Barrack Obama and Burma -MIZZIMA

http://www.mizzima.com/edop/commentary/1247-barrack-obama-and-burma.html

by Mizzima News
Wednesday, 05 November 2008 19:04

1 Obama Statement on the Tragedy in Burma May 06, 2008
2 Senator Obama Statement on Burma
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
3 Obama Statement on the Situation in Burma
Monday, October 1, 2007
4 Obama Joins Kerry Resolution on Humanitarian Aid for Burma
Thursday, May 8, 2008
5 Statement of Senator Barack Obama on the 63rd Birthday of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Thursday, June 19, 2008
6 Obama Statement on the Continued Detention of Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
7 Statement of Senator Barack Obama on the ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting
8 Statement of Senator Barack Obama on International Human Rights Day



Obama Statement on the Tragedy in Burma

From the Campaign Office of U.S. Senator Barack Obama for President

Chicago, IL - Senator Obama released the following statement today in response to the tragic cyclone in Burma.

“My heart goes out to the people of Burma who have lost loved ones or otherwise been tragically affected by the cyclone that devastated Burma this past weekend.

I support the Administration's plan to deploy a disaster assistance response team to Burma to assess the needs of Burma’s people, and I urge the Burmese government to allow our team access so that we can move quickly and expeditiously in coordination with others in the international community to get help to those who most need it. Although the regime in Burma is one whose repressive rule deserves our condemnation, I also strongly believe that humanitarian assistance should not be used as a political tool against those in need."



Senator Obama Statement on Burma

Wednesday, September 26, 2007/ http://obama.senate.gov/press/070926-senator_obama_s_1/

"In Burma, thousands of ordinary citizens, inspired by their religious leaders, are calling for change in their long-suffering nation. We are witnessing the power of the human spirit -- and the power of non-violent protest consistent with Buddhist tradition. Yet tragically, today, in spite of the peaceful nature of this protest, the Burmese government began another brutal crackdown -- beating demonstrators, firing tear-gas and arresting hundreds. The military junta should halt this violence immediately, heed the will of the Burmese people, release Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, and begin the process of national reconciliation.

"The people of Burma have endured terrible oppression under that country’s brutal military junta. The heroes standing firm in the streets of Rangoon and other cities now deserve our strongest support. The United States and the international community must not wait for hundreds or thousands of people to be killed before taking additional action to try to prevent further violence from occurring.

"While, ultimately, change must come from within Burma, the international community has an important role to play to signal strong support for the courageous Burmese people. I have supported sanctions against Burma and welcome the additional sanctions the President announced at the UN General Assembly. But far more needs to be done -- immediately. It is not enough for the US to act alone. We must take the lead in working with the other key international players, particularly ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), India, Japan, the European Union, and especially China, to join the United States in pressing for the peaceful resolution of the current crisis in Burma and making clear the junta should not use force against peaceful protesters, including Buddhist monks.

"As the people of Burma stand up, we must stand with them."

Obama Statement on the Situation in Burma

Monday, October 1, 2007/ http://obama.senate.gov/press/071001-obama_statement_88/

For the last several days the world has watched the images of monks as they courageously and peacefully demand democracy in Burma – and the military junta's violent response. A regime that claims to be impervious to international criticism has moved to close off media and communications access to stem the flow of those images out of the country. The generals apparently believe that, without pictures, the world will eventually lose interest and move on. We must not allow this to happen.

I am pleased that the United Nations has dispatched Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari to Burma and that he has met with Aung San Suu Kyi. I hope he will persuade the junta to open a dialogue with the opposition, to release political prisoners, and to account for those who were killed or imprisoned in the last few days. Meanwhile, President Bush is right to try to increase pressure on Burma's repressive regime. I urge all nations, including the EU and Burma's neighbors, to cooperate in enforcing the financial sanctions the United States has imposed. The United States should also push for a UN Security Council Resolution to ban the provision of arms to Burma, and press China to help persuade the regime to begin a serious dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and those seeking democratic reform. We also should lead in charting a unified course with ASEAN, China, India, Japan, and the EU to forge a road map for change in Burma, and prevent the junta from playing countries off each other as they have in the past.

It is easy in this age to be cynical about the power of people to bring about change. But ordinary people armed with courage and hope are not powerless; they are history's mightiest force, even before the guns of a brutal regime. We must remain true to their cause and honor their bravery.

