U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement on the Senate Floor Thursday regarding his meeting in Burma with Nobel Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the steps the oppressed country has taken towards forming a democratic society:
Washington, D.C.– U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement on the Senate Floor Thursday regarding his meeting in Burma with Nobel Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the steps the oppressed country has taken towards forming a democratic society:
“I want to briefly address my colleagues on a very important trip I took recently to a country that, for much of the past 50 years, has ranked among the world’s most isolated and oppressed by its own government. Many of us wondered if things would ever change in Burma. But after my recent visit, I’m pleased to say that change is clearly in the air.
“It appears that Burma has made more progress toward democracy in the past six months than it has in decades. As one who has taken a strong interest in Burma for over 20 years, and as the lead author in this chamber of an annual sanctions bill aimed at encouraging the Burmese government to reform, this is welcome news.
“On this trip I had the great honor and privilege to meet the woman who, for over two decades, has embodied the struggle for peace in her oppressed country.
“After Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party won 80 percent of the vote in a free and fair election in 1990, the Burmese military regime dismissed the results and kept her under house arrest for most of the last 22 years. Scores of other political reformers were jailed or tortured, and the regime waged a brutal campaign against ethnic minorities, driving many from their homes to refugee camps.
“But by her courage and patience that justice delayed would not be justice denied, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has kept the hope of freedom in her country alive.
“I’ve long admired Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from afar. She once took a great risk to smuggle out of Burma a letter thanking me for my support, a letter I proudly have to this day. But never, Mr. President, did I think I would get to meet the Nobel Laureate in person. It was quite a moment.
“Following an election in 2010 that was widely thought to be unfree and unfair, the new civilian government in Burma has made undeniably positive steps toward reform. In addition to releasing Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, scores of other political prisoners have been freed. In my visit, I spoke with two who had just been released days before my arrival.
“And one of the longest-standing armed conflicts in the world—the Burmese government’s campaign against the ethnic minority called the Karen—has apparently been brought to a close.
“Many Karen people who have fled Burma now call Kentucky home. I had the chance to meet with many of them, and other refugees from Burma now resettled in Kentucky, at Louisville’s Crescent Hill Baptist Church this Saturday. I enjoyed meeting them and was pleased to relay to them the same message I share with my colleagues today—that change is in the air for their country.
“Because of all these positive developments, I applaud Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent decision to exchange ambassadors with Burma for the first time in 20 years.
“Of course, the government of Burma still has a substantial way to go to achieve real, lasting reform. I would not support, and I don’t think the administration would support, lifting the sanctions that have been imposed unless there is much further progress.
“The next test will be elections to fill 48 seats of the national parliament on April 1. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi intends to run as the representative of a district with a significant Karen population.
“This election will give the new government an opportunity to hold the first free and fair elections in Burma since 1990, and also demonstrate the seriousness of its recent reform efforts.
“The government must also fully and peacefully reconcile with Burma’s ethnic minorities. This is vital.
“Reports indicate that the military continues to engage in hostilities with the Kachin. That is troubling. And questions about Burma’s relationship with North Korea must be answered.
“As the new government enacts reforms, we should respond with meaningful gestures of our own in hopes of encouraging further positive developments from Burma’s leaders. Reformers like new president Thein Sein, whom I also met on my trip, are strengthened when they can show results. Steps like exchanging ambassadors with the United States would enable them to do just that.
“My trip to Burma has filled me with hope for its people—hope that they will one day be free to elect their own leaders, and hope that every person, regardless of ethnic group, can enjoy equal rights and full protection under the rule of law.
“It also reaffirmed for me that the desire to be free is universal, and that the patient, yet persistent leadership of one woman can make a tremendous difference.
“These are exciting times for all who care about the future of the people of Burma, Mr. President. I know that includes a great many of my colleagues. Burma has quite a long way to go, but it is moving in the right direction.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today made the following statement during a press conference in Rangoon:
“Good evening. It is a pleasure to return to this wonderful country. I am joined today by three of my colleagues from the U.S. Senate: Senator Joe Lieberman from Connecticut, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island, and Senator Kelly Ayotte from New Hampshire.
“This is my second opportunity to visit this country since the civilian government took office. On my last visit, I suggested that for the relationship between our countries were to improve, it would require concrete actions, not just talk, from both sides. This is now happening.
“President Thein Sein and his government, with the critical support of Aung San Suu Kyi, are taking real steps toward political and economic reform. In response, the United States government is also taking steps to deepen our support for this process of reform, including the return of a U.S. ambassador.
