DAN BURTON, Indiana SUBCOMMITTEE ON ASIA AND THE PACIFIC JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa, Chairman DOUG BEREUTER, Nebraska RON PAUL, Texas JEFF FLAKE, Arizona JERRY WELLER, Illinois THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado ENI F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American SHERROD BROWN, Ohio EARL BLUMENAUER, Oregon GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York BRAD SHERMAN, California ROBERT WEXLER, Florida GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York JAMES W. MCCORMICK, Subcommittee Staff Director 49 The Honorable Matthew Daley, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State The Honorable Lorne W. Craner, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING Stephen Dun: Prepared statement Michael Mitchell: Prepared statement and material submitted for the record Bo Hla-Tint: Prepared statement The Honorable Matthew Daley: Prepared statement The Honorable James A. Leach, a Representative in Congress from the State of Iowa, and Chairman, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific: Prepared statements Responses of Michael Mitchell, Orion Strategies, to questions asked by the Honorable Joseph R. Pitts, a Representative in Congress from the Common- The Honorable Joseph R. Pitts: Prepared statement Chin Human Rights Organization: Prepared statement Letter to Congress from the Karenni National Progressive Party dated Sep- Letter to Congress from the Restoration Council of the Shan State dated Response of the Honorable Lorne W. Craner, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, to question asked by the Honor- Responses of the Honorable Matthew Daley, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State, to 81 HUMAN RIGHTS IN BURMA: (PART I) WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2003 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, The Subcommittees met, pursuant to call, at 1:33 p.m. in Room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Elton Gallegly [Chairman of the Subcommittee on International Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Human Rights] presiding. Mr. GALLEGLY. Today, the Subcommittee on International Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Human Rights and the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific are holding the first of two back-to-back hearings on the human rights situation in Burma. The second hearing on this subject in which we will hear from the Administration will take place tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. in this room. The timing of this hearing is important not only because of the anniversary of the 1988 military coup which brought the current dictatorial regime to power, this hearing will also be the first occasion for the United States Congress to hear a firsthand account of the May 30th attack by the pro-government group on Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters. The Subcommittees are privileged to hear from Wanna Maung, who was an eyewitness to the events on May 30. The attack left scores of Aung San Suu Kyi's supporters either dead or injured, and Aung San Suu Kyi and Tin Oo, the deputy leader of the opposition National Democratic League, were taken into custody. This violent attack is one more example of the brutality of the State Peace and Development Council, the military junta that has ruled the country since 1988. Their record represents a laundry list of some of the worst human rights practice in the world: For instance, the regime regularly engages in violent repression of political opponents and ethic minorities, resulting in a huge overflow of refugees to neighboring countries, as well as a large number of internally displaced persons. The regime has shown no respect for the elections of the democratic process. In the 1990 national elections, the National Democratic League won by 82 percent of the seats in parliament. Instead |