Kerry Statement on Threat of Military Crackdown in Burma

[The Straight Story]

Kerry Statement on Threat of Military Crackdown in Burma



WASHINGTON D.C. – Sen. John Kerry issued the following statement today in response to the situation in Burma.

“In spite of great danger, the long-suffering people of Burma have risen up against one of the world’s most repressive regimes. We are witnessing nothing short of a nation-wide, democratic groundswell led by a peaceful army of Buddhist monks, marching and chanting in unison against Burma’s brutal military junta. This is Burma’s best opportunity for genuine political change in almost two decades.

“The Burmese people must know that America and all free people across the globe stand in awe of their commitment and courage. They should know the government of the United States fully supports their non-violent struggle against a cabal of corrupt generals, and the Burmese dictatorship must have no doubt that the United States and the world are watching their every move.

“President Bush’s decision today to target the top generals in Burma for financial sanctions is a step in the right direction, but it will not solve the problem. The Administration must follow-up with forceful multilateral diplomacy that convinces the generals to act with restraint, and negotiate a political compromise with Burma’s democrats. Now is the time for the international community to put pressure on the military junta to release all political prisoners, starting with the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, and take steps down the path towards political change.

“The world has not forgotten Burma’s last great democratic uprising in 1988 — one that was brutally crushed by the military at the cost of some 3,000 innocent lives. That day and those that have followed remind us of the world’s collective failure. It must not happen again.”

http://kerry.senate.gov/cfm/record.cfm?id=284136