“It is clear to us that there is strong support on all sides for greater democratic and economic reforms in this country, and for further actions to bring our governments and peoples closer together. We in Congress share these goals and aspirations, and we are committed to begin easing and lifting U.S. sanctions as conditions warrant. But for this progress to be possible, the U.S. Administration and the Congress are united in what additional actions we wish to see from the leaders in Nay Pyi Taw.
“First, while hundreds of political prisoners have been released, we urged President Thein Sein to unconditionally free the hundreds more who remain behind bars. It is important that the International Red Cross have access to these and all of the other prisoners in this country, which can help to improve their condition.
“We are also eager to see the by-election in April conducted freely, fairly, and consistent with international standards. To assist with this process, we urged the government to invite objective international groups to observe the voting.
“Another area that we will watch closely for continued progress is the long-running conflicts between the government and ethnic minority groups. It is encouraging that President Thein Sein has ordered the military to halt attacks and has pursued cease-fire agreements in these contested areas. We hope that steps can be taken to ensure that the President’s orders are followed by commanders on the ground, that the fighting is brought to an end, and that domestic and international organizations be given full access to the conflict areas for humanitarian purposes.
“Finally, the United States will continue to urge the government in Nay Pyi Taw to build a democratic system based on the rule of law. This is not only essential to ensuring the basic human rights and freedoms of all people in this country. It is also a prerequisite to attract foreign investment. Abiding by the rule of law also extends to fulfilling international obligations under United Nations Security Council Resolutions that pertain to military cooperation with North Korea.
“I am confident that President Thein Sein seeks to make progress in each of these areas – not because the United States requires it, but because it can improve the lives of people here, and because it can strengthen the sovereignty and independence of this nation. As this process of reform continues, the Congress will examine how to gradually ease sanctions in ways that benefit ordinary Burmese and reinforce the democratic and economic reforms being enacted. However, any easing of sanctions should only begin after an assessment can be made of the April by-election and in coordination with our international partners.
“If you had asked me during my last visit here whether I could envision the Congress lifting all sanctions against this country, I would have said that such a scenario seemed faint and distant. Today, however, it appears increasingly possible. It is our hope that, with further concrete steps toward democratic and economic reform by the government and people of this great country, our nations will be able to open an entirely new and promising chapter in our relationship.”
STATEMENT BY SENATOR McCAIN ON THE RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS BY PRESIDENT THEIN SEIN
January 13, 2012
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today released the following statement on the release of political prisoners by President Thein Sein and other developments:
“Today’s release of hundreds of political prisoners by President Thein Sein is a significant positive development. Those individuals now freed include many long-serving, high-profile, and courageous champions of democracy, whom I and others in the international community have consistently urged the government to release. I hope the release of these men and women demonstrates that President Thein Sein’s government is committed to continuing to fulfill all of its promises of democratic reform. I urge the leadership in Nay Pyi Taw to release all of the remaining prisoners of conscience in the country as soon as possible.
“I am also encouraged by reports of a ceasefire agreement between the government and the Karen National Union. Implementing such an agreement would be an important step forward in helping the country end its long-running internal conflicts, which have destroyed the lives of countless people. Democratic reform can only be a reality when the entire country is at peace and all of its citizens, especially ethnic minorities, no longer live in fear of violence and abuse.
“In light of these positive steps, I welcome Secretary Clinton’s announcement that the United States will now begin the process of normalizing diplomatic relations with the government in Nay Pyi Taw, including the exchange of Ambassadors. I will be traveling with a Congressional delegation to Southeast Asia next week, which will include visits to Nay Pyi Taw and Rangoon. I look forward to continuing my discussions with government leaders and Aung San Suu Kyi about the next steps of their country’s development and how the United States, especially the Congress, can support this process of change.”
WASHINGTON—Top US lawmaker Joseph Crowley will travel to Burma later this week, making him the first US diplomat to visit this Southeast Asian nation since Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State, made a historic trip last month.
While in Burma on Jan. 12-13, New York Congressman Crowley is expected to meet with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic minority leaders, as well as government officials.
“I am visiting the country to assess the situation on the ground, as well as to encourage the government to continue on the path of reform. While the government has taken some steps in the direction of reform, there is more that needs to be done,” Crowley said.
“I am also very much looking forward to my meetings with Aung San Suu Kyi, a leader I have admired for years,” said Crowley, who has been leader of pro-Burma activities in the US House of Representatives.
Crowley has spearheaded efforts to strengthen sanctions on Burma’s military leaders through the Block Burmese JADE Act, authoring legislation to renew the ban on all imports from Burma contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act, and leading the successful effort to award Aung San Suu Kyi the Congressional Gold Medal.
