[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 134 Engrossed in House (EH)]
<DOC>
H. Res. 134
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
March 19, 2021.
Whereas the military of Burma (hereinafter referred to as the ``Tatmadaw'') held
power in Burma between 1962 and 2011;
Whereas provisions in the 2008 Constitution of Burma, written by the Tatmadaw,
allocate 25 percent of parliamentary seats to the Tatmadaw, conferring
powers on the Tatmadaw that have been used to suppress basic rights,
including freedoms of expression, assembly, and association;
Whereas, in 2010, Burma conducted its first election, which was neither free nor
fair, under the new Constitution, and which was boycotted by the
National League for Democracy (NLD);
Whereas Burma conducted elections in November 2015, in which the NLD came to
power;
Whereas Burma's November 8, 2020, elections resulted in the NLD securing enough
seats in Parliament to form the next government, notwithstanding the
disenfranchisement of more than 1,500,000 voters, mostly from ethnic
minority communities in Kachin, Karen, Mon, Rakhine, Shan, and Chin
states;
Whereas the Tatmadaw conducted a coup against the civilian government on
February 1, 2021, hours before Parliament was to convene in a new
session;
Whereas the Tatmadaw claimed they had evidence of parliamentary election fraud
perpetrated by the NLD and Burma's Union Election Commission, an
allegation that contradicted the judgment of several independent
election monitoring organizations that the electoral process and outcome
were credible despite minor irregularities;
Whereas the Tatmadaw has detained unlawfully State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi,
President Win Myint, and other leaders of the NLD, as well as
prodemocracy activists from the 88 Generation and other civil society
leaders;
Whereas the Tatmadaw has charged State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi with importing
walkie-talkies illegally and President Win Myint with violating
prohibitions on gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas the Tatmadaw has declared a state of emergency until new elections are
held in one year;
Whereas the Tatmadaw has restricted freedom of movement, telecommunications, and
the media, limiting access to information to and from Burma during a
political and public health crisis;
Whereas, on January 31, 2021, the Secretary-General of the United Nations
spokesperson released the following condemnation of the coup, which
reads, in part, ``The Secretary-General strongly condemns the detention
of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and
other political leaders on the eve of the opening session of Myanmar's
new Parliament. He expresses his grave concern regarding the declaration
of the transfer of all legislative, executive and judicial powers to the
military. These developments represent a serious blow to democratic
reforms in Myanmar.'';
Whereas, on February 1, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., condemned the coup
in a statement that read, in part, ``The military's seizure of power in
Burma, the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials,
and the declaration of a national state of emergency are a direct
assault on the country's transition to democracy and the rule of law.'';
Whereas protests opposing the coup have swept Burma;
Whereas the House of Representatives passed H. Res. 1091 on December 13, 2018,
expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the atrocities
committed against the Rohingya by the Tatmadaw and security forces
beginning in August 2017 constituted crimes against humanity and
genocide; and
Whereas the United States has sanctioned Tatmadaw officials previously,
including Commander in Chief Min Aung Hlaing, for the atrocities
committed against the Rohingya, and the International Court of Justice
is investigating the Tatmadaw's conduct: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns the military coup that took place on February 1, 2021;
(2) stands with the people of Burma in their ambition for
sustainable peace, a genuine democracy, and the realization of human
rights for all, including for ethnic minorities whose human rights have
been violated repeatedly and who have been disenfranchised historically;
(3) condemns any attacks on civilians and supports the use of all
diplomatic and development tools to ensure that civilians are safe
during conflict;
(4) calls on the Tatmadaw to--
(A) release all those currently detained arbitrarily as a
result of the February 1st coup;
(B) restore all forms of communications, including internet
services;
(C) remove all impediments to free travel that have been
imposed as a result of the coup, apart from legitimate travel
restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic;
(D) return to power all members of the civilian government;
(E) allow for freedom of expression, including the right to
protest, press freedom, and freedom of movement;
(F) allow unfettered reporting from local, national, and
international media; and
(G) refrain from mass evictions; and
(5) calls on the President of the United States and the Secretary of
State to--
(A) encourage both the return to power of all members of the
civilian government and, subsequently, constitutional reforms to
address the power conferred to the Tatmadaw in Parliament and
the disenfranchisement of ethnic minorities in Burma;
(B) reinstate sanctions and impose new restrictions aimed at
the Tatmadaw and those responsible for the February 1st coup;
(C) work with the international partners and multilateral
institutions, including the United Nations Security Council, to
condemn the coup and enact multilateral, targeted sanctions on
the military, military-owned businesses, including the Myanmar
Economic Corporation and Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited, and
others connected to the coup, including an international arms
embargo;
(D) coordinate with international partners and allies,
especially those with economic investments in Burma, with
respect to planned economic consequences for the coup and
ensuring those consequences are tailored to avoid impacting
Burmese civilians;
(E) ensure that targeted sanctions allow all necessary
exemptions to permit the delivery of humanitarian assistance to
civilians in need;
(F) ensure that United States-based social media companies,
including Facebook, not allow their platforms to be used as
vehicles for disinformation campaigns or advocating violence
against the Burmese people;
(G) implement restrictions on diplomatic, economic, and
security relations with Burma until a full restoration of
civilian-controlled Parliament, and release of those detained in
connection with the coup; and
(H) direct the United States Permanent Representative to the
United Nations to use the voice, vote, and influence of the
United States to bring about greater international cooperation
to pursue justice and accountability in Burma.
Attest:
Clerk.