, including the 
        nations of the European Union and the Association of Southeast 
        Asian Nations (ASEAN) to strengthen sanction regimes against 
        Burma, with the goal of denying the Burmese ruling junta hard 
        currency to continue its campaign of repression;
            (5) calls on the United Nations Security Council to 
        immediately pass a resolution imposing multilateral sanctions 
        on Burma's military regime, including a complete arms embargo, 
        and to take other appropriate action to respond to the growing 
        threat the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) poses in 
        Burma and the region;
            (6) calls for the Administration to fully implement the Tom 
        Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act (Public Law 110-286) to include 
        financial sanctions as well as the appointment of a United 
        States Special Coordinator for Burma;
            (7) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of 
        all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Burma, 
        including Aung San Suu Kyi's supporters in the National League 
        for Democracy and ordinary citizens of Burma, including ethnic 
        minorities, who publicly and courageously speak out against the 
        regime's many injustices; and
            (8) recognizes that the release of Aung San Suu Kyi alone 
        does not ensure democratic progress for the country unless 
        accompanied by an end to crimes against humanity and genuine 
        national reconciliation.
                                 <all>
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