Joe Crowley: “I rise in strong support of House Joint Resolution 83, a measure to renew the ban on imports from the country of Burma.…”

“I rise in strong support of House Joint Resolution 83, a measure to renew the ban on imports from the country of Burma. The renewal of this bill is extremely important in the struggle for human rights and democracy in Burma. This measure, and other sanctions on Burma, prevent hundreds of millions of American dollars from getting into the hands of the military regime and funding its illegal activities. We must never forget that the inspiration for this measure came from a remarkable woman, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi. She's the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient. She and her political party, the National League for Democracy, have called on freedom-loving people throughout the world saying, and I quote, ``Please use your liberty to promote ours.'' The people of Burma support these sanctions. I believe it's also important to remember that Burma's military regime, or its junta, is not simply a government that is rough on its own people. It is among the most brutal, maybe even the most brutal, regime in the world today.”