[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 6] [House] [Pages 8884-8887] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES AND SYMPATHY TO PEOPLE OF BURMA FOR LOSS OF LIFE AND DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY CYCLONE NARGIS Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1181) expressing condolences and sympathy to the people of Burma for the grave loss of life and vast destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis. The Clerk read the title of the resolution. The text of the resolution is as follows: H. Res. 1181 Whereas on the night of May 2, 2008, through the morning of May 3, 2008, Cyclone Nargis, the first tropical cyclone to make landfall on Burma since Cyclone Mala in 2006, struck the coast of Burma; Whereas Cyclone Nargis caused more destruction in Burma than the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004; Whereas Cyclone Nargis has caused the death of tens of thousands of people, displaced hundreds of thousands, and is anticipated to affect over a million people; Whereas Cyclone Nargis has caused significant damage to Burma's rice crop, likely worsening the global food crisis and affecting the supply of rice in Burma and worldwide; Whereas on May 7, 2008, news media reported that the death toll, as accounted by a United States envoy, could reach over 100,000; Whereas tens of thousands of people remain missing in the storm's wake; Whereas Cyclone Nargis has devastated major parts of Burma, including extensive damage to Burma's largest city of Rangoon and throughout the Irrawaddy Delta region, Bago (Pegu) division, Karen State, and Mon State; Whereas initially 5 regions in Burma were declared disaster zones; Whereas 2 Irrawaddy Division townships, Kyait Lat and Latputda, were almost completely destroyed, leaving several hundred thousand people without homes or shelters; Whereas fallen trees, demolished homes, downed power and telephone lines, and debris have blocked roads and blanketed the affected area; Whereas hundreds of thousands of people are in dire need of emergency shelter and clean drinking water; Whereas Burma's military regime did little to warn the people and is not providing adequate humanitarian assistance to address basic needs and prevent further loss of life; Whereas despite the devastation, the military regime has announced plans to go ahead with its May 10, 2008, referendum on a sham constitution, delaying voting only in portions of the affected Irrawaddy region and Rangoon; Whereas the military regime has failed to provide life- protecting and life-sustaining services to its people; Whereas more than 30 disaster assessment teams from 18 different Nations and the United Nations have been denied permission to enter Burma by the junta; Whereas the United States, through its Government, the Burma-American community, and its people as a whole, has already extended significant support to the people of Burma during this difficult time, including a $250,000 emergency contribution authorized by the United States Embassy in Burma to be released immediately, and $3,000,000 in additional aid relief announced on May 6, 2008, by the White House; and Whereas a United States Agency for International Development disaster response team is positioned in neighboring Thailand: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives-- (1) extends its condolences and sympathy to the people of Burma for the grave loss of life and vast destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis; (2) vows its full support of and solidarity with the people of Burma; (3) calls on Americans to provide immediate emergency assistance to cyclone victims in Burma through humanitarian agencies; (4) expresses confidence that the people of Burma will succeed in overcoming the hardships incurred because of this tragedy; (5) calls for the Burmese military junta to consider the well-being of its people and accept broad international assistance; and (6) demands that the referendum to entrench military rule be called off, allowing all resources to be focused on disaster relief to ease the pain and suffering of the Burmese people. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) and gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from American Samoa. General Leave Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from American Samoa? There was no objection. Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. First of all, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the distinguished gentlemen [[Page 8885]] of this committee of the House, the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Berman, and our senior ranking member, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, for their leadership and support of this legislation. I would also like to thank our distinguished colleague, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) for being the lead sponsor of this proposed resolution. Mr. Speaker, the long-suffering people of Myanmar are once again gripped by tragedy. On May 2, Cyclone Nargis slammed into Myanmar, ripping through the southern part of the country and leaving a path of enormous devastation. The United Nations reports that so far the cyclone has killed between 60,000 to 100,000 people and affected well over one million. Hundreds of thousands of people are without food, fuel, clean water and shelter. As high as the death toll is now, the greater fear, Mr. Speaker, is that disease, like cholera, will spread in the affected areas, taking many more lives. Aid agencies claim that one million people could die if measures are not taken to stem