U.S. Policy must openly invite, listen to and empower all Burma Minorities just as we did the Kurds in Iraq!

Sanctions help preserve the natural resources of Burma for future generations.

Burma is the keystone to a free Asia. Without 8888, there would have been no Tianenmen Square.

Sanctions provide strong encouragement for Burma's democrats, who are risking their lives everyday to restore democracy.

By placing sanctions against Burma's regime, the U.S. proves its seriousness about national reconciliation and democratization in Burma.

I think it is also hubris for the United States to think that we can move that document. I think we can encourage rethinking about it, but it is up to the Burmese themselves.

Well, intellectually, the questions are, first of all, whether this document and the implementing legislation are basically final documents, No. 1.

I don't take a back seat to you or anybody else when it comes to aspiring for democratic governments in that part of the world.

I am not sanguine about early progress, but what has been done in the past months and this hearing itself are important beginnings and should be continued and expanded.

I was disappointed by your hearing yesterday, which I saw as rather one-sided.

The Burmese military regime has attempted to silence our voices, and this hearing would have presented a strong opportunity for the Senate to hear directly from the legitimate leaders of Burma.

And this is one of my points with respect to the involvement that I've had over the years in Vietnam.

I agree with Professor Steinberg that some kind of federalism is the only possible solution.

We should also negotiate with the Burmese on the basis that their primary national goal of the unity of the Union is a shared goal of the United States.

I favor lifting all economic sanctions, but I also favor more robust efforts to press for economic and related governance reforms, separate from any political agenda.

I'll look forward to continuing that dialogue here on the subcommittee, as well.

I think there is a view that some of the problems--in fact, a substantial component of the problems that Burma faces economically--are a result of, really, tragic mismanagement of the economy by the regime.

I think the most important thing in thinking about 2010 is not thinking about this as necessarily a first step toward--in a democratic transition, but to think about 2010 as a huge reorganization of this system that's going to throw up…