SENATE BURMA VOTE DELAYED AGAIN: 7/

[simon_billenness@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: SENATE BURMA VOTE DELAYED AGAIN: 7/16/96

SENATE VOTE ON BURMA DELAYED FURTHER

MAKE SURE YOUR SENATORS HEAR FROM YOU AND NOT JUST THE OIL LOBBYISTS

Thursday, July 16, 1996

The Senate vote on the "Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related
Programs Appropriations Act, 1997" (HR.3540) has been delayed further due to
a debate on the siting of nuclear waste in the Yucca Mountains in Nevada.

It is expected that HR.3540 will not come up for a vote until Thursday, July
18 at the earliest. The vote may even be delayed until early next week.

Both Unocal and Texaco have hired expensive lobbyists to defeat the Burma
sanctions amendment. It is expected that the vote will be EXTREMELY close.

You would not want to see this vote lost just because you did not call and
fax your Senators. Use the extra couple of days to lobby your Senators and
make sure your friends, family and co-workers do the same.

WHY THIS BILL IS SO IMPORTANT

The mandatory sanctions provisions of the "Burma Freedom and Democracy Act"
(S.1511) have been incorporated into HR.3540: the "Foreign Operations,
Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1997" as an
amendment (section 569).

This is our only chance for the next few months to press for economic
sanctions on Burma. We have to give the amendment our top priority!

There will be an attempt to remove or weaken the amendment on the Senate
floor early next week. As I write, the oil industry's high-priced lobbyists
are working feverishly to defeat the amendment. We need to overwhelm the
lobbyists with a wave of phone calls and faxes from constituents.

CALL YOUR SENATORS TOLL-FREE AT (800) 972-3524

1. Ask for the staff person responsible for foreign policy issues. 

2. Stress that you want your Senator to support the economic sanctions on
Burma contained in Section 569 of HR.3540: the "Foreign Operations, Export
Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1997"

3. If you can, follow up your phone call with a faxed letter.

4. Ask your friends, family and co-workers to call too.

MAKE SURE YOU CALL AS SOON AS YOU CAN!!

IF YOU HAVE ALREADY CALLED AND FAXED YOUR SENATORS, HELP A FRIEND, FAMILY
MEMBER OR CO-WORKER TO DO THE SAME.
-----------------------

Simon Billenness
Franklin Research & Development
(617) 423 6655 x 225
(617) 482 6179 fax
simon_billenness@xxxxxxxxxxxx
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H.R.3540
Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs
Appropriations Act, 1997 (Reported in the Senate) 

SECTION 569

LIMITATION ON FUNDS FOR BURMA 

     SEC. 569. Until such time as the President determines and certifies
to the Committees on Appropriations that an elected government of Burma has
been allowed to take office, the following sanctions shall be imposed on
Burma :

          (1) No national of the United States shall make any investment
in Burma;
          (2) United States assistance to Burma is prohibited;
          (3) The Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States
executive director of each international financial institution to vote
against any loan
or other utilization of the funds of the respective bank to or for Burma ;
and
          (4) Except as required by Treaty obligations, any Burmese national
who formulates, implements, or benefits from policies which hinder the
transition of Burma to a democratic country shall be ineligible to receive a
visa and shall be excluded from admission to the United States.
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For your interest, HR.3540: the "Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and
Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1997" also contains the following
language on Burma:

BURMA 

     Of the funds appropriated by this Act to carry out the provisions of
chapter 8 of part I and chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961, not less than $2,500,000 shall be made available to support activities
in Burma , along the Burma -Thailand border, and for activities of Burmese
student groups and other organizations located outside Burma , for the
purposes of fostering democracy in Burma , supporting the provision of
medical supplies and other humanitarian assistance to Burmese located in
Burma or displaced Burmese along the borders, and for other purposes:
Provided, That of this amount, not less than $200,000 shall be made available
to support newspapers, publications, and other media activities promoting
democracy inside Burma:

Provided further, That funds made available under this heading may be
made available notwithstanding any other provision of law: Provided further,
That provision of such funds shall be made available subject to the regular
notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations.
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