Joe Crowley: “I thank my friend from Washington for yielding me such time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Joint…”

“I thank my friend from Washington for yielding me such time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Joint Resolution 66. This measure is a sign of how we can all work together on foreign policy when we put our minds to it. I want to acknowledge the bipartisan support, both here in the House as well as in the Senate, for human rights in Burma. The Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act and the Burmese JADE Act together have prevented hundreds of millions of dollars from getting into the hands of the Burmese military apparatus. By passing these bills into law and renewing them this year, we have ensured that the 65 million people of Burma see us, the United States, as an ally in their struggle for human rights, and we have helped send a signal to others around the world that the United States will not turn a blind eye to crimes against humanity. There is no question that Burma is ruled by one of the world's most brutal governments. Over the past year, we have seen ongoing abuses committed by the Burmese military, including rapes, torture and killings. Just last week, Human Rights Watch released a report, documenting how villagers are subjected to summary executions, torture and being used as human shields during conflict. The women in Burma live in constant fear of rapes by soldiers of their own military. For the leaders of the Burmese military, rape is a tactic of war--one used to torment and to intimidate entire populations, not just their immediate victims.…”