Protect Democracy in Burma Act of 2021

Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman for his leadership, and I thank the ranking member as well.

Madam Speaker, I stand here today to recognize the hardworking Burmese Americans who are here, who are fighting every day for their friends and their relatives in their native land.

On February 1, 2021, hours before the Burmese Parliament was to convene in a new session, Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the Burma ruling party; and President Win Myint, the duly-elected head of government, were deposed in a military coup.

How shameful.

As that coup was done, violence prevailed. And as violence prevailed, people lost their lives.

This is a worthy act of condemnation. I also support H. Res. 134, the resolution condemning the coup in Burma, and condemning the still detaining of Aung San Suu Kyi to her place of residence. She is in danger.

So I rise today to support H.R. 1112, which declares: ``It is the policy of the United States to instruct, as appropriate, representatives of the United States Government to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United

States at the United Nations to hold accountable those responsible for the military coup in Burma.''

The legislation also directs that not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this act that Congress gets a report from the Secretary of State as relates to the military coup in Burma, and provide a description of the efforts taken by the United States to help the people of Burma restore their democratic form of government.

I want to cite a constituent in my district--first of all, the people from Burma who have been generous in their help of Houstonians, their fellow Houstonians, in Hurricane Harvey, in the freeze, in COVID-19-- Mr. Mouton, who has provided resources to all of the people in the area representing the community of those from Burma. He has been generous in his support when people have been in need. That is what people from Burma here in the United States do.

So this statement that we are making is to say that we are standing with the freedom fighters. We are standing with those who believe in democracy.

And I want to salute the Parliament. The Parliament and the duly elected members of the Burmese Parliament who have taken it upon themselves to continue serving as representatives of the people through alternative methods of communicating and convening is courageous and laudable and inspires the respect of freedom-loving people everywhere.

It is our goal, as we stand on the floor of the House, for the American peoples' voices to be heard through H.R. 1112, the Protect Democracy in Burma Act of 2021, and H. Res. 134, the resolution condemning the coup in Burma, and to support the American-Burmese community.

Madam Speaker, as a senior member of the Committee on the Judiciary and the Member of Congress for the Eighteenth Congressional District of Texas, the home of a large and vibrant Burmese community, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1112, the ``Protect Democracy In Burma Act of 2021,'' which condemns the military coup in Burma and calls for the unconditional release of detained democratically-elected leaders and civil society members and declares it the policy of the United States to support a return to Burma's democratic transition.

Madam Speaker, on February 1, 2021, hours before Burmese Parliament was to convene in a new session 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.

As part of the military coup, the Burmese military declared martial law, suspended the civilian led government, and detained newly elected Members of Parliament in the capitol, Naypyidaw, thereby usurping the role of the democratically elected government and parliament.

The inability of newly elected Members of Parliament to begin their official mandate due to the Burmese military's actions directly threatens the democratic trajectory of Burma's Parliament, and thereby the country.

By preventing the Parliament from completing its work, the Burmese military has rendered impossible and effectively nullified the international collaborative relationships that have supported and strengthened the institution, including the Burmese parliament's partnership with HDP.

Because of the Burmese military's seizure of government through the detention of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other government leaders, Burma is not represented by a democratically-elected government.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 1112 declares it to be the policy of the United States to instruct, as appropriate, representatives of the United States Government to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States at the United Nations to hold accountable those responsible for the military coup in Burma.

The legislation also directs the representatives of the United States Government to engage with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and ASEAN member states to promote a return to Burma's democratic transition and democratic values throughout Southeast Asia and support the centrality of ASEAN within the regional architecture of the Indo-Pacific.

Finally, the legislation directs that not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a report on the military coup in Burma and a description of efforts taken by the United States to help the people of Burma restore their democratic form of government.

Madam Speaker, the will and determination of those duly elected Members of the Burmese Parliament who are taking it upon themselves to continue serving as representatives of the people through alternative methods of communicating and convening is courageous, laudable, and inspires the respect of freedom loving people everywhere.

That is why I strongly support H.R. 1112, the ``Protect Democracy in Burma Act of 2021,'' and urge my colleagues to join me in voting for its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a report from the Associated Press detailing the detention of AP reporter Thein Zaw by Burmese authorities.

