S12184 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð SENATE October 9, 1998 (2) recognizes the research scientists, ad- SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLU- to take steps to create conditions for good ministrative staff, professional societies, and TION 128ÐEXPRESSING THE faith negotiations that address the social, patient groups for their active participation SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARD- economic and political causes of the conflict in support of the research programs and ING MEASURES TO ACHIEVE A to achieve a peaceful and lasting resolution goals of the NIAID; and of the conflict, and to vigorously pursue such (3) reaffirms its support of the National In- PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF THE negotiations; stitute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases CONFLICT IN THE STATE OF (5) support efforts to provide relief assist- and its commitment to advance knowledge CHIAPAS, MEXICO ance to displaced persons in Chiapas and ade- and improve health. Mr. LEAHY (for himself, Mr. DODD, quate monitoring of such assistance; and (6) seek a commitment from the Govern- Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. KERRY, Mrs. MUR- · Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I am ment of Mexico to respect the rights of pleased to submit a Senate Concurrent RAY, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. United States citizens and human rights Resolution recognizing and honoring FEINGOLD, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. BUMPERS, monitors in Mexico in accordance with Mexi- the 50th anniversary of the National Mr. WELLSTONE, Mr. JEFFORDS, Mrs. can law and international law. Institute of Allergy and Infectious Dis- BOXER, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. WYDEN, and Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am eases. An identical resolution is being Ms. MIKULSKI) submitted the following today submitting a Concurrent Resolu- introduced in the House by my distin- concurrent resolution; which was re- tion expressing the sense of Congress guished colleague, Representative ferred to the Committee on Foreign regarding measures to achieve a peace- Relations: NORTHUP. ful resolution of the conflict in the S. CON. RES. 128 As you know I am an ardent sup- state of Chiapas, Mexico. Whereas the United States and Mexico This resolution is cosponsored by porter of biomedical research and the have a long history of close relations and National Institutes of Health. In this Senator DODD, who is the ranking share many economic and security interests; member of the Western Hemisphere century, great strides have been made Whereas the democratic and prosperous subcommittee and among the most in the control of such killer infectious Mexico is in the interest of the United knowledgeable Members of Congress on diseases such as polio, rubella, measles, States; Mexican affairs, Senator FEINSTEIN, cholera, typhoid fever, and diphtheria. Whereas the United States is providing as- sistance and licensing exports of military Senator BINGAMAN, Senator JEFFORDS, Small pox has been eradicated. We con- equipment to Mexican security forces for Senator FEINGOLD, Senator KERRY of tinue to benefit from the development counter-narcotics purposes; Massachusetts, Senator WELLSTONE, of new drugs and vaccines that contrib- Whereas the Department of State has doc- Senator BUMPERS, Senator BOXER, Sen- ute enormously to the betterment of umented human rights violations by Mexi- ator KENNEDY, Senator DURBIN, Sen- the public health. can security forces and paramilitary groups; Whereas the conflict in Chiapas, Mexico ator MURRAY, Senator WYDEN, Senator At the forefront of these advances has resulted in the deaths and disappearance HARKIN, and Senator MIKULSKI. stands the National Institute of Al- of innocent civilians; Congresswoman NANCY PELOSI is lergy and Infectious Diseases. NIAID Whereas the lack of progress in imple- today introducing an identical resolu- began as the National Microbiological menting a preliminary peace agreement tion in the House of Representatives. Institute, formed through the union of signed in 1996 and the presence of tens of Mr. President, the purpose of this the Rocky Mountain Laboratory, the thousands of Mexican soldiers, as well as resolution is to convey our support for Biologics Control Laboratory, the Divi- paramilitary and other groups, have contrib- uted to increased political tension and vio- a peaceful resolution of the conflict in sion of Infectious Diseases, and the Di- lence in Chiapas and the absence of basic Chiapas that has been simmering since vision of Tropical Disease of the NIH. human rights protections; the Zapatista uprising in 1994. Since In 1955, Congress renamed the Institute Whereas the persistence of political ten- then, and despite attempts at negotia- as the National Institute of Allergy sion and violence has exacerbated the impov- tions, the situation remains explosive. and Infectious Diseases, recognizing erished conditions of indigenous people in Scores of innocent people, mostly im- the need for a coordinated scientific re- Chiapas; poverished Indians, have been killed. search program on infectious, allergic, Whereas thousands of indigenous people in Chiapas have fled their homes as a result