Burma Resolution Passes House

Congressman Elton Gallegly Statement on Burma Resolution Passes House

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2004
Contact: Tom Pfeifer, (202) 225-5811

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Early this morning, the House of Representatives approved a bipartisan resolution authored by Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties) that calls on the United Nations to take immediate action to restore democracy and the rule of law in the Southeast Asian nation of Burma.

“With the United Kingdom and United States chairing the United Nations Security Council, respectively, in October and November, we should use this opportunity to press for action by the Security Council on Burma,” Gallegly noted.

Burma is ruled by one of the world’s most brutal military dictatorships. The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) rules through an insidious system of extrajudicial killings, rape, torture, conscription of child soldiers and the use of modern-day slavery. To date, approximately 2 million Burmese have been forcibly displaced because of the horrific policies of the regime.

The SPDC has arrested approximately 1,300 people for merely expressing critical opinions of the existing regime, including the leader of the National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom. In addition, her party continues to be rebuffed from claiming its right to govern, despite having won 392 of 485 contested parliamentary seats in 1990.

The regime poses a serious threat to regional stability of Southeast Asia. It has allowed the continuous cross-border flow of illegal narcotics, trafficked persons and the unchecked spread of HIV/AIDS. In addition, the SPDC has attempted to acquire military hardware from the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation and North Korea.

Finally, the repressive nature of the Burmese regime has led to the flight of more than 200,000 refugees into Thailand and Bangladesh, which in turn has led to severe problems in those nations.

The Gallegly resolution requires no further action. [Source]

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