Mark Souder: “as the representative in Congress of Fort Wayne, Indiana--home to an estimated 3,000 to 3,500 people from Burma, the…”

“as the representative in Congress of Fort Wayne, Indiana--home to an estimated 3,000 to 3,500 people from Burma, the greatest population of Burmese in the United States--I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 317. Over the last year, Indiana's Third Congressional District has seen a marked increase in the number of refugees from Burma, although Burmese have lived in northeast Indiana for some time. To help them immerse as quickly as possible into our community, my office has been working with Federal and State agencies, as well as local resettlement organizations. Over the years, I've had an opportunity to learn about this Southeast Asian country and its diverse, proud, and resilient people. More than anything, the refugees tell me about the brutal oppression they endured under the military junta in Burma, known as the State Peace and Development Council. Many of these refugees still have loved ones living in destitute, overseas refugee camps, or relatives who have been unable to escape Burma, and they worry greatly about their plight. They also tell me about Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate and democratically elected leader of Burma, who has been under house arrest for years, barred from assuming the Prime Ministerial post to which she was rightly elected. Her consistent advocacy of nonviolent resistance against the military junta is inspiring, and it was for her strong leadership that the Nobel Committee awarded her its Peace Prize.”