BIDEN Bill to Promote Democracy in Burma Passes Senate

Dear all,

We are very pleased to report that one of our major projects -- ending the US bankrolling of Burma's military regime -- took a major step forwardtoday. We were able to get the US Congress to follow the European Union in banning the import of gems and timber from Burma. This is important because it is the main way the military regime gets money. They simply sell off the country's natural resources to line their own pockets.

Many thanks to everyone who helped with this effort! Aung San Suu Kyi called for people around the world to stop financing Burma's military regime, and we took a huge step forward today. This wouldn't have been possible without the brave people of Burma standing up for themselves and inspiring world leaders to take firm action. It also wouldn't have happened without thousands of supporters across the United States raising their own voices and helping in every possible way.

Jack and Jeremy

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FOR RELEASE: December 19, 2007

CONTACT: Danielle Borrin 202-224-5042

BIDEN Bill to Promote Democracy in Burma Passes Senate

Washington, DC - Today the Senate unanimously passed Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Joseph R. Biden, Jr.'s (D-DE) Burma Democracy Promotion Act, legislation that promotes the restoration of civilian, democratic rule to the troubled state of Burma. Sen. Biden's legislation, originally cosponsored by Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA),
passed as an amendment to H.R. 3890, replacing the language in the existing House bill. As a result, the House must revote on the amended bill before it can go to the President for his signature.

"The message to the people of Burma today is clear: the United States stands with you as you seek a peaceful, negotiated transition to democratic civilian rule. We will work tirelessly with the international community toward that objective," said Sen. Biden.

The Burma Democracy Promotion Act imposes new financial sanctions and travel restrictions on the leaders of the junta and their associates. In addition, the legislation tightens the economic sanctions Congress imposed in 2003 by outlawing the importation of Burmese gems and timber to the United States. The bill also creates a new position of Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma. The Special Representative will work with Burma's neighbors and other interested countries, including the members of the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to develop a comprehensive approach to the problem, including pressure, dialogue, and support for non-governmental organizations providing humanitarian relief to the Burmese people.

"Our ultimate objective is to re-integrate Burma into the community of nations. Sanctions without concerted diplomacy are pointless," said Sen. Biden. "It is time for Burma to begin a new day in which all of the people, including Burma's many minority groups, work together to rebuild what nearly 20 years of disastrous military rule have destroyed."

US at Risk for Tsunami – From Use of Torture

Tsunamis are breaks in the earth that send shockwaves to lands far and wide. Thailand and Indonesia suffered a massive one a few years back. These countries are still repairing the damage. Our own country faces an imminent tsunami caused by our government’s use of torture. It will bring its own break to this nation, to our people and to our soldiers.

In order to protect the tourists and residents in the tourist sections of Thailand from another tsunami, an enormous sound system was installed so that a loud warning can call all to higher and safer ground. Others don’t need a sound system. It was discovered that there is a community of people who live on the sea in Thailand that knew instinctively the tsunami was coming and headed up to the mountains and completely avoided any personal losses. They saved themselves and their possessions. Few did know; most did not know the power of the sea.

Our country will divide in much the same way. There are those who know instinctively that a tsunami is coming – caused by the earthquake of allowing torture to the prisoners of this nation. Those of us who know victims of torture feel the destruction that is coming because we know of the immense and wide debasement of so many people for so long by so many torturers for all the so called ‘right’ reasons.

Many, many nations are still waging political and legal battles over accountability regarding torture in their past. Chile, South Africa, Peru and Argentina to name a few. ‘National security’ is used as a justification by these governments so they can send the torturer into the chambers to harm their citizens. Do we Americans think we are any different? Do we think our torturers are better people? Better than the secret agents of other countries? Or that we have a clearer right to torture because we feel somehow that we re a superior people and that we know what we are doing over here? Or if you hit us, all bets are off and we are a vicious people at the base?

As Albert Camus said, those who receive the lash and those who count the lash know that governments will always find a way to harm someone over a perceived threat to national security. History is filled with such madness. Millions have been tortured, many to death. Each violating government will tell anyone that “it was necessary because we had a serious threat.”

The American public is watching both political parties debating national security and human rights as if they are natural enemies of one another. Attorney Generals in the cabinet of the President of the USA may even approve of water boarding, clearly a torture weapon. What is the rest of the world to think of this kind of behavior? Are these civil servants who are willing to torture to be the new cardinals of the new inquisition? Should the torturers for the USA be given a medal for doing such a good job if they in fact do the torturing?

As the world views this debate among our politicians, the world is watching the darkness set in on our American dreams. If torture is approved, does it not ultimately go to harming our support for the troops? The military people will tell us every time that torture is to be avoided. Military people will all say it does hurt the soldiers if their own country is torturing. Some will argue that our soldiers will get tortured anyway. The answer is that might be true, but it is criminal and not normal and therefore accountable to courts. Criminals can be chased and caught from time to time.

We Americans need our own sound system to tell us the tsunami is coming…should not the screams of millions of torture victims be loud enough? Are not the examples over the last century by left and right governments across the globe enough? What effect can those of us who know the tsunami is coming have on the population as a whole when the media refuses to discuss this topic for ay real length of time…and refuses to interview torture victims?

The tortured and those who know their wounds know an earthquake with a tsunami is coming…..the ground has shifted and the rules have been broken. American soldiers will be the first to suffer this shift. Those who pretend to support the troops are silent. Few exceptions, including John McCain, do stand out in this effort. The powerless and the poor are in more danger than ever, for they are the usual inheritors of governmental lashings, all for the ‘right’ reason of course.

The prisoner who is a threat will say anything to get out of the torture chamber. If trained, he will lie for his cause and fool you into the wrong course of action. Do we not as a nation embarrass ourselves when some of our presidential candidates even agree that torture can be used? Think of all the people who have suffered torture when they hear this debate. Millions have been hurt by governments. Few torture victims ever get back to normal. Most never recuperate fully. Some commit suicide many years later because of the ever present memory of the debasement.

Americans will suffer the consequence of the Bush decision to torture…though he says we do not torture. We all know the Bush people tried to re-write the law to do exactly that. Torture occurred in the prisons of Iraq, in our prison in Cuba, in the prisons of Morocco, Jordan and Syria. It is called rendition instead of torture – as if euphemisms will dull the justice loving spirit of Americans. It is called ‘physical pressure or stress pressure.”

This historical moment may seem small to some. But to those who follow human events around the world, torture policy makes giant footprints in history.

A tsunami is on the way…get our nation to higher ground or suffer the consequences.