Max Baucus: “I speak about Burma and U.S. sanctions policy. Last year, thugs working for the illegitimate Burmese government attacked…”

“I speak about Burma and U.S. sanctions policy. Last year, thugs working for the illegitimate Burmese government attacked opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters with clubs and sharpened sticks, killing as many as 70 pro-democracy activists. The government then held Suu Kyi in what it cynically called 'protective custody.' Those events prompted international outrage and led the United States to pass the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003. That Act banned all imports to the United States from Burma. Chairman Grassley and I worked hard to ensure that these sanctions would be effective--and that Congress would continue to play a key role in their implementation. I did not want Congress to impose trade sanctions on Burma without any opportunity to review the policy and revise it if it wasn't working. So the act requires that Congress debate and vote on whether to renew the import ban every year. That is why we are here today. What has the import ban accomplished? In 2002, the last full year without a ban, Burma exported $356 million to the United States, mainly in garments and apparel products. Since the U.S. blocked all imports from Burma, more than 100 garment and apparel factories have closed, throwing 50,000 to 60,000 people, mainly young women, out of work.”