III
Calendar No. 294
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 211
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
NOVEMBER 15, 2001
Received and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
DECEMBER 14, 2001
Reported by Mr. BIDEN, with an amendment and an amendment to the
preamble
[Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic]
[Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic]
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Commending Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on the 10th anniver-
sary of her receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and express-
ing the sense of the Congress with respect to the Govern-
ment of Burma.
Whereas since 1962, the people of Burma have lived under
a repressive military regime;
Whereas in 1988, the people of Burma rose up in massive
prodemocracy demonstrations;
Whereas in response to this call for change, the Burmese
military brutally suppressed these demonstrations;
•HCON 211 RS
Whereas opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was
placed under house arrest after these demonstrations;
Whereas in the 1990 Burmese elections, Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi led the National League for Democracy and affiliated
parties to a landslide victory, winning 80 percent of the
parliamentary seats;
Whereas the ruling military regime rejected this election and
proceeded to arrest hundreds of members of the National
League for Democracy;
Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s freedom of speech was re-
stricted by the military regime;
Whereas in recognition of her efforts to bring democracy to
Burma, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize on October 14, 1991;
Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi remained under unlawful
house arrest until 1995;
Whereas even after her release, the Burmese military regime,
known as the State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC), has continued to ignore the basic human rights
of 48,000,000 Burmese citizens and has brutally sup-
pressed any opposition to its authority;
Whereas according to the State Department, the SPDC has
made no significant progress toward stopping the practice
of human trafficking, whereby thousands of people have
been sent to Thailand for the purpose of factory and
household work and for sexual exploitation;
Whereas the SPDC has forced civilians to work in industrial,
military,
and
infrastructure
construction
operations
throughout Burma, and on a large-scale basis has tar-
geted ethnic and religious minorities for this work;
•HCON 211 RS
Whereas a Department of Labor report in 2000 described the
human rights abuses of forced laborers, including beat-
ing, torture, starvation, and summary executions;
Whereas
the
worldwide
scourge
of
heroin
and
methamphetamines is significantly aggravated by large-
scale cultivation and production of these drugs in Burma;
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Agency has reported that
Burma is the world’s second largest producer of opium
and opiate-based drugs;
Whereas officials in Thailand have estimated that as many as
800 million tablets of methamphetamine will be smuggled
into their country this year, contributing to the growing
methamphetamine problem in Thailand;
Whereas there are as many as a million internally displaced
persons in Burma;
Whereas the SPDC has severely restricted Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi’s political activities;
Whereas in September 2000, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was
placed under house arrest when she attempted to visit a
National League for Democracy party office on the out-
skirts of Rangoon, and again when she attempted to trav-
el by train to Mandalay;
Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has recently begun talks
with the SPDC which are welcomed by the international
community, although the slow pace of the talks reflects
on the SPDC’s sincerity to move toward national rec-
onciliation;
Whereas the SPDC has recently allowed the National
League for Democracy to open some political offices,
•HCON 211 RS
and has released some political prisoners, although over
1,800 such prisoners are believed to remain imprisoned;
Whereas with the exception of these positive developments
the SPDC has made little progress in improving
human rights conditions and restoring democracy to
the country;
Whereas the SPDC has continued to restrict the political
power of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the National
League for Democracy;
Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s struggle to assert the
rights of her people has spread beyond politics and into
popular culture, as evidenced by others championing
her cause, most notably the rock group U2 in their song
‘‘Walk On’’, which is banned in Burma; and
Whereas, in the face of oppression, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
has remained an outspoken champion of democracy
and freedom: Now, therefore, be it
Whereas, since 1962, the people of Burma have lived under a
repressive military regime;
Whereas, in 1988, the people of Burma rose up in massive pro-
democracy demonstrations;
Whereas, in response to this call for change, the Burmese mili-
tary brutally suppressed these demonstrations;
Whereas opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was placed
under house arrest after these demonstrations;
Whereas, in the 1990 Burmese elections, Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi led the National League for Democracy and affiliated
•HCON 211 RS
parties to a landslide victory, winning 80 percent of the
parliamentary seats;
Whereas the ruling military regime rejected this election and
proceeded to arrest hundreds of members of the National
League for Democracy;
Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s freedom of speech, assem-
bly, association, and movement was restricted by the mili-
tary regime;
Whereas, in recognition of her efforts to bring democracy to
Burma, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize on December 10, 1991;
Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi remained under unlawful
house arrest until 1995;
Whereas, even after the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the
Burmese military regime, known as the State Peace and
Development Council (in this concurrent resolution re-
ferred to as the ‘‘SPDC’’), has continued to ignore the
basic human rights of 48,000,000 Burmese citizens and
has brutally suppressed any opposition to its authority;
Whereas, according to the Department of State, the SPDC has
made no significant progress toward stopping the practice
of human trafficking, whereby thousands of people have
been sent to Thailand and other countries for the purpose
of factory and household work and for sexual exploitation;
Whereas the SPDC has forced civilians to work in industrial,
military, and infrastructure construction operations
throughout Burma, and on a large-scale basis has targeted
ethnic and religious minorities for this work;
Whereas a Department of Labor report in 2000 described the
human rights abuses of forced laborers, including beating,
torture, starvation, and summary executions;
•HCON 211 RS
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration has reported
that Burma is the world’s second largest producer of
opium and opiate-based drugs;
Whereas officials in Thailand have estimated that as many as
800 million tablets of methamphetamine will be smuggled
into their country this year, contributing to the growing
methamphetamine problem in Thailand;
Whereas there are as many as a million internally displaced
persons in Burma;
Whereas the SPDC continues to severely restrict the political
activities of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the National
League for Democracy;
Whereas, in September 2000, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was
placed under house arrest when she attempted to visit a
National League for Democracy party office on the out-
skirts of Rangoon, and again when she attempted to travel
by train to Mandalay;
Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the SPDC have recently
begun talks under the auspices of the United Nations Spe-
cial Envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, which are welcomed
by the international community;
Whereas the SPDC has recently allowed the National League
for Democracy to open some political offices, and has re-
leased some political prisoners, although over 1,800 such
prisoners are believed to remain imprisoned;
Whereas, with the exception of these positive developments, the
SPDC has made little progress in improving human rights
conditions and restoring democracy to Burma;
Whereas the United Nations General Assembly has recently ex-
pressed its concern over the slow progress in the talks be-
tween Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the SPDC;
•HCON 211 RS
Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s struggle to assert the rights
of her people has spread beyond politics and into popular
culture, as evidenced by others championing her cause,
most notably the rock group U2 in their song ‘‘Walk On’’,
which is banned in Burma;
Whereas Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the recipient of the Presi-
dential Medal of Freedom; and
Whereas, in the face of oppression and at great personal sac-
rifice, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has remained an out-
spoken champion of democracy and freedom: Now, there-
fore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives
concurring),
That—
(1) the Congress commends and congratulates
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on the 10th anniversary of
her receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, and recognizes
her remarkable contributions and tireless work to-
ward bringing peace and democracy to Burma;
(2) it is the sense of the Congress that the
President and Secretary of State should continue to
encourage the Government of Burma to restore basic
human rights to the Burmese people, to eliminate
the practice of human trafficking, to address the
manufacture of heroin and methamphetamines, to
continue the process of releasing political prisoners,
to recognize the results of the 1990 democratic elec-
•HCON 211 RS
tions, and to allow Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the
National League for Democracy to enjoy unfettered
freedom of speech and freedom of movement; and
(3) it is the sense of the Congress that Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi should be invited to address a
joint meeting of the Congress at such time and
under such circumstances as will, in the judgment of
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, advance rather than en-
danger her continued ability to work within Burma
for the rights of the Burmese people.
SECTION 1. COMMENDATION OF DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI
AND SENSE OF CONGRESS WITH RESPECT TO
THE GOVERNMENT OF BURMA.
(a) COMMENDATION OF DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI.—
Congress—
(1) commends and congratulates Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi on the 10th anniversary of her receiving the
Nobel Peace Prize; and
(2) recognizes her remarkable contributions and
tireless work toward bringing national reconciliation
and democracy to Burma.
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress
that the President and the Secretary of State should con-
tinue to encourage the SPDC to—
•HCON 211 RS
(1) restore basic human rights to the Burmese
people;
(2) eliminate the practice of human trafficking;
(3) address the manufacture of heroin and
methamphetamines;
(4) release all political prisoners;
(5) remove all restrictions on the freedom of
speech, assembly, association, and movement of Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi and members of the National
League for Democracy;
(6) recognize the results of the 1990 democratic
elections; and
(7) take concrete steps to achieve national rec-
onciliation and the restoration of democracy through
genuine and substantive dialogue with Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi.