Several members of the U.S. House or Representatives introduced a resolution earlier this month calling on the United Nations Security Council to consider and take action to stop the egregious human rights abuses taking place in Burma and the growing threat the military regime poses to the Southeast Asia region. The resolution points out that the ruling military junta  still refuses to acknowledge the democratically elected government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, and has kept her under house arrest almost continuously since 1995.

The Security Council is the only body within the United Nations system that has the power to enforce its resolutions, either through sanctions of some kind (from complete economic sanctions to an arms embargo or a ban on travel by the top leaders) or intervention.  By contrast the U.N. General Assembly, which has passed several resolutions on Burma, can only recommend action, which has been ignored by the military.  

Action

Urge your member of Congress to support and co-sponsor HR 768 which calls on the U.N. Security Council to take up the case of Burma. (See below for members who are already co-sponsoring.)

Use our online Legislative Action Center to send immediate letters by e-mail or fax to your member of Congress or call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121

Message

Thank your member if they voted for the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 and its reauthorization this year.  

Let them know that many people from your district care about the egregious human rights violations of the Burmese military junta within the country and the peace and stability of the region.

Urge your representative to co-sponsor the resolution calling on the U.N. Security Council to take action to put pressure on the brutal military regime in Burma to stop their egregious human rights violations against Burmese citizens and to recognize the democratically elected government. (See below for members who are already co-sponsoring.)

Background

Text of House Resolution 768

108th Congress, 2nd Session

Calling on the United Nations Security Council to immediately consider and take appropriate action to respond to the growing threat that the ruling State Peace and Development Council in Burma poses to the Southeast Asia region and to the people of Burma.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Sept. 13, 2004

Mr. GALLEGLY (for himself), Mr. LANTOS, Mr. PITTS, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. BROWN, Mr. PENCE, Mr. SMITH, Mr. WOLF, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. TANCREDO, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, and Mr. GREEN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION
Calling on the United Nations Security Council to immediately consider and take appropriate action to respond to the growing threat that the ruling State Peace and Development Council in Burma poses to the Southeast Asia region and to the people of Burma.

Whereas the ruling State Peace and Development Council in Burma, formerly known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council, continues to refuse to uphold the 1990 election results in which the National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won 392 of the 485 contested parliamentary seats;

Whereas the ruling State Peace and Development Council in Burma has imprisoned or placed under house arrest Aung San Suu Kyi on a nearly continuous basis since 1995, most recently since May 2003 when she and National League for Democracy supporters were violently assaulted by government-affiliated forces;

Whereas according to the Department of State's 2003 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, security forces of the ruling State Peace and Development Council in Burma continue to commit extrajudicial killings, rape, engage in torture, forcibly relocate persons, use forced labor, and conscript child soldiers;

Whereas in December of 2003 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution expressing grave concern about the ongoing systematic violations of human rights abuses occurring against the people of Burma; and

Whereas the situation in Burma poses a threat to regional stability because of the continuous cross border flow of illegal narcotics, trafficked persons, and the unchecked spread of HIV/AIDS; because of the State Peace and Development Council's reported efforts to acquire military hardware from the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and North Korea; and because of the destabilizing effects of the flight of over 200,000 refugees to Thailand and Bangladesh in an attempt to escape systematic terrorizing by the Burmese military: Now, therefore, be it--

RESOLVED, that it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the United Nations Security Council should immediately consider and take appropriate action to respond to the growing threat that the ruling State Peace and Development Council in Burma poses to the Southeast Asia region and to the people of Burma.

Current co-sponsors

Elton Gallegly, R-Calif.
Tom Lantos, (D-Calif.
Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif.
Robert Wexler, D-Calif.
Brad Sherman, D-Calif.
Tom Tancredo, R-Colo.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla.
Dan Burton, R-Ind.
Mike Pence, R-Ind.
Betty McCollum, D-Minn.
Chris Smith, R-N.J.
Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y.
Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio
Joseph Pitts, R-Pa.
Mike Green, R-Wis.)
Eni Faleomavaega (Delegate-American Samoa)

For an earlier action alert and background, visit Urge president to support justice for victims of human rights abuses.