Benjamin Gilman: “I wish to thank Chairman Hyde for bringing to the floor H. Con. Res. 211, a resolution Commending Daw Aung San Suu Kyi…”

“I wish to thank Chairman Hyde for bringing to the floor H. Con. Res. 211, a resolution Commending Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on the 10th anniversary of her receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to the Government of Burma. I want to commend the gentleman from New York, Congressman King, for drafting this important resolution. Daw Suu was under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 after winning a democratic election in 1990 and leading her party, the National League for Democracy, to a landslide victory, winning 80 percent of the parliamentary seats. However, she was rearrested a year ago and has once again been under house arrest since then. One year ago talks began between her party the National League for Democracy and the military government. Since then we have seen the release of 2180 political prisoners and the opening of approximately 30 NLD offices. While we welcome these actions, Amnesty International reports that there are close to 1800 political prisoners still being held in Burma and at that pace it could be another 10 years before we see them all freed. This is not acceptable. Human rights abuses continue, narcotics production and trafficking continue and the NLD and ethnic supporters of the democracy movement are not allowed to freely associate or express their views.”