Obama Joins Kerry Resolution on Humanitarian Aid for Burma

Thursday, May 8, 2008/ http://obama.senate.gov/press/080508-obama_joins_ker_1/

After Devastation of Cyclone, Resolution Asks that Roadblocks to Aid be Lifted, Evaluation of Aid Strategy

WASHINGTON, DC - The Senate has passed a resolution introduced by Senator John Kerry and a bipartisan group of 19 Senators urging humanitarian aid to the Burmese people following the devastation of the cyclone and accompanying tidal wave. There are currently 100,000 people dead and tens of thousands missing, with disease spreading rampantly throughout the flooded country. The resolution was cosponsored by Foreign Relations Chairman Joe Biden (D-DE), Ranking Member Richard Lugar (R-IN), Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), along with Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Barack Obama (D-IL), Jim Webb (D-VA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ.), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Joe Lieberman (D-CT) Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.)

The senators requested that the Bush Administration send the aid they have promised the troubled nation, and also sustain humanitarian aid to the Burmese people beyond the immediate crisis created by Cyclone Nargis. The resolution also asked that any restrictions placed by Burma's State Peace and Development Council on international non-governmental organizations be lifted, so that they can freely lend assistance, medical attention and funds to the victims of the disaster. Lastly, the resolution asks that the United States Agency for International Development conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the organizations capable of navigating these political roadblocks to effectively lend assistance to the Burmese people.

The full text of the resolution can be found at this LINK.

"At this tragic moment, the United States has a responsibility to help the Burmese people and push the junta to allow humanitarian aid to get to the people who need it the most, freely and rapidly," said Kerry. "This could be remembered as the moment when the United States and the world came to the aid of the Burmese people and made it clear that while we loathe the junta that has isolated Burma from the world and oppressed its citizens, we find common cause with the people of Burma and we will be there by their side at this difficult time."

"We're hearing reports that the death toll in Burma may reach over 100,000 - making it one of the most fatal disasters in modern history," said Biden. "The United States and the international community have a moral obligation to step up and offer immediate humanitarian assistance to the region. The Burmese government has to do its part as well, by allowing in aid workers and lifting restrictions on the flow of international assistance. Together, we must act now in order to prevent disease, starvation and a lack of resources from claiming even more lives."

"The U.S. Senate makes this emphatic humanitarian statement, expressing our sympathy for the people of Burma, and encouraging that all possible assistance is extended quickly to them," said Lugar.

"My prayers go out to the families of those killed, injured or missing in this past weekend's natural disaster in Burma," said McConnell. "It is my profound hope that the regime will permit the U.S. to help the Burmese people recover from this tragedy."

"Cyclone Nargis has left a path of death and destruction in its wake. The people of Burma are in desperate need for food, shelter, medical assistance and other humanitarian aid," Feinstein said. "It's our hope that the military regime will open the country to disaster assessment teams and international aid from the United States and other nations who stand ready to help."

"Cyclone Nargis has left a path of devastation and despair across Burma, and we must take immediate steps to help alleviate the dreadful living conditions that the survivors are facing," said Dodd. "The road to recovery will be long, and we must stand ready to aid the Burmese people as they begin to pick up the pieces. In light of this unprecedented need for humanitarian aid, I sincerely hope that the State Peace and Development Council will lift current restrictions on foreign assistance in Burma and allow the United States to provide the aid that is so desperately needed."

"The tragedy in Burma is heartbreaking," said Obama. "I support the United States' commitment to deploying disaster assistance and aid to the region, and I urge the Burmese government to take the steps necessary to ensure the international community can provide help to those who need it."

"Through tragedy, there may be some hope for the future for the citizens of Burma. After years of being isolated from the rest of the world, the United States along with the international community can use this opportunity to assist Burma and demonstrate good will towards the Burmese people," said Webb. "The time is ripe to move beyond the strategy of isolation and sanctions and toward the goal of opening up Burma. I am hopeful that the administration will move forward in that spirit and that the Government of Burma will accept the outpouring of international aid and allow international relief organizations access throughout the country."

"I have the utmost sympathy and support for the people of Burma," said Murkowski. "I want to assure them that the United States will provide assistance in this time of great need. As citizens of not only the United States, but of the whole world we must come to each other's aid in times of such terrible disasters."

"As the tragedy continues to unfold in Burma, the United States should take a firm leadership role in providing a decisive, generous humanitarian response," said Kennedy. "The Burmese Government must do its part as well and allow assistance to reach those in need."

Menendez said, "We are standing together as Americans, as citizens of the world, ready and willing to do what it takes to help the Burmese people get food, water and shelter and recover as best they can from this unimaginable tragedy. Unless the ruling military junta in Burma lets international aid workers provide assistance freely throughout that nation, the mind-boggling death tolls will rise and the extreme suffering will continue. Now is not a time to consolidate power, it is a time to accept the world's cooperation and compassion."

