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Congressional Record—House H7877 September 24, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H7877 A motion to reconsider was laid on (9) Since December 2018, three Kachin ac- (2) Support for advocacy in Burma to raise the table. tivists were sentenced to six months in pris- awareness of issues relating to prisoners of on in connection with peaceful antiwar pro- conscience and political prisoners. f tests; a protester demonstrating against the (3) Support for efforts to repeal or amend BURMA POLITICAL PRISONERS Myitsone Dam (a controversial Chinese- laws that are used to imprison individuals as ASSISTANCE ACT backed hydropower project) was charged for either prisoners of conscience or political peaceful demonstrations, and police used ex- prisoners. Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, cessive force to crack down on peaceful pro- (4) Support for health, including mental I move to suspend the rules and pass testers in Kayah State, with some of the health, and post-incarceration assistance in the bill (H.R. 2327) to direct the Sec- demonstrators charged under vaguely word- gaining access to education and employment retary of State to provide assistance to ed, repressive laws. opportunities or other forms of reparation to civil society organizations in Burma (10) On August 18, 2017, Aung Ko Htwe was enable former prisoners of conscience and that work to secure the release of pris- arrested because he gave a media interview political prisoners to resume a normal life. oners of conscience and political pris- in which he described his experience as a (5) The creation, in consultation with oners in Burma, and assistance to cur- child soldier, including how the Burmese former political prisoners and prisoners of military abducted and forcibly recruited him conscience, their families, and representa- rent and former prisoners of conscience when he was 13 years old. He was charged tives, of an independent prisoner review and political prisoners in Burma, and under Section 505(b) of Burma’s Penal Code. mechanism in Burma to review the cases of for other purposes, as amended. (11) Although former Secretary of State individuals who may have been charged or The Clerk read the title of the bill. Rex Tillerson took Burma off the State De- deprived of their liberty for peacefully exer- The text of the bill is as follows: partment’s list of the worst offenders in the cising their human rights, review all laws H.R. 2327 use of child soldiers in 2017, the Department used to arrest, prosecute, and punish individ- Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- reinstated Burma to the list in 2018. Accord- uals as political prisoners and prisoners of resentatives of the United States of America in ing to the United Nations, the Burmese mili- conscience, and provide recommendations to Congress assembled, tary and ethnic guerrilla groups remain the Burmese Government for the repeal or SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. ‘‘persistent perpetrators’ in the recruitment amendment of all such laws. This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Burma Po- and use of children in [Burma].’’. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- litical Prisoners Assistance Act’’. SEC. 3. CHILD SOLDIERS. ant to the rule, the gentleman from SEC. 2. FINDINGS. It is the sense of Congress that no one Michigan (Mr. LEVIN) and the gen- Congress makes the following findings: should be jailed for freely expressing him or tleman from Texas (Mr. MCCAUL) each (1) Aung San Suu Kyi and the National herself or for speaking against the use of will control 20 minutes. League for Democracy (NLD) pledged that child soldiers. The Chair recognizes the gentleman they ‘‘would not arrest anyone as political SEC. 4. PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY. from Michigan. prisoners’’, but have failed to fulfill this It is the sense of Congress that Burma GENERAL LEAVE promise since they took control of Burma’s must immediately drop defamation charges Union Parliament and the Government’s ex- against the three Kachin activists, Lum Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, ecutive branch in April 2016. Zawng, Nang Pu, and Zau Jet, who led a I ask unanimous consent that all Mem- (2) As of the end of April 2019, there were peaceful rally in Mytkyina, the capital of bers may have 5 legislative days in 331 political prisoners in Burma, 48 of them Kachin State in April 2018, and that the pros- which to revise and extend their re- serving sentences, 90 awaiting trial inside ecution of Lum Zawng, Nang Pu, and Zau Jet marks and include in the RECORD ex- prison, and 193 awaiting trial outside prison, is an attempt by the Burmese authorities to traneous material on H.R. 2327. according to the Assistance Association for intimidate, harass, and silence community Political Prisoners in Burma. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there leaders and human rights defenders who objection to the request of the gen- (3) During its three years in power, the speak out about military abuses and the im- NLD Government has provided pardons for pact on civilian populations. tleman from Michigan? Burma’s political prisoners on six occasions. There was no objection. SEC. 5. PRESS FREEDOM. State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi took Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, It is the sense of Congress that press free- steps to secure the release of nearly 235 po- I yield myself such time as I may con- dom is a fundamental human right and litical prisoners in April 2016. On May 23, should be upheld and protected in Burma and sume. 2017, former President Htin Kyaw granted everywhere, and that Burmese authorities Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support pardons to 259 prisoners, including 89 polit- must immediately cease the arbitrary arrest, of my bill, the Burma Political Pris- ical prisoners. On April 17, 2018, current detention, imprisonment, and physical at- oners Assistance Act. President Win Myint pardoned 8,541 pris- tacks of journalists, which have created a Next week, I will travel to Ban- oners, including 36 political prisoners. In climate of fear and self-censorship among April and May 2019, he pardoned more than gladesh, where I am going to spend local journalists. 23,000 prisoners, including 20 political pris- time in Cox’s Bazar, the site of the oners. SEC. 6. STATEMENT OF POLICY. world’s largest refugee settlement. (4) The Burmese security forces have used It is the policy of the United States that— Since August of 2017, hundreds of thou- colonial-era laws to arrest and charge polit- (1) all prisoners of conscience and political sands of Rohingya refugees have fled to ical prisoners and prisoners of conscience. prisoners in Burma should be uncondition- Cox’s Bazar from Burma, where vil- These laws include but are not limited to ally and immediately released; (2) the Administration and the Department lages were burned to the ground, provisions of the Penal Code, the Peaceful women and girls were raped, and many Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act, the of State should use all of their diplomatic 1908 Unlawful Associations Act, the 2013 tools to ensure that all prisoners of con- were massacred at the hands of Bur- Telecommunications Act, and the 1923 Offi- science and political prisoners in Burma are mese security forces as part of a cam- cial Secrets Act. released; and paign that can only be described as (5) On December 12, 2017, Reuters reporters (3) the Burmese Government should repeal genocide. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested and or amend all laws that violate the rights to When I come home to the United charged with violating the Official Secrets freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, or States, I plan to speak openly and hon- Act, continuing a trend of restricting media association, and ensure that laws such as the estly about what I saw and share the and free speech and attempting to thwart Telecommunications Law of 2013 and the Un- lawful Associations Act of 1908, and laws re- stories of Rohingya refugees I talk to. coverage of the events in Rakhine State. And, while I don’t expect everyone to (6) On September 3, 2018, Wa Lone and lating to the right to peaceful assembly, all Kyaw Soe Oo were convicted and sentenced comply with international human rights like what I have to say, I know that, to seven years in prison. Time Magazine in- standards. here in America, I won’t be persecuted cluded pictures of the two reporters on the SEC. 7. POLITICAL PRISONERS ASSISTANCE. for exercising my right to free speech cover of its ‘‘Person of the Year’’ issue on The Secretary of State shall continue to and sharing an honest account of the December 10, 2018, as two of the ‘‘Guardians provide assistance to civil society organiza- atrocities so many have experienced in and the War on Truth’’. tions in Burma that work to secure the re- Burma. (7) On May 6, 2019, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe lease of prisoners of conscience and political But, if Burma was my home country, Oo were released after more than 500 days be- prisoners in Burma, and assistance to cur- I would not be able to rest so easy, no hind bars. rent and former prisoners of conscience and matter my ethnic group or religion. (8) According to Burmese free speech orga- political prisoners in Burma. Such assistance nization Athan, 44 journalists and 142 activ- may include the following: That is because colonial-era laws are ists since 2016 were charged with colonial-era (1) Support for the documentation of used to stifle dissent and imprison peo- laws used to stifle dissent and restrict activ- human rights violations with respect to pris- ple who dare to speak out or work to ist groups and have faced trial.
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