Birthday Wishes to Daw Aung Suu Kyi

BIRTHDAY WISHES TO DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI -- (Senate - June 19, 2006)

Mr. McCONNELL. As with all supporters of freedom and democracy in the, world, I rise today to extend birthday wishes to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Laureate who remains under house arrest in Burma.

Much like her previous several birthdays, Suu Kyi's birthday today almost certainly will not be a happy one. The ``gift'' given to Suu Kyi by the ruling State Peace and Development Council, SPDC, a few weeks ago was the news that it was again extending her detention.

Under the autocratic rule of the SPDC, drug trafficking, disease and human rights violations are rampant and pose growing problems to the region as a whole. The SPDC adheres to policies that seek only to consolidate its own power, and the ruined lives of the Burmese people are the result. Indeed, there is little reason for celebration in Burma today.

The plight of Suu Kyi symbolizes the plight of her countrymen. Moreover, her commitment to freedom and justice through peaceful political change has created a legacy that will endure long after the SPDC's reign is no more.

The best gift the free world can give Suu Kyi is to remain steadfast in support of freedom in Burma today. She can count on my support.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that an op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal by Under Secretary of State Paula Dobriansky be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
[From the Wall Street Journal, June 19, 2006]

``Press for Change in Burma''
(By Paula J. Dobrainsky)

Today marks the 61st birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi, the elected leader of Burma's National League for Democracy. It is the third consecutive birthday that she has spent under detention--and a stark reminder that not only she, but 50 million fellow Burmese are living without basic freedoms and human rights. Absent change, Burma is likely to continue a dangerous decline that threatens the welfare of its people and its neighbors alike.

Only by unconditionally releasing Ms. Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners, restoring a democratic form of government, and observing international standards of human rights can Burma's regime bring stability, prosperity and peace to its country--and international respect to its leaders. Toward that end, we are seeking a United Nations Security Council resolution that underscores the aforementioned goals, which were communicated by U.N. Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari to senior Burmese officials during his visit to the country last month. The U.S. is committed to working with the U.N. Security Council, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, regional institutions and governments to press for genuine national reconciliation in Burma.

The threat to the Burmese people from their own leaders is clear: In only the last few months, attacks against ethnic minorities have displaced thousands. Military units abuse their power regularly and commit egregious human rights abuses with impunity, including rape, forced labor, murder and torture. The regime's continued economic mismanagement and corruption have led to a widespread failure of the banking system and rampant inflation, which increases the daily hardships of the Burmese people. Making matters worse, the military's restrictions on U.N. and nongovernmental organizations have hampered the ability of relief organizations to deliver assistance to Burma's most vulnerable populations.

Infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and avian flu are best controlled by responsible governments with transparent public health systems that cooperate closely with international institutions. Yet even as the Burmese regime spends considerable sums to finish relocating its capital, malnutrition is rising and thousands are dying from treatable diseases like malaria and tuberculosis. This tragic failure calls into question the Burmese junta's willingness and ability to protect and improve the well-being of its people.

Burma's people are not alone in facing the consequences of their government's actions: the country's deterioration poses a real danger to its neighbors and--in today's interconnected world--even to those far away. The drug trade and trafficking in persons are rampant; both flow across porous borders and spread corruption, political instability and disease.

America will persist in its strategy to increase international pressure on Burma by working with individual governments and regional organizations, such as the European Union, to seek to return the country to its people through a transparent, inclusive political process. The U.S. administration will continue to impose economic sanctions on the Burmese government, while insisting upon the unconditional release of Ms. Suu Kyi and other political prisoners; an end to attacks on civilians and other human rights violations; and a real dialogue leading to peace, democracy and national reconciliation.

In Asia, the U.S. will continue to collaborate with Burma's neighbors, including members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who have a particular interest in seeing Burma's decline reversed. Asean leaders have already publicly called for the release of political prisoners and for the resumption of a national dialogue with all political stakeholders. On June 3, Indonesian Foreign Minister Hasan Wirayuda stated that ``the junta [can] not deflect criticism of the Nobel peace laureate's detention by saying it was an internal matter. The truth is no country can claim that human rights abuses are its own internal affairs.''

Finally, the U.S. will work in the U.N. to press for change in Burma. We are pleased that the U.N.'s Economic and Social Council will discuss Burma's forced labor practices in its July session. The U.S. will continue to pursue a U.N. Security Council resolution. As U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said, America stands with the people of Burma, and we have not forgotten their dream of democracy.

The economic, political and public health situation in Burma has deteriorated to the point where the regime's combination of repression and its unwillingness--or inability--to meet its own citizens' needs pose a threat to the peace, security and stability of the region. We must all act together to help the Burmese people win the freedom and prosperity they deserve.

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