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“ONGOING TRAGEDY IN BURMA” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S13070-S13071 on Oct. 18, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
ONGOING TRAGEDY IN BURMA
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, over the past few weeks, I have joined many of my fellow Senators from both sides of the aisle in speaking about the recent events in Burma.
A few weeks ago, the world watched in admiration and support as thousands of Buddhist monks peacefully marched through Burma's largest cities calling for an end to that country's brutal military dictatorship. Amidst tens of thousands of clapping and cheering supporters, the monks chanted ``democracy, democracy.''
All the while, Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi remained locked under house arrest--an appalling situation that has continued for most of the last 18 years of her life. Despite the shameful detention, the Burmese people have not forgotten it was her political party that won a landslide victory in the 1990 election.
During the recent protests, the monks reportedly reached Suu Kyi's heavily guarded home, where witnesses said she greeted them at her gate in tears.
This scene is moving in its dignity and simplicity--a population peacefully saying: Enough.
What happened next was tragic. The military in Burma used violence, murder, and arbitrary detention to try to halt the calls for change. The military did what all dictatorships do: it used fear to suppress its own people. Yet it is the military that is truly afraid--afraid of the people of Burma, afraid of change, afraid of releasing Aung San Suu Kyi.
This Reuters photograph is so graphic. It shows Burmese military violently attacking peaceful protesters. It also shows a Japanese photographer, Kenji Nagai, being shot at close range. You see his body lying on the street. Mr. Nagai died shortly after this photo was taken. The military's mouthpiece newspaper brazenly said his death was his own fault as he was ``inviting danger'' by being among the protesters.
Sadly, reports from the past few days are even more tragic. Instead of reaching out to Aung San Suu Kyi and the international community to work toward peace, the military has only furthered its brutal crackdown, hunting down and detaining leaders of the peaceful movement.
Amnesty International has expressed concern that the arrested dissidents will be tortured--a real concern in a country with an abhorrent record of torturing political prisoners. For example, the 2006 State Department Human Rights Report on Burma cites a recent study by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners that meticulously documents the regular use of electric shocks, beating until unconscious, forced crawling on glass, and threats of rape. The Government is reportedly even hunting down simple participants and bystanders from the rallies, including groups of ``those who watched,''
``those who clapped,'' and ``those who joined in.''
Mr. President, this is madness. The United States and international community must not allow this to continue. This is a government with a long and well-documented history of brutality and indifference to its people. For example, in eastern Burma, the military has destroyed 3,000 villages over the past 10 years. It has widely used forced labor and has recruited up to 70,000 child soldiers--70,000 child soldiers--far more than any other country in the world. Today, Burma has an estimated 1.5 million refugees.
Global condemnation of Burma's brutal actions has been loud and swift. European Union foreign ministers have just approved new sanctions against the military junta, including an embargo on the export of wood, gems, and metals, and threatened further penalties. President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush have similarly called for greater international pressure to make it clear to the generals that they will be completely isolated by the international community if they continue.
The Association of Southeastern Asian Nations, ASEAN, expressed revulsion at the killings and demanded fellow member Burma stop using violence against demonstrators. Japan announced a cut in foreign assistance. And just the other day, the U.N. Security Council issued a statement agreed to by all of its members saying that it ``deplores the use of violence against peaceful demonstrations'' in Burma, called for the release of ``all political prisoners and remaining detainees,'' and urged a ``genuine dialogue'' with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Recently, Senators Feinstein, Kerry, Lieberman, and I joined for a discussion with the Chinese Ambassador on the situation in Burma. We discussed the need for China, in particular, to play a more constructive role in ending the violence and pushing for democratic change. I am glad that China helped with U.N. Special Envoy Gambari's timely trip to Burma and its support of the recent U.N. statement. But the global community must do more. China must do more. And the United States must do more. We must not let the brutal crackdown bring an end to the desperate need for change in Burma.
So once again, I speak to lend my support to these peaceful protests and to call on the Burmese military to immediately begin working with Aung San Suu Kyi and the U.N. envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, to bring about peaceful change and democracy in Burma. It should also unconditionally release all political prisoners, including four recently detained dissidents, Htay Kywe, Mie Mie, Min Ko Naing, and Ko Ko Gyi.
I call on the ASEAN nations and the Governments of China, Thailand, and India to use their special relationships with the Burmese Government to once and for all start democratic change. ASEAN should consider suspending, even expelling, Burma under these circumstances, and Japan needs to apply even greater economic pressure.
I also call on the U.N. to tighten sanctions, including an arms embargo against the Burmese military. We in Congress should also do all we can to tighten our existing sanctions against Burma.
My colleague Senator McCain has introduced important legislation to take such steps. I am pleased to enthusiastically cosponsor Senator McCain's bipartisan efforts.
The circumstances in Burma couldn't be more compelling: A Nobel Peace Prize winner is held under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years, held under house arrest even while her party wins a landslide election in the country; a brutal and corrupt military government pillages the country's economic wealth and its own children's future; and repeated attempts by the people through elections and peaceful demonstrations to bring about democratic change are extinguished.
No nation on Earth should support or protect this ghastly regime. No nation should trade one more item with these horrible leaders in the junta in Burma. And no nation should ever sell any arms to a regime which treats its people with such brutality.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
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