Recent Press Releases

*America has not forgotten about the people of Burma*

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined Senator John Kerry (D-MA) in introducing a resolution in the U.S. Senate on Monday condemning the tyrannical State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) for its use of violence against the peaceful protestors in Burma.

The resolution, which passed the Senate Monday evening, calls on the SPDC to immediately cease attacks against ethnic minorities, release Aung Sang Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners, and begin a meaningful tripartite political dialogue with Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy, and the ethnic minorities.

It also urges China to remove its objections to efforts by the United Nations Security Council to condemn the actions taken by the SPDC against the peaceful demonstrators, and to suspend military assistance to the SPDC until civilian democratic rule is restored in Burma.

“I am proud to join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in expressing our support for the people of Burma and condemning its brutal regime,” said McConnell. “This resolution reflects the Senate’s grave concern about the deteriorating situation in Burma, and it tells those living there that the American people have not forgotten about them. We are committed to keeping the pressure on this dictatorial regime, continuing to call for an end to attacks against ethnic minorities, and promoting democracy and reconciliation in Burma.”

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Washington, DC – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the following remarks Monday on the current situation in Burma:



“For the past week the world watched the people of Burma rise up against the oppressive regime that rules that country.



“Then the tyrannical junta that has held power for years, the State Peace and Development Council, brought out its soldiers and its guns. They arrested, brutalized and killed many who bravely stood up to its misrule.



“And so, while last week the streets were filled with brave monks adorned in saffron robes demonstrating for freedom, today those same streets are occupied by uniformed thugs and lined with barbed-wire barricades.



“And, for now, the people of Burma have largely fallen silent.



“But the silence in Burma is a deafening one that we can still hear. Even if the freedom-loving people of Burma have been temporarily quieted, the rest of us can still lend our voices to their cause.



“Earlier today, Senator Kerry and I introduced a sense of the Senate resolution condemning the SPDC for its brutality in snuffing out these cries for freedom.



“We have already been joined by scores of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and I know we will be joined by many more. The House of Representatives is slated to pass a similar measure later this week.



“In this way, the entire Congress of the United States will be able to speak, when the Burmese citizen, the Buddhist monk, and democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi herself are forced to be silent.



“I urge all of my colleagues to join me and Senator Kerry on this resolution.”



Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell released the following statement Friday on the recent violence in Burma and the State Peace and Development Council’s move to cut off Internet access to the people of Burma:



“Today, I send a message to the tyrannical State Peace and Development Council: you cannot censor the graphic images the world has witnessed during the past few days; they will never be forgotten. We still hear the cries of freedom from the people you seek to silence. We stand with the courageous people of Burma in their heroic struggle.”



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