Burma Unified Through Rigorous Military Accountability Act of 2019

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of Chairman Engel's BURMA Act of 2019. The Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously adopted this bill, reflecting a bipartisan consensus that the Burmese military's atrocities against the Rohingya people must not go unanswered.

The committee has a decades-long history of holding Burmese forces accountable for their crimes. This is important, now more than ever after their so-called clearance operations against the Rohingya in August 2017.

The world watched in horror as Burmese troops razed villages to the ground, killed indiscriminately, committed unspeakable acts against women and children, and laid landmines in the path of refugees as they fled into neighboring Bangladesh.

Today, over 1 million Rohingya remain in Bangladesh, living in desperate conditions, unable to return to their home safely.

The scale and scope of this crisis unites this whole House. Last December, this body adopted Congressman Chabot's resolution, H. Res. 1091, declaring that the Burmese military is guilty of genocide.

Chairman Engel's BURMA Act of 2019 will selectively revive the sanctions regime against the Burmese military, which was recklessly scrapped during the last administration. This step is long overdue, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bipartisan effort.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank Chairman Engel for introducing the BURMA Act of 2019 in this Congress.

The Burmese military is responsible for genocide, yet they continue to wield constitutional power over Burma's government and significant influence over Burma's economy.

This bill is a long-overdue response to that injustice and will reimpose costs on the toxic influence of the Burmese military.

Again, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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