"The devastation caused by the cyclone in Burma is tragic and overwhelming but Americans stand ready to help the people of Burma in any way we can," Feingold said. "The Burmese government must lift its restrictions and allow the international community to help prevent the further loss of life."

"This bipartisan resolution sends an unmistakable message to the Burmese people that the United States stands ready to help them in the wake of this terrible natural disaster. Rather than compounding the suffering of the Burmese people, it is now critical that the military junta put aside its paranoia, lift restrictions on the delivery of aid, and allow its people to receive the humanitarian relief they so desperately need," said Lieberman.

"Devastating humanitarian disasters like these do not heed borders, boundaries or political circumstances. They affect only the innocent, and we all need to work towards the common goal of easing their plight. I urge the Burmese Government to accept our offer of immediate humanitarian assistance," Hagel said.

"We in Louisiana understand the wrath of a catastrophic natural disaster," Landrieu said. "Countries all over the world came to our aid in 2005, and we now have the moral responsibility to get aid to Burma as quickly and efficiently as we can to help the suffering survivors. The military junta must back down and let the international community bring critical resources to the Burmese people."

"From my time with the American Red Cross, I know first-hand how important the humanitarian response is to those who are suffering. There is much to be done in the wake of Cyclone Nargis and time is of the essence. Aid to the people must not be hindered, and I urge the military junta to let the United States help," said Dole.

Statement of Senator Barack Obama on the 63rd Birthday of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Thursday, June 19, 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on the 63rd birthday of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma:

"The 63rd birthday today of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma offers an opportunity to remind the world community of the continuing tragedy in her country and the responsibility we have to press for change there.

"This year marks the 20th anniversary of Burma's 1988 democracy movement and of Daw Suu's emergence as its inspirational leader. She has sacrificed family and ultimately her freedom to remain true to her people and the cause of liberty. And she has done so using the tools of nonviolent resistance in the great tradition of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King, earning the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.

"Since her last birthday, the world has watched in horror as Burma's ruling junta first crushed the "Saffron Revolution," gunning down and rounding up Buddhist monks and other Burmese citizens peacefully demonstrating for political reform and social justice, and then, last month, resisted and impeded international provision of critical assistance to millions of Burma's people in the aftermath of cyclone Nargis. Tens of thousands died from the immediate impact of the cyclone itself, and at least 2.4 million people, 40 percent of them children, remain homeless and in desperate need of assistance.

"For decades, the junta has overseen the continued deterioration of living standards, basic human rights, and general well-being of the Burmese people. Two million refugees, thousands of political prisoners in Burma's jails, and the retreat of the junta's leaders themselves to an Orwellian capital cut off from its people are further testament to the alienation and devastation that Burma's current leaders have brought upon their nation.

"This situation offends the conscience of the American people, as it does for millions of others around the world. If the junta continues its failure to protect the dignity, health and well-being of the Burmese people, the international community must be prepared to work harder toward effective coordinated action, including but not limited to action through the United Nations Security Council.

"Aung San Suu Kyi will spend her birthday the way she has spent 13 of the past 19 birthdays, under house arrest. Nonetheless, she continues to serve as a consistent manifestation of hope even as hope has been on the retreat in Burma. As we honor Daw Suu today, we must do so the way she would want it done: by honoring the people of Burma, and keeping faith with them in their struggle for freedom, justice, and democracy."

Obama Statement on the Continued Detention of Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma

Tuesday, June 19, 2007/ http://obama.senate.gov/press/070619-obama_statement_68/

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement on the ongoing detention of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma, on her 62nd birthday:

“Birthdays are supposed to be celebrations--moments of joy spent with friends and family. Today is Aung San Suu Kyi’s 62nd birthday and it will be neither of these. She will spend this day, as she has eleven of her last seventeen birthdays, under house arrest -- the continuing target of a repressive military junta that rules Burma with an iron fist and has mismanaged the country both economically and politically.”

“The junta fears Aung San Suu Kyi, because in 1990, the people of Burma overwhelmingly chose her and her National League for Democracy to lead the country. To this day, the Burmese military has ignored the election results. But, she has not let them forget. Risking her own safety, she has consistently spoken out against the government’s imprisonment of its critics and its violations of human rights.”

