Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Joint Resolution 56. Our Burma sanctions are meant to promote democracy, develop respect for human rights, and improve living conditions…
Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Joint Resolution 56. Our Burma sanctions are meant to promote democracy, develop respect for human rights, and improve living conditions for the Burmese people. Unfortunately, the ruling junta is still working against, not toward, these objectives. For that reason, I am in favor of reauthorizing our overall sanctions program against Burma for another 3 years and extending import sanctions against Burma for another year.
Burma's regime is one of the world's most oppressive and continues to oppress democratic movements and humanitarianism. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is still being falsely detained by the regime, now on sham charges. As of April 2009, the regime held an estimated 2,100 political prisoners, more than 150 of whom were recently sentenced to prison terms of up to 104 years. Many of these prisoners were held for nearly a year without charge and were convicted of offenses relating to the participation in pro-democracy movements. The regime also jailed three lawyers representing opposition activists for contempt when the attorneys merely argued that the trials of their clients lacked due process. The regime also severely restricts freedom of assembly, expression, association, movement, and religion.
The Burmese regime does not limit its repugnant behavior to civic activists. Extrajudicial killings, rape, torture, recruitment of child soldiers, and forced labor are routine. Moreover, the regime has actually worked against the interests of its people following the May 2008 cyclone. Due to the regime's practice of applying unreasonable restrictions to humanitarian assistance to workers, the area the cyclone hit hardest continues to be in dire need of assistance.
The leaders of the regime will have greater incentive to cooperate with United Nations diplomatic efforts, their southeast Asian neighbors in ASEAN, and the Peoples Republic of China if its leaders and cronies come under targeted economic pressure that denies them access to personal wealth and sources of revenue. Some Burmese businesspeople with ties to the junta are now starting to feel the pinch, but there is a long way to go.
Another reason to reauthorize the sanctions program and extend the import ban for another year is that this Congress amplified the program last summer. The expansion eliminated trade in jewelry containing Burmese rubies and jadeite, even if the jewelry was made in, and exported from, a third country. It was designed to bring about multilateral pressure on the regime through the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, similar to successful legislation on conflict diamonds.
We are still in the process of assessing the effectiveness of the new law. The Government Accountability Office will be reporting to us this fall on the effectiveness of the expanded sanctions and will be making recommendations for improving administration of the program. It would be unwise for us to allow the lapse of this sanctions program without having the benefit of the GAO's research and report.
I view import sanctions with great skepticism and always have, but these Burma sanctions are crafted to maximize their ability to effect change. For one, they require the administration to issue annual reports on Burma that include whether U.S. national security, economic, and foreign policy interests are being served.
On this point, I note that the administration transmitted this year's statutorily required report late last night. We're still waiting for the administration to articulate its overall Burma policy. The State Department announced it would be conducting a high-profile review of U.S. policy some 6 months ago, but it's not out yet; and our Secretary of State will be showing up at ASEAN meetings tomorrow and Thursday with no new vision.
Perhaps the most critical aspect of the Burma sanctions program is that they require us to redirect our attention every summer to the question of whether these sanctions should be continued. They are not self-executing. We here in Congress must vote to continue them on an annual basis.
I continue to believe that our greatest hope for effecting real change in Burma is multilateralism. The whole world, particularly China and the ASEAN countries, must put real economic pressure on the regime. I support this resolution because it increases our chance to bring about this multilateral effort.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, we have no further speakers; and in support of this resolution, I would yield back the balance of my time.