Political Quotes

“the horrendous massacre that is taking place in Burma is despicable and unconscionable. Now is the time for Members of this House to condemn the military junta and support human rights by supporting my good friend, Representative Peter King's resolution on Burma. On September 27, 2007 the military junta violated the sacred traditional sanctuary of Buddhist temples in mass coordinated pre-dawn raids. More than 200 monks were arrested. What we know is that at least five monks, eight civilian protestors, and a Japanese photographer were killed by the army. But how many more were gunned down or dragged off in the middle of the night by the junta may never be known. This resolution not only calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Nobel Peace Price laureate Aung San Suu Kyi but also for a restoration of democracy and human rights that has eluded the people of Burma for so long. The Rangoon Massacre only makes our call for the return to democracy ever more urgent. Burma was once the richest country in Southeast Asia and the world's largest rice exporter. However, as a result of decades of corruption and gross mismanagement, Burma is now an economic failure. Countless Burmese are regularly victimized by human traffickers as they seek a better life outside the country. The junta's decision in August to hike fuel prices further threatened the people's livelihood. This led to the largest street demonstrations in two decades.”