“The world has taken note. For her steadfast bravery she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and, characteristically, used the $1.3 million award to establish a health and education trust for the Burmese people. By contrast, the junta has ignored the health and safety of its citizens, generating over 2 million refugees, making the country a center for heroin and methamphetamine production, and driving the country to the brink of economic collapse.”

“Today, I stand in solidarity with Aung San Suu Kyi, call for her immediate and unconditional release, and look forward to the moment when she can celebrate her birthday with friends, family and colleagues in joy and in freedom.”

Statement of Senator Barack Obama on the ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's attendance at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial meeting in Singapore is an opportunity for us to reflect on the relationship between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and indeed Southeast Asia itself.

After September 11, official U.S. attention returned to Southeast Asia focusing especially on concerns about Islamic extremism in the region. This threat remains, coming from a small number of extremists living amidst a broadly tolerant and moderate Muslim population in Southeast Asia. But it must not be the sum total of our attention and interest in the region. Our alliances with Thailand and the Philippines, and special relationship with Singapore, remain critical components of our regional presence. Relations with Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam will only become more essential to the security and prosperity of the United States, and the world, in coming years.

Half of the world's oil passes through Southeast Asia's sea lanes, as does a third of global trade. U.S. trade with the ten nations of ASEAN is more than $170 billion per year, making the region as a whole our fourth-largest trading partner.

ASEAN's impact extends beyond Southeast Asia and provides the model for, and in some cases the core of, many transnational institutions in the Asia-Pacific region. ASEAN has led efforts to construct new vehicles for regional cooperation and confidence-building among nations with histories of tension and mistrust. The ASEAN Regional Forum is one such organization. These efforts have helpfully supplemented the existing regional security arrangements, notably the U.S. system of alliances, that have underwritten stability for generations.

ASEAN is at a crossroads in its own institutional development, and in its relations with the United States. The new ASEAN Charter offers the promise of a more cohesive and assertive institution, one that demands respect for human rights from its member states. These emerging trends need to be strengthened, and I join the growing number of those in Southeast Asia who recognize that what happens in one ASEAN member country often affects the interests of others. As a U.S. Senator, I will support ASEAN's efforts to evolve to accommodate this era of increasing inter-dependency.

I remain particularly concerned about conditions in Burma. I commend ASEAN for its attempts to reach the suffering people in southern Burma, who continue to struggle in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis. But more needs to be done to reach them. I hope the upcoming ARF meeting deals directly with this issue, as well as with broader plans for regional cooperation on humanitarian assistance to the country. I urge ASEAN to take the lead in a broader, long-term effort to effect a coordinated international response to the situation in Burma that can encourage the junta toward reform and true national reconciliation in that country.

The United States needs to strengthen its relationship with ASEAN, and we have some new opportunities to do just that. But to do so we must listen to the region's concerns and be part of the regional discussion. The United States should hold summit meetings with ASEAN's leaders. In addition, I am pleased that the United States is the first country to have an Ambassador for ASEAN Affairs, but that is only a beginning step. We should encourage others in the Asia-Pacific region to work with us to strengthen ASEAN and to address a growing list of developmental challenges and new security threats, such as infectious disease, drug and human trafficking, environmental degradation, climate change, energy security and disaster mitigation.

Attendance at Asian regional meetings sends important signals to the region's leaders about the importance of East Asia, and particularly Southeast Asia, to the continued security and prosperity of the United States. We should demonstrate unmistakably through our high-level participation in such forums that our interests are profoundly engaged in the region.

I have a deep personal interest in Southeast Asia: for four of the first ten years of my life, I lived in Indonesia with my mother and sister. My years there gave me an appreciation for the region's rich diversity of cultures, societies, and traditions. Our policy toward Southeast Asia should reflect an understanding of that diversity, and of the increasing importance of the region to the peace, stability and prosperity of the United States and the broader international community.

Statement of Senator Barack Obama on International Human Rights Day

Monday, December 10, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC -- The following statement was submitted by U. S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) in the Congressional Record today on International Human Rights Day:

“Mr. President, today is Human Rights Day. Fifty-nine years ago today, thanks in large measure to the tireless leadership of Eleanor Roosevelt, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“The principles encompassed in the Declaration are uniquely rooted in the American tradition, beginning with our founding documents. Yet the Declaration also wove together a remarkable variety of political, religious, and cultural perspectives and traditions. The United States and the United Kingdom championed civil liberties. The French representative on the committee helped devise the structure of the Declaration. India added the prohibition on discrimination. China stressed the importance of family and reminded UN delegates that every right carried with it companion duties. Today should be a day of celebration, a day when we hail the universality of these core principles, which are both beacons to guide us and the foundations for building a more just and stable world.

