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Washington, DC – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the following statement on the Senate floor Wednesday on the political situation in Burma:

“Imagine living under a brutal regime that sends out troops to shoot and kill unarmed, innocent people in the streets.

“Imagine living under a regime that rewards the winner of a popular election not with political office, but with house arrest.

“And imagine a regime that carelessly allows the bloody and bruised body of a Buddhist monk, whose only crime was presumably to protest on behalf of peace, to float down a river.

“But we don’t have to use imagination. These horrific events are real. They are occurring right now.

“They are actually taking place in Burma, a country ruled by an illegitimate military junta, the State Peace and Development Council, or SPDC. And since their seizure of power, the Burmese people have seen very little peace or development.

“The world was reminded of the SPDC’s oppression recently as Burmese democracy activists, led by Buddhist monks, demonstrated for freedom.

“The government’s reaction was brutal and barbaric, like something rarely seen since the end of the Cold War. They unleashed soldiers to fire at the unarmed demonstrators, killing untold numbers.

“No one can be sure of the exact number because of the secrecy in which the SPDC cloaks the entire country. Nor can we be sure how many activists the government has imprisoned.

“But we do know the fate of democracy leader and Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the winner of Burma’s last free parliamentary elections in 1990. The SPDC has kept her under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years.

“We are reminded that such tyranny still exists in the 21st century. This despotic regime does not even pretend to seek to adhere to basic standards of human dignity.

“The SPDC’s reign of terror is so complete that even simply turning off the television set is an act of political courage for a Burmese citizen.

“The AP reported yesterday that people in Rangoon are switching off the first 15 minutes of the government-run nightly news broadcast. It is one of the last acts of protest they have left, after the uniformed thugs and the barbed-wire barricades have taken over the streets.

‘This is the least dangerous anti-government activity that I can take,’ the AP quoted one Rangoon woman, who was too afraid to reveal her name, as saying. ‘By doing this, I am showing that I am not listening to what the government is saying.’

Well, this Senate shares her contempt for the SPDC’s empty words. Listen to how one SPDC ambassador explained events in Burma since the crackdown: ‘As all are aware, things have calmed down. We are able to bring normalization to the situation.’

“Such a description, reminds me of the ancient Roman dictum, ‘They made a desert, and then called it peace.’

“Just because the protests have been ruthlessly suppressed, and Burma is fading from the pages of Western newspapers, does not mean the value of Burma’s pro-democracy cause has diminished.

“On the contrary, now more than ever, America and our allies must continue to press the members of the UN Security Council for a strong resolution against the Burmese regime.

“And here in Washington, D.C., we’re going to leave our televisions turned on, and continue to help in any way we can to support these brave people’s cries for freedom.”

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*In Senate floor speech, McConnell calls on India to abstain from supporting the military junta in Burma*

Washington, DC – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the following floor statement Tuesday on the situation in Burma:

“The British statesman Edmund Burke once wrote: ‘When bad men combine, the good must associate.’ Such vivid moral clarity is nowhere better reflected than in the recent events involving Burma.

“In Burma, we have indeed witnessed the combination of bad men—a combination of corrupt military junta leaders and compliant thugs in the Burmese security forces. “This combination recently carried out the brutal suppression of peaceful protests in Burma, killing and imprisoning untold numbers of nonviolent demonstrators, including scores of Buddhist monks.

“What is now needed is for the good to associate.

“The global struggle against terrorism has compelled us to increase our foreign policy engagement in places such as the Horn of Africa, Indonesia and the Philippines.

“In the coming decades, we must realize that China and India are two countries that will play a larger role on the world stage.

“One would have hoped that as India takes on a greater role as a regional power, and as a growing economic power, that pro-democracy elements within Burma could look to associate with its next-door neighbor, the largest democracy on the planet.

“Our nation is pursuing a closer relationship with India in terms of military-to-military contacts and in the development of nuclear energy. India should be wary of coddling the junta in Burma.

“The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recently put out a strong statement condemning the brutality in Burma. Instead of echoing the sentiments of Burma’s ASEAN neighbors, the Indian government has only issued tepid statements at best.

“In so doing, India has put itself in league with China and Russia.

“This is all the more troubling since India had been supportive of Burmese reformers in the early 1990s.

“As India assumes a greater role on the world stage more will be asked of it, and this is just such a case. India needs to recognize that responsibility and abstain from supporting the military junta in Burma.

“India needs to use its influence as Asia’s longest-lived democracy to associate with the pro-democracy forces of Burma and press for reforms.

“Understandably India has important interests in its neighbor to the East. For one, India wants to counter the influence of China in Burma. That said, it should look beyond its near-term interests.

“What better way to blunt Chinese influence in Burma than to work to bring about a Burma that reflects the Indian values of democracy and openness, rather than a Burma that reflects the anti-democratic values of the Chinese government?

“I strongly urge the Indian government to reconsider its position on Burma; to speak directly to the regime’s recent actions; and to work for the cause of democracy and reconciliation in Burma.

“Only then can the combination of bad men leading Burma be checked.”

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*McConnell urged USDA to approve Kentucky’s request*

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared every Kentucky county a natural disaster area due to extreme drought conditions. In September, Senator McConnell sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns in support of Kentucky’s request for disaster designation.

The current drought condition, combined with frigid temperatures over Easter weekend, devastated many agriculture products, including an estimated 50 percent loss on Kentucky’s forage crops and decreased yields for corn and soybeans. The drought also impacted Kentucky’s cattle producers who are struggling to secure adequate pasture and hay for their herds.

“Agriculture is a vital part of the Commonwealth’s economy, and this disaster declaration will provide much needed assistance to our agriculture producers during these difficult times,” said McConnell. “Our farmers will now be able to apply for low-interest emergency loans to help them pay their essential farm and living expenses.”

Kentucky farmers interested in applying for the assistance should contact their local Farm Service Agency office for further information.

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Recent Press Releases

McConnell: We Must Press For a Strong UN Resolution Against Burmese Regime

October 3, 2007

“In Burma, We Have Indeed Witnessed the Combination of Bad Men”

October 2, 2007

USDA Declares Kentucky a Natural Disaster Area – Farmers Can Now Apply For Financial Assistance

October 2, 2007