Crowley will travel to Burma from India where he is travelling as a member of a Congressional delegation.
Crowley said that, in the immediate wake of Clinton's visit, the Burmese government needs to show to the world it is serious about reform, and that this policy is irreversible, by take concrete actions including an immediate end to the ongoing human rights abuses.
“Secretary Clinton’s trip turned the global spotlight on Burma, but the onus for change ultimately lies in the hands of those who hold the levers of power—the ruling government of Burma and its military,” he told The Irrawaddy in an interview.
“If there is going to be genuine change, one thing is clear—it must start with concrete action that includes an immediate end to ongoing human rights abuses,” he said.
Crowley had alleged that the regime and the military are repressive. “It is engaged in rape, murder, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity in Burma. They have a long way to go before they will convince me that they are in fact on a path towards democracy,” he said.
Referring to the recent statement by US President Barack Obama that there is a “flicker of progress” in Burma, Crowley said, “I think the US is there to blow a little oxygen into it and add some kindling to it, to demonstrate the willingness of the United States to move Burma towards democracy.”
(J. Scott Applewhite/AP) - Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) said the Senate Foreign Relations Committee received information roughly five years ago that the Burmese government intended to develop nuclear weapons with the help of North Korea.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee received information roughly five years ago that the Burmese government intended to develop nuclear weapons with the help of North Korea, according to Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.).
The committee at the time relayed the details to U.S. officials but did not release the information publicly, according to Keith Luse, a committee staff member.
Lugar’s statement, to be released Friday, comes ahead of a trip to Burma by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who will be the first of her rank to travel to the isolated and authoritarian country in half a century.
“With the upcoming visit, Senator Lugar wanted to throw a spotlight on this issue and make sure it’s on the table in our talks with the Burmese government,” Luse said. Lugar is the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee.
Burmese officials have denied nuclear ambitions and told Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) during a visit in June that their country was too poor to pursue a nuclear arms program.
But for years, U.S. officials have kept close watch over the relationship between North Korea and Burma — two of the world’s most heavily sanctioned governments and both accused of human rights abuses.
In recent years, the U.S. Navy has turned away North Korean ships suspected of carrying weapons to Burma, also known as Myanmar. Defectors have emerged from Burma with allegations that the country is pursuing nuclear technology. And diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks last year described suspicions among U.S. officials of clandestine cooperation between the two isolated countries and indications that hundreds of North Koreans were at one point working at a covert military site in the Burmese jungle.
“The sincerity with which a wide range of reforms has been promised by the Burmese government must be judged by whether the words are followed by actions,” Lugar said in his statement. “An early goal of the tentative U.S. re-engagement with Burma should be full disclosure of the extent and intent of the developing Burmese nuclear program.”
Clinton leaves for Asia on Monday and will first stop in South Korea to take part in talks on international aid before flying to Burma.
US Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner joined Derek Mitchell for talks with Burmese ministers (Reuters)
US officials currently in Burma have held talks with the country’s foreign minister amid the strongest push yet by Washington to reengage with a government it considers more intent on reform than its prior incarnation.
The US delegation is the latest in a flurry of diplomatic maneuvering by key players in the international community, and coincides with a visit by Ban Ki-moon’s chief of staff, Vijay Nambiar, who has stepped in as acting UN envoy to Burma.
A US embassy spokesperson in Rangoon told DVB that the two US officials, Ambassador Derek Mitchell and Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights, Michael Posner, held talks with Wunna Maung Lwin yesterday. The three had “detailed discussions on political prisoners, and on political reconciliation with both the democratic opposition and armed ethnic groups,” according to the spokesperson.
It is the third time since September that Mitchell has visited Burma, having only just rounded off a two-day trip on Wednesday last week. Observers consider the intensity of Washington’s efforts to engage the government as a sign that the Obama administration is attempting to break with past US policy of isolationism, although officials have remained coy about the future of US sanctions on Burma.
Posner reportedly told the head of the Democratic Party Myanmar, Thu Wei, that “the US will look to revoke sanctions step-by-step” if key demands are met. These include a greater space for opposition political parties to operate in, as well as the full release of political prisoners and “peace making”, likely referring to ongoing conflicts between Naypyidaw and ethnic armies.
According to Thu Wei, Posner was in Burma to “see how solid the changes are”, and said that Washington considers the process of reform to be “rapidly taking place”.
While the issue of human rights and political freedom dominates the rhetoric of Washington’s approach to Burma, it has also made little secret of its desire to contain China’s growing clout in the region by drawing strategically valuable Southeast Asian states such as Burma and Vietnam into its own orbit.