“The Universal Declaration was a radical document in its time, and its passage required courageous leadership from political leaders. Even though no country could have been said to be in full compliance with its provisions, including the United States where Jim Crow still prevailed, all UN member states committed themselves to promoting, protecting, and respecting fundamental human rights. Although Franklin Delano Roosevelt did not live to see the enactment of the historic Declaration, it enshrined his “four freedoms”– freedom from want, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom from fear. Individuals in the United States and everywhere else were entitled, simply by virtue of being human, to physical and economic security. The Declaration was born of the recognition, in the words of one human rights scholar, that “what is pain and humiliation for you is pain and humiliation for me.”

“Anniversaries are a good time to examine how faithful we have been to our own aspirations – to ask ourselves how well we are measuring up, to assess whether our practice lives up to our promise. We in the United States enjoy tremendous freedoms, but we also carry a special responsibility – the responsibility of being the country so many people in the world look to, just as they did in Mrs. Roosevelt’s day, for human rights leadership.

“Today, on this anniversary, we must acknowledge both bad news and good news. The bad news is that for nearly seven years, President Bush has ignored Franklin Roosevelt's wise counsel about the corrosive effects of fear. Indeed, instead of urging us to reject fear, he has stoked false fear and undermined our values.

“Wounded by a horrific terrorist attack, we were warned that Saddam Hussein – a man who had nothing to do with that attack – could unleash mushroom clouds from nuclear bombs. We were told that waterboarding was effective. We were assured that shipping men off to countries that tortured was good for national security. We were led to believe that our military and civilian courts were inadequate, and so we established a network of unaccountable prisons. And the Administration launched secret wiretapping initiatives, scoffed at the rule of law, and flaunted the will of the Congress.

“Nonetheless, in his second inaugural, President Bush rightly proclaimed, “America's vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one.” But, tragically, he has failed to heed his own words. We have not only vacated the perch of moral leader; we have also compounded the threat we face, spurring more people to take up arms against us.

“The further bad news is that other countries have not stepped up to fill the void left by our lack of moral leadership. The hundreds of thousands killed and two million displaced by the genocide in Darfur; the shell-shocked Buddhist monks in Burma; the political opposition in Zimbabwe; the imprisoned independent journalists in Russia; the brave human rights lawyers and judges in Pakistan – they do not know where to turn internationally. Human rights abusers win seats on the UN Human Rights Council, the International Criminal Court issues war crimes indictments, but no country steps up to enforce them; the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations begs in vain for troops, helicopters and police to help stave off humanitarian catastrophes. For all these reasons, the world needs renewed, principled U.S. leadership.

“There is another critical reason why America must again provide moral leadership on human rights: the fate of women around the world. Whether it is in creating wealth, access to capital, and property rights, or receiving quality education, health care, and social services, women still lag far behind men. And of course the lack of full reproductive rights can be a matter of life and death for too many women. Inequality means insecurity for women, especially those who comprise 70 percent of the world’s poorest. There is a clear link between discrimination and violence against women; equality and empowerment of women is the most effective approach to ending violence against women. Today, violent acts against women, in the words of UNICEF, “are the most pervasive violation of human rights in the world today.”

“Women’s inequality and the persistent prevalence of honor killings, trafficking, repression, and sexual assault nearly six decades after the Universal Declaration shame us all. One need only look to Saudi Arabia, where a 19-year-old woman, who was raped, instead of receiving treatment and support, was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison for riding in a car with a non-related male. In the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Darfur, rape is routinely used as a weapon of war by militia and government forces. In northern Uganda, young girls are given as “prizes” to older male soldiers to reward performance.

“In Pakistan, international observers report that one of the largest challenges facing its next election is guaranteeing women enough security so they can leave their homes to vote. In Iraq the militarization and rise of radical Islam has eroded women’s rights. In Afghanistan, while nothing can compare to the day when the Taliban ruled the entire country, women throughout that country complain that their freedoms have been woefully curtailed. The United States alone cannot solve the problem of women's suffering and gender inequality around the world, but with new, principled leadership, the United States can elevate women's economic, political and social development to the top of our international agenda and ensure that women around the world know that they have a reliable friend and partner in America.

“Let me close by saying that the very depth of the anti-Americanism felt around the world today is a testament not to hatred but to disappointment, acute disappointment. The global public expects more from America. They expect our government to embody what they have seen in our people: industriousness, humanity, generosity, and a commitment to equality. We can become that country again.” Next >