Statement Of Sen. Patrick Leahy
On Courage And Brutality In Burma
September 27, 2007

Mr. LEAHY.   For the past ten days, people around the world have watched with admiration and increasing trepidation as over 100,000 courageous Burmese citizens, led by thousands of maroon clad Buddhist monks, have demonstrated peacefully in Burma’s capital city in support of democracy and human rights.  They have been calling for an end to military dictatorship and the release of Burma’s rightful, democratically elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been either in prison or under house arrest for 11 of the past 18 years.  

Today, there are reports that Burmese soldiers had cordoned off the streets, fired tear gas, shot and killed several of the protesters and a Japanese journalist, raided monasteries and arrested opposition party members and hundreds of monks.  The vicious response by the Burmese military against masses of peaceful, dignified, unarmed citizens, while not surprising, is intolerable and should be universally condemned.

Earlier this week, President Bush made a forceful statement before the United Nations General Assembly criticizing the repression of Burma’s military leaders and announcing tighter sanctions and visa restrictions.  The President’s announcement is welcome.

United States leadership is essential, but it can only go so far.  Bringing democracy and human rights to the Burmese people will require far stronger pressure from its neighbors and trading partners such as China, Thailand, Russia and India.  It will require these and other nations to disavow the failed policies of engagement with the Burmese junta. 

I have long believed that engagement is most often the best policy, but there comes a time when it has demonstrably failed, and there is no more obvious example of this than Burma.  A different approach is long overdue.

Burma’s friends and allies must make unequivocally clear what President Bush and others have said, and what the brave citizens of Burma are calling for:  Burma will suffer severe economic sanctions unless Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners are released and the generals in charge agree to hand over power.     

In his own speech at the United Nations, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced hope that the Burmese junta would “exercise utmost restraint” and engage in a dialogue with “relevant parties” in seeking national reconciliation.  Obviously, that has not happened.  Since then, the Secretary General has sent his special envoy to Burma to try to convince the Burmese junta to resolve this crisis peacefully.  

It is very disappointing that China, Burma’s largest trading partner, has once again put its economic interests, and Burma’s corrupt generals, above the fundamental rights of the Burmese people.  China, which has more influence over the Burmese junta than any other government, blocked the UN Security Council from adopting a resolution condemning the violence.    

It is a sad commentary on a country that the rest of the world entrusted to host the next Olympics.   While China has urged the generals to exercise restraint, history has shown that in Burma words alone are not enough.  We hoped China would act differently this time, but so far we have been mistaken. 

Many times in the past, peaceful protests in Burma have been put down with brute force.  Countless Burmese citizens have been imprisoned or killed for doing nothing more than speaking out in support of democracy.   

The past ten days of protests have attracted far greater crowds, and because of the Internet the whole world can see their numbers, their bravery, and the strength of their conviction.  The people of Burma are an inspiration to people everywhere, and they are asking for our support.  Without it they cannot succeed.  If all nations stand united behind them now, Burma’s long nightmare can finally come to an end.  

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