SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Block Burmese JADE 
(Junta’s Anti-Democratic Efforts) Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Burmese regime has continued and 
worsened its obstruction of democratic processes and 
mass violation of human rights identified in the Bur-
mese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 (Public 
Law 108–61; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note). In August and 
September 2007, Burmese people from all walks of 
life conducted their largest peaceful public protests 
since 1988. The peaceful public protests responded 
to a drastic increase in fuel prices, as well as the 
Burmese regime’s ongoing denial of the democratic 
and human rights of the Burmese people. On Sep-
tember 24, 2007, Buddhist monks actively partici-
pated and increasingly led these peaceful demonstra-
tions, culminating in an estimated 100,000 people 
marching through Rangoon, Burma. The protesters 
peacefully demanded the release of 1991 Nobel 
Peace Prize Winner Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the 
leader of the National League for Democracy 
(NLD), marching past security barricades to her 
house in a show of support for Burmese democracy. 
The Burmese regime continues to refuse to recog-
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nize the results of the 1990 election, won by the 
NLD, which gave Aung San Suu Kyi the right to be 
named Prime Minister. 
(2) The Burmese regime, which calls itself the 
State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), re-
sponded to these peaceful protests with a violent 
crackdown leading to the reported killing of some 
200 people, including a Japanese photojournalist, 
and hundreds of injuries. Human rights groups fur-
ther estimate that over 2,000 individuals have been 
detained, arrested, imprisoned, beaten, tortured, or 
otherwise intimidated as part of this crackdown. The 
Burmese regime continues to detain, torture, and 
otherwise intimidate those individuals whom it be-
lieves participated in or led the protests and it has 
closed down or otherwise limited access to several 
monasteries and temples that played key roles in the 
protests. 
(3) The Burmese regime and its supporters fi-
nance their ongoing violations of human rights, un-
democratic policies, and military activities through 
financial transactions, travel, and trade involving the 
United States, including the sale of gemstones. De-
spite the sanctions imposed in the Burmese Freedom 
and Democracy Act of 2003, the Burmese regime 
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seeks out ways to evade these restrictions. Millions 
of dollars in gemstones that are exported from 
Burma ultimately enter the United States but the 
Burmese regime attempts to conceal the origin of 
the gemstones in an effort to evade the sanctions in 
the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003. 
For example, over 90 percent of the world’s ruby 
supply originates in Burma but only three percent of 
the rubies entering the United States are claimed to 
be of Burmese origin. The value of Burmese 
gemstones is more than 99 percent a function of 
their original quality and geological origin, and not 
a result of the labor involved in cutting and 
polishing the gemstones. 
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE BURMESE FREEDOM AND 
DEMOCRACY ACT OF 2003. 
(a) ANNUAL RENEWAL RESOLUTIONS NO LONGER 
REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (b) of section 9 
of the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 
2003 is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) CONTINUATION OF IMPORT SANCTIONS.—The 
import restrictions under section 3(a)(1) shall continue 
until such time as such restrictions are terminated— 
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‘‘(1) pursuant to the enactment into law of a 
joint resolution of the two Houses of Congress, the 
sole matter after the resolving clause of which is as 
follows: ‘That Congress terminates the import re-
strictions under section 3(a)(1) of the Burmese 
Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003.’; or 
‘‘(2) by the President in accordance with sub-
section (a).’’. 
(2) REPEAL.—Section 9 of such Act is amend-
ed by striking subsection (c). 
(b) IMPORT RESTRICTIONS ON GEMSTONES.—Para-
graph (1) of section 3(a) of the Burmese Freedom and 
Democracy Act of 2003 is amended by striking the period 
at the end and inserting the following: ‘‘, including the 
importation of any gemstone or rough unfinished geologi-
cal material mined or extracted from Burma, whether im-
ported as a loose item or as any part or component of 
a finished piece of jewelry. Such restriction on such impor-
tation shall not be deemed to be an amendment to the 
general rules of origin applied by the United States.’’. 
(c) VISA BAN.—Paragraph (1) of section 6(a) of the 
Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 is amend-
ed to read as follows: 
‘‘(1) VISA BAN.— 
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‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of 
State shall deny the issuance of a visa and the 
Secretary of Homeland Security shall deny ad-
mission to the United States to— 
‘‘(i) former and present leadership of 
the SPDC or the Union Solidarity Devel-
opment Association; 
‘‘(ii) any member of the Burmese 
military involved in the violent repression 
of the public protests in Burma in August, 
September, and October 2007; 
‘‘(iii) any Burmese official who has 
engaged in, ordered, or facilitated acts of 
gross violations of internationally recog-
nized human rights (as defined in section 
502B(d)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act 
of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(d)(1)), either as 
an individual or as a member of a group 
or government; and 
‘‘(iv) any member of the immediate 
family of any individual described in 
clauses (i), (ii), or (iii). 
‘‘(B) WAIVER.—The ban described in sub-
paragraph (A) may be waived only if the Presi-
dent determines and certifies in writing to Con-
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support of an industrial, commercial, or public 
utility operated, controlled, or owned by such 
an individual. 
‘‘(3) EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY.—The Presi-
dent may block all property and interests in property 
of the following persons, to the same extent as prop-
erty and interests in property of a foreign person de-
termined to have committed acts of terrorism for 
purposes of Executive Order No. 13224 of Sep-
tember 21, 2001, (50 U.S.C. 1701 note) may be 
blocked: 
‘‘(A) Persons and financial institutions 
who assist or provide financial, material, or 
technological support for, or financial or other 
services to or in support of, an individual on the 
list specified in section 6(a)(1)(A) or entities 
owned or effectively controlled by such an indi-
vidual. 
‘‘(B) Persons otherwise associated with 
such an individual. 
‘‘(4) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this subsection shall be construed to prohibit any 
contract or other financial transaction with any non-
governmental humanitarian organization in Burma. 
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‘‘(5) EXCEPTIONS.—The prohibitions and re-
strictions described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) 
shall not apply to medicine, medical equipment or 
supplies, food, or any other form of humanitarian 
assistance provided to Burma as relief in response to 
a humanitarian crisis. 
‘‘(6) PENALTIES.—Any person who violates any 
prohibition or restriction described in paragraph (1), 
(2), or (3) shall be subject to the penalties under 
section 6 of the International Emergency Economic 
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to the same extent as 
for a violation under that Act. 
‘‘(7) UNITED
STATES
PERSON
DEFINED.—In 
this subsection, the term ‘United States person’ 
means— 
‘‘(A) any United States citizen or alien 
lawfully admitted for permanent residence to 
the United States; 
‘‘(B) any entity organized under the laws 
of the United States, and any foreign branch or 
subsidiary of such an entity; and 
‘‘(C) any person in the United States.’’. 
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SEC. 4. DENIAL OF TAX BENEFITS RELATING TO THE BUR-
MESE REGIME. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—No deduction or credit against tax 
shall be allowed under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
with respect to amounts paid or incurred with respect to 
the Burmese Government, the SPDC, or a joint produc-
tion agreement relating to the Yadana gas field or pipe-
line. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply to 
amounts paid or incurred after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
Æ 
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