of Thousands have fled their homes and and immunologic diseases. the violence and are living in deplorable con- are living in squalid conditions, made Research supported by the Institute ditions; unbearable by the recent flooding. has led to important advances, includ- Whereas despite President Zedillo's calls This resolution does not attempt to ing: the development of vaccines for negotiations and repeated visits to take sides or to dictate an outcome. against infectious diseases such as chiapas, efforts to negotiate a peaceful reso- The situation in Chiapas is a complex lution of the conflict have been unsuccessful meningitis, hepatitis A, whopping one that has social, ethnic, economic and the National Mediation Commission was and political dimensions. It is a mani- cough and the rotavirus diarrhea; new dissolved after the resignation of its Presi- treatments to fight against the human dent, Bishop Samuel Ruiz, due to the lack of festation of years of Mexican history. immunodeficiency virus (HIV); and progress in the peace process; and It is for the Mexican people to resolve. novel interventions to treat childhood Whereas the summary expulsions of United But despite its complexities, there is asthma. States citizens and human rights monitors no doubt that the indigenous people of from Mexico raise concerns about the com- Chiapas have been the victims of cen- However, despite significant mitment of the Government of Mexico to turies of injustice. Most do not own progress, infectious diseases remain freedom of movement, association and ex- any land and they liveÐas their par- the world's leading cause of death, and pression. Now, therefore, be it ents and grandparents didÐin abject the third leading cause of death in the Resolved by the Senate (the House of Rep- resentatives concurring), That it is the sense poverty. The Zapatista uprising was a United States, and immune-mediated reflection of that injustice and despair, diseases continue to exact a consider- of Congress that the Secretary of State shouldÐ and the political tension and violence able toll. NIAID-supported research (1) take effective measures to ensure that of recent years has only exacerbated will continue to provide the necessary United States assistance and exports of their plight. tools to develop diagnostic tests, new equipment to Mexican security forcesÐ To his credit, President Zedillo has and improved treatments, vaccines, (A) are used primarily for counter-narcot- called for a resumption of negotiations and other means to combat the micro- ics purposes; and (B) do not contribute to human rights vio- and has visited Chiapas several times. bial threats of today and those of the Recently, his government invited Mary future, and to address diseases of the lations; (2) encourage the Government of Mexico to Robinson, the U.N. High Commissioner immune system. reduce political tension and violence in for Human Rights, to visit Mexico to I am submitting this resolution Chiapas by disarming paramilitary groups discuss the Chiapas situation. I wel- today to demonstrate the support of and decreasing its military presence there; come that. But there remains a deep the United States Senate for the (3) commend the Government of Mexico for distrust between the two sides, and no inviting the United Nations High Commis- NIAID, the NIH and all of the dedicated sioner for Human Rights to visit Mexico to sign that the government's strategy is professionals who have devoted their discuss the Chiapas conflict; working. This resolution calls on our lives to improving the quality of the (4) encourage the Government of Mexico Secretary of State to encourage the nation's health.· and the Zapatista National Liberation Army Mexican Government and the October 9, 1998 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð SENATE S12185 Zapatistas to support negotiations that miserable conditions as their parents, LIEBERMAN, and Mr. GRAMS) submitted address the underlying causes of the their parents' parents, and their grand- the following resolution; which was re- conflict, to achieve lasting peace. parents' grandparents, and they deeply ferred to the Committee on Foreign Mr. President, this resolution is not distrust the government. Relations: meant to embarrass or interfere. It is Mr. President, the United States and S. RES. 294 to convey our concern about the people Mexico share many interests. We have of Chiapas, and the urgent need for worked together to address concerns on Whereas on September 2, 1998, Malaysia's concrete progress to resolve a conflict both sides of the border. I have no Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad dis- that has cost many innocent lives and doubt that the government and the missed Deputy Prim Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim; which threatens the economic and po- Zapatistas can solve this problem, if litical development of our southern they want to. But we must also recog- Whereas over the past year, Dato Seri nize that violence and instability in Anwar has advocated adopting meaningful neighbor. economic structural reforms to combat an Many Senators may not know the Mexico directly affect United States increasingly deteriorating economyÐa view history of the Chiapas conflict. After economic and security interests, and which runs counter to those of Dr.