Political Quotes

“I rise today on behalf of persecuted religious believers in Burma also known as Myanmar. The Burmese Government engages in horrifying human rights violations against numerous religious and ethnic minorities. I met a few weeks ago with a group of Christians from Burma. Reports tell of one Karen family which fled Burma after the military forced the husband to help build a pipeline for the UNOCAL and TOTAL oil companies. The husband escaped the forced labor, but soldiers hunted him down, then tortured his wife and seriously burned their 2-month-old baby. The baby died, and the rest of the family fled to refugee camps in Thailand. This story is not unusual for the Karen and Chin peoples of Burma. Mr. Speaker, I have photographs which reflect the atrocities committed by the Burmese military forces. The photos show the murder of a Karen man and woman. They are too horrible to describe and show, but if any Member wishes to see them privately, they can come to my office. Human rights violations like this must not be allowed to continue. I urge the State Peace and Development Council to immediately cease these horrible human rights abuses.”