Mitchell’s consecutive visits may be an attempt to exploit an apparent fissure in relations between Burma and its most prized ally, China, following President Thein Sein’s decision in early October to scrap the China-backed Myitsone dam. There is thought to be unease in the top echelons of the Burmese government over its increasing subservience to China, although Wunna Maung Lwin was quickly dispatched to Beijing following the Myitsone announcement to help mend relations.
In a lengthy article by Hillary Clinton in Foreign Policy magazine last month, the Secretary of State spoke of the need for the US gain a foothold in the Asia-Pacific after decades spent watching its influence there decline.
Under the title of ‘America’s Pacific Century’, she wrote: “In a time of scarce resources, there’s no question that we need to invest them wisely where they will yield the biggest returns, which is why the Asia-Pacific represents such a real 21st-century opportunity for us.”
Washington will closely monitor any signs of tension between Burma and China, as it has done over the past year with Vietnam, which is currently at loggerheads with Beijing over maritime boundaries in the South China Sea. A panel of experts are due in Washington DC on Friday to conduct a forum on China-Burma relations and US interests in the region.
In a telling sign of US interests in the region, the conference is part-sponsored by Chevron, which operates a controversial pipeline in Burma and is the US’ key economic interest in the country, and includes Professor Li Chenyang, one of a team of Chinese academics who made the first public proposal for the trans-Burma Shwe gas pipeline, financed by Beijing. China’s unease over the stability of its eastern seaboard and the Malacca Straits chokepoint, through which much of its oil cargoes travel, largely prompted it to build the pipeline through Burma.
Pre-Hearing Questions for the Record Submitted to Ambassador - Designate Suzan Johnson Cook by Senator Richard Lugar (#21)
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Question:
The state of religious freedom in Burma, designated a CPC since 1999, continues to decline following the killing, arrest, and torture of monks participating in a non-violent protest in September, 2007. The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has targeted monasteries, created “Muslim Free Zones,” and forcibly promoted Buddhism throughout the country. What is an appropriate strategy for the U.S. to address religious freedom challenges in Burma? How would you alter IRF policy with regard to Burma?
Answer:
The repressive military regime in Burma continues to engage in systematic violations of human rights and religious freedom against a large number of its citizens. The continued imprisonment of monks for involvement in the 2007 protests is contemptible and hardly consistent with the regime’s claim to be the protector of Buddhism. There is also particular concern over the scale of the repression against the Muslim Rohingya, their lack of citizenship, severe government restrictions on their travel, and discrimination in employment and educational opportunities. Christian and Muslim groups also have difficulties importing religious texts, propagating their faith, and obtaining permits to build, maintain, or modify places of worship in most regions.
The regime maintains a pervasive internal security apparatus that infiltrates -- or monitors the activities of -- religious groups. The government applies pressure on some students and
underprivileged youth to convert to Buddhism and then seeks to control Buddhist organizations to ensure they do not again demand respect for human rights, as they did in 2007. Adherence or conversion to state-controlled Buddhism is generally a prerequisite for promotion to senior government and military ranks. The army’s attacks in ethnic minority regions, where there are higher concentrations of Christians and Muslims, have resulted in hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons and refugees.
We should continue to include raising religious freedom concerns regularly as part of wider
U.S. policy toward Burma, especially with those countries that provide Burma commercial advantages and diplomatic support. We should continue to engage within the multilateral context on efforts toward reform in Burma, particularly with neighboring ASEAN nations, and also encourage the work of NGOs supporting human rights and religious freedom both inside and outside of the country.
Baucus Hails Senate Renewal of Sanctions Against Burma
Washington, DC – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) today applauded the Senate’s renewal of trade sanctions against Burma. The renewal came in response to the Burmese government’s continued human rights violations and suppression of political opposition. Several other nations, including Canada, Australia and the members of the European Union have also imposed sanctions. Chairman Baucus issued and entered into the record the following statement yesterday urging the Senate to renew the import sanctions, which include a comprehensive ban on products of Burmese origin:
Nelson Mandela once said, “There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere.”
The walk to freedom for the Burmese people has certainly not been easy, and it is far from complete. The military-controlled government that rules Burma continues to maintain its tight grip over the Burmese people through fear, intimidation and violence.
According to the State Department, over the last year the Burmese regime has “severely restricted and frequently violated freedoms of assembly, expression, association, movement and religion.” And in furthering its hold over Burmese society, the regime has committed crimes of murder, abduction, rape, torture, recruitment of child soldiers and forced labor – all with impunity.
