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u.s. congress approves sanctions bi
- Subject: u.s. congress approves sanctions bi
- From: ncgub@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 18 Sep 1996 09:58:00
Subject: u.s. congress approves sanctions bill
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National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma
815 Fifteenth Street, NW, Suite 910, Washington, D.C. 20005
Tel: (202) 393-7342 Fax: (202) 393-7343
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P R E S S R E L E A S E P R E S S R E L E A S E
U.S. CONGRESS APPROVES SANCTIONS
September 18, 1996
On September 17, the eve of the anniversary of the violent takeover
of power by the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) in
Burma eight years ago, the US Congress approved sanctions against the
military dictatorship. The bill was passed in spite of intense
lobbying against it by the US oil firm Unocal and its corporate
partners. In approving the Cohen-Feinstein Amendment - Section 569
of the Foreign Operations and Appropriations Act, the US is sending a
clear message to the Burmese generals that they cannot continue to
pursue a policy of intimidation, imprisonment, and torture with
impunity. The US action gives a major boost to the Burmese democracy
movement led by Nobel Peace Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Cohen-Feinstein Amendment proposed in July was a compromise to
the mandatory sanctions called for by Kentucky Senator Mitch
McConnell and New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Under the
provisions of the adopted legislation, the US President shall
prohibit new US businesses from investing in Burma if SLORC
physically harms, re-arrests, or exiles Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, or
continues its repression of the democracy movement. As recently as
September 14, SLORC arrested two close confidants of Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi -- U Aung Myint Oo and Maung Khin Thein. Since the last
crackdown in May, more than sixty supporters of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
have been arrested and half have been sentenced to harsh prison
terms.
On September 11, the 125th Congress of the ruling Social Democratic
Party of Denmark unanimously adopted a resolution to work for
European Union sanctions against SLORC and to support the work of the
National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB). NCGUB
Prime Minister Dr Sein Win currently in Germany said, "I am very
happy to see that the US Congress has passed the legislation. The
joint efforts of the United States and the Danish Government in
Europe will have a significant impact on the political process in
Burma. I trust that those nations committed to seeing democracy
restored in Burma will follow the lead of the United States and
Denmark." Dr Sein Win added that "the current US sanctions bill is
only the first step in a process that will begin again when a new
Congress convenes." He said he was confident that the US Congress will
increase its support for democracy in Burma.
The NCGUB advocates sanctions because foreign investments have
enabled the illegitimate military regime to survive and more than
double its army while becoming increasingly brutal and repressive,
especially in ethnic areas. Only sanctions will curb the excesses of
the generals and influence them to enter into a political dialogue
with the Burmese democracy movement led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and
Burma's ethnic peoples.
oo0oo