[From the AP, Mar. 12, 2021]

Myanmar Court Extends Detention of AP Journalist

Yangon, Myanmar (AP).--A court in Myanmar extended on

Friday the pretrial detention of an Associated Press

journalist who was arrested while covering demonstrations

against a coup. He is facing a charge that could send him to

prison for three years.

Thein Zaw, 32, was one of nine media workers taken into

custody during a protest on Feb. 27 in Yangon, the country's

largest city, and has been held without bail. His next

hearing at the Kamayut Township court will be on March 24.

Friday's hearing, which Thein Zaw attended via

videoconference, came at the end of his initial remand

period.

Thein Zaw and at least six other members of the media have

been charged with violating a public order law, according to

his lawyer, Tin Zar Oo, and the independent Assistance

Association for Political Prisoners. Separate hearings were

held Friday for the other detained journalists.

Tin Zar Oo and one of Thein Zaw's brothers were allowed

into the courtroom to take part in the 10-minute

videoconference. Tin Zar Oo said she was able to submit

documents giving her power of attorney for the case, but only

at the next hearing might be allowed to submit a bail

application.

A representative of the U.S. Embassy was also present, said

Aryani Manring, a spokeswoman for the mission.

Thein Zaw had not been seen by his lawyer or any of his

family members since his arrest. Tin Zar Oo said visits at

lnsein Prison, where her client is being held, are not

allowed because of coronavirus concerns, so his family has

been dropping off food and supplies for him at the gate.

Tin Zar Oo said that her client looked healthy during

Friday's hearing, but he suffers from asthma at night. She

said Thein Zaw's brother noted that he had lost weight.

Thein Zaw was arrested as he was photographing police, some

of them armed, charging down a street at anti-coup

protesters. A video shows that although he stepped to the

side of the street to get out of their way, several police

rushed over and surrounded him. One put him in a chokehold as

he was handcuffed and then taken away.

According to the Assistance Association for Political

Prisoners, 38 journalists have been detained since the

military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on

Feb. 1. Nineteen are still incarcerated.

The group says it has verified the detentions of more than

2,000 people as well as 69 deaths.

On Friday, local media in Shan State in eastern Myanmar

reported that a freelance journalist from Poland had been

beaten and arrested by security forces.

The online Kanbawza Tai News said a foreign photojournalist

was arrested Thursday while taking pictures of a protest in

the city of Taunggyi. A photo provided to the news site shows

a man trapped against a wall with one arm raised as he is

surrounded by about 10 soldiers.

Germany's dpa news agency said the man, Robert Bociaga, 30,

has been working for the news service, and it has not been

able to contact him.

``We are deeply shocked by the arrest and apparent

mistreatment of Robert Bociaga,'' said the agency's editor-

in-chief, Sven Goesmann. ``This is an intolerable and

unacceptable attack on the freedom of the press and, even in

this brutal form, is unfortunately not an isolated case.''

The Polish Foreign Ministry confirmed the arrest of a

Polish journalist and said it was trying to contact the

detained man and obtain information about his health and

legal situation.

Earlier this week, Myanmar authorities canceled the

licenses of five local outlets that had extensively covered

the protests. Mizzima, Democratic Voice of Burma, Khit Thit

Media, Myanmar Now and 7Day News have continued operating

despite being barred from broadcasting or publishing on any

media platform.

The Associated Press and many press freedom organizations

have called for the release of Thein Zaw and the other

detained journalists.

The U.S. government, in addition to criticizing the coup

and the violence of Myanmar's security forces, has condemned

the crackdown on the press in the Southeast Asian nation.

``We are deeply concerned about the increasing attacks on

the freedom of expression, including for members of the

press. We call for the release of journalists and for all

others who have been unjustly detained,'' U.S. State

Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters in

Washington on Thursday.

Even during Suu Kyi's time in office, journalists were

often sued for their reporting.

In the highest-profile case, two journalists working for

the Reuters news agency were arrested in 2017 while working

on a story about military violence directed at Myanmar's

Rohingya minority. They were accused of illegally possessing

official documents and sentenced to seven years behind bars

before being freed in 2019 in a mass presidential pardon.

