William R. Richardson: “recently I had the privilege of meeting for 6 hours with Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon, Burma. This is the next Nelson…”

“recently I had the privilege of meeting for 6 hours with Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon, Burma. This is the next Nelson Mandela international human rights case. She is a woman of towering strength and conscience, yet the world has yet to hear from her because she has been under house arrest for the last 5 years following a detention after her party in Burma won 80 percent of the vote. Mr. Speaker, she symbolizes freedom, democracy, and human rights, not only for the Burmese people but throughout the world. There is a possibility in the days ahead that the ruling Burmese Government will engage in talks on political reconciliation in Burma with Aung San Suu Kyi. We need to back this effort. U.S. policy has been firm behind Aung San Suu Kyi, democracy, and human rights. That policy should now intensify.”