Steven Holt: “I rise to express strong support for House Resolution 1677, offered by Mr. Manzullo, and I rise to denounce the flawed…”

“I rise to express strong support for House Resolution 1677, offered by Mr. Manzullo, and I rise to denounce the flawed, undemocratic election that took place in Burma earlier this month. For nearly half a century now, the liberties of the Burmese people have been held hostage by successive military rulers. The regime refused to honor the results of open elections held in recent decades and then forced the acceptance of a new, illegitimate constitution in a sham referendum. Last week, the junta once again chose to disregard the will of the Burmese people by staging a fraudulent election. When I first visited Burma decades ago, I learned what a difference a misguided regime could make. Burma had been a vibrant country known as the 'rice bowl of Asia.' Burma had had a rich history, fertile land, abundant resources, and a productive population. In the years following the coup in the early 1960s, the authoritarian regime impoverished a nation and brutalized a people. The generals have rejected the choices of the Burmese citizens, imprisoned or killed political dissidents, and failed to address humanitarian suffering caused by their own mismanagement and by tragic natural disasters. The United States has a duty to stand firmly against the military's human rights abuses and to work for justice, reconciliation, and the rule of law in Burma.”