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Bush Statement on Burma Extends House Arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi |
Washington, D.C.
May 27, 2008
I am deeply troubled by the Burmese regime’s extension of National League for Democracy General Secretary and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi’s house arrest on May 27. The United States calls upon the regime to release all political prisoners in Burma and begin a genuine dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy, and other democratic and ethnic minority groups on a transition to democracy. (Full text)
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Mrs Laura Bush |
Washington, D.C.
May 21, 2008
Q: What has the U.S. been ready to do, capable of doing? What more could the U.S. be doing if the regime in Burma allowed the U.S. in?
MRS. BUSH: Well, the U.S. could be doing a lot if they were allowed in. We do have navy ships that are off the coast of Burma that are equipped with a lot of things for a disaster. They have big desalinization trucks that they could drive off in and make clean water, fresh water for people out of salt water, and I think that would be very important. Obviously there's food on some of these ships, as well as plastic sheeting -- all the things you'd need to try to build some sort of structure if your homes have been destroyed -- mosquito nets, other things that people might need. So -- helicopters. I mean, that's the really important thing. There are helicopters that could lift people out of bad situations or could bring supplies in to people that were not being able to be reached because of high water or other sort of destruction. (Full text)
President Bush, Secretary Rice and first lady Laura Bush |
Washington, D.C.
May 1, 2008
At the White House today, President Bush stated, “The people of Burma have long awaited the opportunity to live in a true democracy. The referendum vote scheduled for May 10, 2008 could have been that opportunity. However, Than Shwe and his regime are ensuring that the referendum vote will be on a dangerously flawed constitution, and will not be free, fair, or credible…I have signed a new Executive Order that will block all property and interests in property of designated individuals and entities determined to be owned or controlled by, directly or indirectly, the Government of Burma or an official or officials of the Government of Burma.” (Full text)
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Secretary Rice speaks at the Embassy of the United States, Baghdad, Iraq |
Washington, D.C.
May 1, 2008
Bilateral relations between Burma and the United States remained strained. The government defined almost all anti-regime activities as "acts of terrorism" and made little distinction between peaceful political dissent and violent attacks by insurgents or criminals. The Burmese government was quick to characterize dissident groups as aligned with terrorist organizations and used this as justification to scrutinize and disrupt their activities. In the past several years, bombs have exploded in Rangoon and other parts of Burma. In most incidents, the Government of Burma claimed the incidents were a subversive act, "committed by a group of insurgent destructive elements who wanted to disturb and destroy stability of the state." Authorities did not make public any evidence of a genuine investigation or identify the specific perpetrator(s). Requests by the U.S. Embassy to view either the scenes or remaining fragments of the explosive devices were consistently denied. (Full text)
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Click here for the Washington Post’s daily updates of results from the Iowa Caucuses, the New Hampshire primary and other campaign trail stops on the road to the White House! Which candidate do you think will become the next US President? (Full text)
DEMOCRATS
Barack Obama www.barackobama.com Hillary Clinton www.hillaryclinton.com REPUBLICANS
John McCain www.johnmcain.com
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Prior to the imposition of the investment ban, many prominent U.S. investors had already withdrawn from Burma due to a hostile investment climate and disappointing returns. An active anti-Burma consumer movement in the United States and Europe also put investors’ corporate images at risk. Current U.S. federal sanctions prohibit new investment, but allow companies invested in Burma prior to May 20, 1997 to maintain their investments. Very few companies have elected to do so. (Full text)
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| Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announces publication of the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007. |
The government's human rights record worsened during the year. The regime continued to abridge the right of citizens to change their government. Government security forces killed at least 30 demonstrators during their suppression of prodemocracy protests in September, and they continued to allow custodial deaths to occur and commited other extrajudicial killings, disappearances, rape, and torture. In addition, regime‑sponsored, mass-member organizations such as the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) and regime-backed "private" militias increasingly engaged in harassment, abuse, and detention of human rights and prodemocracy activists. (Full text)
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| President George W. Bush shakes hands with Singapore's Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong |
The Oval Office, White House
April 09, 2008
We did spend time talking about the countries in the neighborhood. We spent time on Burma and the need for the military regime there to understand that they shouldn't fear the voices of people. And yet they do. I'm disappointed with the progress made to date there, and would urge the military leadership there to open up and respond to the will of the people. (Full text)
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| Mrs. Laura Bush poses for a photo with Charm Tong |
Washington, D.C.
April 07, 2008
For nearly 20 years, Burma's military regime has crushed peaceful dissent and jailed thousands of political prisoners. Aung San Suu Kyi, the head of the democratically-elected National League for Democracy, has spent more than 12 years under house arrest since 1989. When a 500 percent spike in regime-controlled gas prices led to protests last September, the junta responded with a force that shocked the world. Unarmed monks who led the demonstrations were beaten, arrested, and killed. Bullets were sprayed into crowds of peaceful protestors, and thousands were imprisoned under shameful conditions. Arrests and beatings of peaceful activists continue today, and demonstrators remain incarcerated. (Full text)
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| Mr. Tom Casey, Deputy Spokesman |
Tom Casey, Deputy Spokesman
Wahsington DC
February 28, 2008
Burma’s military regime continues exacerbating the climate of fear and intimidation leading up to the May constitutional referendum. The Constitution Approval Law announced February 27 establishes a three-year penalty for disrupting the referendum. Another law, Decree 5/96, punishes criticism of the regime’s “roadmap to democracy” with up to twenty years in prison. The referendum law also denies monks, nuns, and political prisoners the right to vote. The regime continues arresting and prosecuting Burmese citizens for peacefully expressing their political beliefs. (Full text)
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