Statement Of U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell On Renewal Of Sanctions Against Burma

Statement Of U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell On Renewal Of Sanctions Against Burma

U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell introduced legislation today to renew sanctions against Burma. In a statement inserted into the Congressional Record, Senator McConnell called on Congress to "act quickly" and pass the legislation. The full text of his statement follows:

"Mr. President, along with my colleagues from California, Arizona, Vermont, Kansas and Illinois, I introduce legislation to renew sanctions against the illegitimate and repressive State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) in Burma.

"I do not intend today to recount the litany of abuses committed by the military junta in Rangoon against the Burmese people and their neighbors. Given the extensive documentation of these violations by credible sources (including the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations and numerous nongovernmental organizations), my colleagues are undoubtedly familiar with many of the SPDC's heinous crimes - from the production and trafficking of illicit drugs, to the use of rape as a weapon of war against ethnic minority women and girls and the forced conscription of children into military service.

"Instead, I urge my colleagues to act quickly - as we have in the past - in considering and passing the renewal of sanctions, which include an import ban on Burmese goods and visa restrictions on officials from the SPDC and affiliated organizations.

"We must act quickly as the SPDC poses an immediate danger to the entire region, whether through the trafficking of illicit drugs, the unchecked spread of HIV/AIDS, or the forced movement of people who seek refuge and safety in neighboring countries.

"There is no more definitive expression of support for democracy and human rights - for solidarity with those struggling for freedom - than an import ban. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu has eloquently pointed out on several occasions, sanctions worked in South Africa, and they can work in Burma, too.

"We must act resolutely as the junta continues to imprison those who nonviolently struggle for freedom and justice, including Nobel laureate and Burmese democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Burma has a rising prisoner of conscience population, with over 1,300 political prisoners. I renew my call that Suu Kyi and other prisoners of conscience be immediately and unconditionally released.

"Just last month, the European Union renewed sanctions against the SPDC that restrict members of the junta and their families from entering the EU, and bans EU companies from doing business in Burma. While I applaud this action, I call upon the EU and other multilateral organizations, including the United Nations, to do more in support of freedom in Burma.

"Specifically, the EU, along with the United States, should not participate in any Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) related meetings should the SPDC assume chairmanship of that Association next year. It is worth noting that some ASEAN member states are now publicly discussing the junta's possible leadership with growing concern. This increased attention - and a growing chorus for political reform in Burma in the region by likeminded lawmakers - is also appreciated.

"Finally, while I welcome UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's personal comments in support of freedom in Burma, the time for talk is over. The UN must act on Burma - in New York. It is past time for the UN to discuss and debate the myriad threats Burma poses to the region. What are they waiting for?

"Mr. President, the people of Burma must know that they have no better friends in this body than Senators Feinstein, McCain, Leahy, Brownback and Obama. There is an unofficial Burma Caucus in the Senate, and I am proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with my dedicated colleagues on this issue.

"To them - and to Suu Kyi and all who nonviolently struggle for freedom in Burma - I say, "we will prevail."

http://mcconnell.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=237360&start=1