Rick Allen: “I rise today to condemn the ongoing repression of the democracy movement in Burma. This latest crackdown has included…”

“I rise today to condemn the ongoing repression of the democracy movement in Burma. This latest crackdown has included the rearrest and injury of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and brutal attacks on her supporters. Burma's regime has ignored the basic human rights of its citizens and is intent only on preserving its own brutal grip on power. Since last May, the international community has significantly decreased pressure on Burma's regime. During that time, we have seen only increased abuses. The numbers are staggering: Burma's regime has forcibly conscripted 70,000 child soldiers, far more than any other country in the world. The regime has tortured and locked up 1,400 political prisoners. Even worse, the regime has borrowed a tactic from the Bosnian war by using rape as a weapon of war, heaping misery on countless women and girls. Clearly, the United States and the international community must more actively address the situation and Burma and take available steps to prevent further violence against those seeking desired democratic reform.”