Mr. Zaw has been jailed for covering the violence leveled against anti-coup demonstrators in Burma.

Thanks to Mr. Zaw and other journalists on the ground, we know what is going on in Burma is pure evil. The autocratic strongmen leading this coup are using deadly force to crack down on all dissenting speech. Burmese authorities, under the direction of these military thugs, are actively murdering demonstrators, arresting thousands, and imprisoning international reporters covering the situation.

Senseless violence, military rule, and imprisoning political opponents all fly directly in the face of the democratic values we cherish as Americans.

Today, this Chamber has the opportunity to condemn the hostile takeover of the Burmese Government, defend the demonstrators looking for peace, and stand up for democracy in Burma.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support both H. Res. 134 and H.R. 1112.

Madam Speaker, I thank my distinguished friend for the wonderful work he is doing as our new chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. And I thank my friend, Mr. McCaul, the distinguished ranking member.

Madam Speaker, this is an important bipartisan statement. Lives are at stake. It is urgent this House speak with one voice about what is happening in Myanmar, formerly Burma. The current crisis in the wake of a military coup in which violence is escalating by the day and protestors are being killed by the dozens demands a timely response.

I was pleased to introduce this bill in collaboration with the House Democracy Partnership chairman, Mr. David Price, and our Republican colleague, Mr. Vern Buchanan of Florida.

On February 1, the Burmese military seized control of Burma's Government in a coup d'etat by detaining democratically elected leaders from the National League of Democracy, NLD, just hours before the country's new parliament was set to meet for its first session. And that was following an overwhelming election result in that country.

Among those detained were State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; President U Win Myint; and other senior NLD leaders. In one fell swoop, the military plunged this national democracy into renewed political turmoil just as it was emerging from five decades of military rule and isolation.

In 2015, more than 30 million voters elected the NLD and its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to power in the country's first general election.

The country's first peaceful transfer of power from military rule to a civilian government was celebrated around the world. Pictures of voters proudly raising their ink-stained fingers after the voting in the country's 2015 and 2020 elections had been replaced tragically by images of anger and tears and bloodshed.

The military takeover has jeopardized hard-won progress on everything, from infrastructure or education investments to the country's fragile peace process. It seeks to snuff out the hopes of the Burmese people for a better future.

At least 149 people, including children, have been killed by the security forces. Mass funerals have been conducted all across the country. More than 2,100 individuals--civilians, students, journalists, unionists--have been detained. Millions have poured onto the streets all across Burma to demand a return to democracy, putting themselves at grave risk for the sake of their own freedom.

A civil disobedience movement has emerged with medics, bankers, lawyers, teachers, engineers, factory workers, students, leaving their jobs and their study as a form of resistance against the coup. Despite military orders to shoot to kill, they have not backed down.

While we cannot be on the streets of Yangon or Mandalay or Nay Pyi Taw, we must stand in solidarity with those brave people in their peaceful protests against this coup.

That is what this bill seeks to do. The Protect Democracy in Burma Act would establish that it is the policy of the United States Government to engage with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and their member states to condemn the coup, urge unconditional release of detained leaders and civil society members, and support the immediate return to a democratic transition. It instructs the United States Government to use its voice, vote, and influence in the U.N. to hold accountable those responsible for this coup.

Finally, the legislation states, as the sense of Congress, that the Burmese military has effectively nullified its participation with the House Democracy Partnership--a partnership here at the House that has been in place for the past 5 years.

Madam Speaker, I was privileged, along with our chairman, Mr. Price, to travel to Burma and meet with Aung San Suu Kyi as part of that partnership delegation back in 2016, a visit that reinforced our commitment to supporting Burma's democratization and development. The Burmese military must respect the results of democratic elections and allow the democratic transition in Burma to continue.