In recent months, however, we have seen some encouraging steps. Last November, the Burmese regime released Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese democracy leader and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, after a long and unjustified incarceration. The regime has made some modest movement towards dialogue with the opposition.
But it is far too soon to think that the walk to freedom has succeeded. Just two months after releasing Aung San Suu Kyi, the regime dissolved the National League for Democracy, which has sought to bring democracy to Burma for more than 20 years. And the regime keeps more than two thousand political prisoners in detention.
As Aung San Suu Kyi herself has said, “If my people are not free, how can you say I’m free? We are none of us free.”
In order to help the Burmese people on their march to freedom, I urge my colleagues to extend our sanctions against Burmese imports for another year.
Several of our trading partners — including the European Union, Canada, and Australia — have joined us in imposing trade and investment sanctions against Burma. These sanctions have put significant pressure on the Burmese leadership.
So let us extend the import sanctions on Burma for another year, and let us do our part to help the Burmese people complete their long walk to freedom.
A group of women U.S. senators have accused Burma's military of using rape as a weapon of war and are urging Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to pressure the Burmese government to halt the practice.
In a letter Wednesday, the bi-partisan group asked Secretary Clinton to support establishment of an international commission of inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma.
The letter cites a report saying that 18 ethnic Kachin women were gang-raped by government troops during the fighting that ended a 17-year cease-fire, and says there are similar reports from neighboring Shan state, where hostilities have also resumed.
Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer and Republicans Kay Bailey Hutchison are among the 13 signatories.
The lawmakers also quote Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who said that rape is used in her country as a weapon by armed forces to intimidate ethnic groups and divide the country. The Nobel Prize laureate made the statement in a video-taped message to a Nobel Women's conference in May.
Human rights groups have repeatedly condemned Burma's authorities for abusing rights of its minority groups. Amnesty International says government troops for decades have used rape, torture, forced relocation and killing to intimidate ethnic minorities into ending their campaign for autonomy.
Larger groups such as Shan, Karen and Kachin people have been especially targeted.
The United States last week appointed its first special envoy to Burma in a move to coordinate efforts with U.S. allies to get Burma's new government to implement democratic reforms. Derek Mitchell will lead U.S. efforts to improve what he called the southeast Asian nation's abysmal human rights record during four decades of military rule.
A new, nominally civilian government was elected last November in a vote orchestrated by the military.
WASHINGTON — Veteran Asia hand Derek Mitchell has been confirmed as the first US special envoy to Myanmar, who will pursue President Barack Obama's policy of engaging the military-backed regime.
In addition to endorsing Mitchell, the Senate late Tuesday confirmed the appointment of career foreign service officer David Bruce Shear as the new ambassador to Vietnam, who succeeds Michael Michalak.
Mitchell fills a post that was created when Congress, under then-president George W. Bush, approved a wide-ranging law on Myanmar in 2008 that tightened sanctions.
The position was not filled at the time due to a political dispute.
After Obama took office in January 2009, his administration concluded that the sanctions aimed at isolating Myanmar had been ineffective and initiated a dialogue with the junta while maintaining the sanctions.
The United States has voiced disappointment over developments in Myanmar, including an election in November widely denounced as a sham, but has said that it sees no alternative to engagement at such a fluid time.
In his Senate confirmation hearing in June, Mitchell said he would seek "direct and candid" dialogue with Myanmar's leaders and that the United States should "respond flexibly and with agility to opportunities as they arise."
Mitchell had served until now as principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs.
Shear, the new ambassador to Vietnam, served as the deputy assistant secretary for east Asian and Pacific Affairs.
During a 30-year career in the foreign service, he has also served in Sapporo, Beijing, Tokyo, and Kuala Lumpur.
The Senate also confirmed Earl Anthony Wayne as the US ambassador to Mexico, replacing Carlos Pascual who resigned in March after Mexican President Felipe Calderon said leaked diplomatic cables written by him damaged bilateral ties.
The Senate was still mulling the nominations of Robert Ford to Syria and Francis Ricciardone to Turkey.
Obama temporarily appointed them to their positions in January during a recess of the Senate where their nominations had been blocked.
Ford's appointment came almost six years after Washington withdrew ambassador Margaret Scobey following the February 2005 assassination in Beirut of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri in a massive car bomb.
WASHINGTON: The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to renew for one year a ban on imports from Myanmar over alleged human rights abuses by its military rulers.
Lawmakers approved the bill, which has sailed through the US Congress annually since the restrictions first passed in 2003, by a voice vote.
