Dianne Feinstein: “I am very proud to join with him. Madam President, in 1996, Senator William Cohen and I introduced a sanctions bill on…”

“I am very proud to join with him. Madam President, in 1996, Senator William Cohen and I introduced a sanctions bill on Bumra. It passed in 1996, and was signed by the President. In 1997, the sanctions were exercised. We had a brief period of hope during that time, and the ASEAN nations were going to be helpful. It looked like the military junta was going to be receptive. Then, recently, for a brief period, Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratic leader of Burma, was released, and discussions took place. Well, that was short lived and this diabolical attack took place on Aung San Suu Kyi. According to reports, her motorcade was met by 100 to 200 people at a bridge near Mandalay in northern Burma. Most of these people were disguised as monks. Another 400 people--convicts and other militia recruits who were also disguised as monks--blocked the convoy from the rear. Both groups then discarded their costumes and attacked the entourage with bamboo sticks and wooden clubs, smashing vehicles and beating up their targets. Officially, four people were killed and 50 injured. Witnesses contend that as many as 70 may have been killed and many more injured. This is outrageous. The level of coordination, the deception, and the brutality of the crimes cannot go unanswered.”