Madam Speaker, with this bill, with one voice, Congress will send a clear signal to the military junta that its unlawful seizure of power will not be accepted and there will be hope for the Burmese people.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 134) condemning the military coup that took place on February 1, 2021, in Burma and the Burmese military detention of civilian leaders, calling for the release of all those detained and for those elected to serve in Parliament to resume their duties, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 134.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank Representative Levin for sponsoring this resolution, which condemns the military coup that occurred in Burma on February 1, 2021.

It has been more than 45 days since the Burmese military, also known as the Tatmadaw, arrested several democratically-elected members of government, including the President Win Myint, and the State Counselor, Aung San Suu Kyi, and declared a year-long state of emergency, and nullified the results of Burma's November 8, 2020, elections.

Despite Tatmadaw claims of election fraud, several independent election monitoring organizations found that the electoral process and outcome were credible, even despite minor irregularities.

Since the coup took place, we have seen thousands of protesters take to the streets to make sure that their voices were heard; voices in opposition to the coup and in support of democracy. And as those protests continued, we have seen security forces increasingly use violence in an attempt to quell the demonstrations.

The U.N. estimates that 149 people have been killed since the coup occurred on February 1. Fifty-seven people were killed this past weekend alone.

It is imperative that democracies around the world speak out in condemnation of this coup and the arrest of democratically-elected government officials. It is vital that we speak in support of democracy, of all of those members of civil society who have been arrested, and those in Burma who are protesting for the restoration of democracy. And it is important that we make it clear to the Tatmadaw, including through additional targeted sanctions that leverage sources of income for the military, that these actions are absolutely unacceptable.

We are sadly, in this body, all too familiar with the rippling effects of attempts to undo democratic elections. We have an obligation to speak up and speak out wherever democracy is threatened.

Madam Speaker, this is a very important resolution. I support it and urge my colleagues to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), a

valued member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and author of this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that the Burmese military respect the will of the Burmese people and, one, return power to those democratically elected; and, two, release civilian leaders taken into custody.

Daily protests against the military coup continue to occur in towns and cities throughout Burma, and the security forces are using increasing brutality to crack down against those demonstrating.

We must make it clear that the United States is watching and that we support the restoration of democracy.

Again, I want to thank Mr. Levin, the ranking member, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for coming together so that the Burmese people know that the Congress of the United States of America stands together in their fight for democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1112) to require a report on the military coup in Burma, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1112, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I want to start by thanking Mr. Connolly for this important bill before us today.

The Protect Democracy in Burma Act of 2021 is a timely measure that ensures the United States is not silent when a military coup supplants democracy. It also directs strong U.S. engagement with our partners at the U.N. and ASEAN because we are always stronger when we are united.

In 2015, decades of brutal military rule gave way to what many hoped would be a new era of reform and democratization in Burma. That hope was short-lived, and the Tatmadaw began to show its true colors as it engaged in a genocide of the Rohingya Muslim minority.

Now, a little more than 5 years after the democratic opening that it helped usher in, the military has halted Burma's democratic experiment.

By all accounts, Burma's November 2020 parliamentary elections were credible, and claims of widespread fraud have been debunked by election-monitoring authorities. The United States condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the actions of the Burmese military and its violent crackdown and killing of protesters. But we cannot stand alone.

To be most effective, the United States must work with our partners in the region in condemning the Tatmadaw's brutal actions in supporting democracy and respect for the election outcome.

Madam Speaker, that is exactly what this bill sets out to do. It makes clear where the U.S. stands. It promotes multilateral cooperation as we work to hold the Burmese military accountable and call for a return to Burma's democratic transition. It also ensures reporting to Congress so that we can properly review U.S. policy.

Madam Speaker, this is a very important bill that sends a message to the people of Burma and to the entire world, and I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), an esteemed member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and author of this important bill.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), the distinguished chairman of the House Democracy Partnership.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the esteemed gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing.

Madam Speaker, again, I want to thank Mr. Connolly for introducing this legislation, and I want to thank Ranking Member McCaul and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for making sure that we have a singular voice going forward.

The world cannot turn a blind eye to the violence perpetrated by the Burmese military. With this important measure, the United States sends a clear signal that we stand with the people of Burma in their longstanding pursuit for democracy, and a strong message to the Burmese military, or to anyone, for that matter, who fail to uphold the will of the people.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.