the effect of diseases. Such a large-scale tragedy demands a large-scale relief effort, and the international community is ready to assist the people of Myanmar. But sadly, it is Myanmar's own government that is slowing the delivery of aid. As we stand here today, Myanmar's military rulers are refusing to allow the necessary number of foreign assistance teams and programs and aid groups to enter the country. Only yesterday was the first U.S. airplane allowed to deliver aid. This relatively small shipment is a fraction of the overall effort that the United States is ready to provide. We have airplanes, we have helicopters, ships, ready to deliver goods and relief teams, but Myanmar's military rulers have refused even as their people continue to suffer. Mr. Speaker, the United States is not being singled out. Dozens of governments and nongovernmental aid groups from other countries are likewise prohibited from traveling to Myanmar. As a result, only a small fraction of the affected areas are receiving any assistance at all. And with each hour of delay, the people of Myanmar continue to suffer. In the midst of this tragedy, the Myanmar military rulers decided to make an even greater display of their total disregard for the health and safety of the people of Myanmar. Last week, sadly, the Myanmar Government went ahead and conducted a scheduled referendum on a proposed constitution in the nonaffected areas. Then they plan to hold another referendum in the affected areas some time later this month. Mr. Speaker, I submit the constitution and the referendum are a sham, and the process is another effort on the part of the military rulers to continue their control over the people and their government. But even if the constitution was legitimate, the decision to go forward with the referendum as millions of the people of Myanmar are fighting for survival totally defies any sense of logic and is a denial of human dignity. Mr. Speaker, the spectacle of the referendum was chilling, even by the low standards the military leaders have set. State-run television showed clips of generals at the ballot box as corpses continued to pile high along the banks and the river beds in the south region of the country. With this resolution, the House of Representatives calls upon Myanmar to put the needs of its people first and call off the constitutional referendum and accept international assistance. H. Res. 1181 also expresses our deepest condolences and sympathy to the people of Myanmar for the great loss of life and their continued suffering, and offers our full support and solidarity. Mr. Speaker, this resolution also expresses confidence in the people of Myanmar that they will overcome this terrible tragedy. May I say, Mr. Speaker, I would like to make this special appeal, a special appeal to the president of the People's Republic of China to bear the strongest possible influence upon the military leaders of Myanmar to stop this insanity and let these governments and aid agencies come forth and to give assistance to the people of Myanmar. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I stand also in support of House Resolution 1181 authored by my good friend from New York (Mr. Crowley), and which I am proud to cosponsor, that addresses the tragic loss of life in Burma due to the devastation of the recent cyclone. The suffering caused there is heart wrenching, with the number of estimated dead nearing 100,000, and with at least 1 million people left homeless. The secretive and corrupt military junta in Burma has made a determination of exact figures on the loss of life and of those in desperate need of assistance nearly impossible to estimate. Millions are reportedly at immediate risk of disease or hunger. Many have publicly criticized the Burmese regime in the cyclone's aftermath, pointing out that Burma's state-run radio failed to issue a timely warning to its citizens in the storm's path, despite information it received from neighboring countries. United Nations agencies temporarily suspended relief flights last week after reports that the junta had impounded two plane loads of supplies and that the Burmese troops were pilfering the assistance already on the ground. What kind of regime steals the food literally out of the mouths of starving babies? The answer is the one in Burma today. The first U.S. relief aircraft, loaded with 28,000 pounds of supplies, including water, mosquito netting and blankets, was allowed to land in Burma on Monday. This is in keeping with the wide-hearted generosity of the American people to those who are in need anywhere in the globe. It is in keeping with Ronald Reagan's famous dictum that ``a hungry child knows no politics.'' Disaster relief experts from the United States and other countries are ready to head to Burma to prevent what could become an even greater calamity affecting millions of people. The Burmese regime, however, is still refusing to issue them visas. The insistence by the junta that it will distribute all supplies itself raises grave concerns, given the regime's past track record of thievery and indifference to the welfare of its own people. It is time for Burma to let the relief workers and journalists inside. The generals must put aside, for once, their own selfish ambitions and must start thinking of the good of their own people. The prospects for this, however, remain grim. This is, after all, the same regime that callously shot monks and other peaceful demonstrators on the streets of Burma's cities last fall during the Saffron Revolution. The generals, unfortunately, are likely to turn a deaf ear to the cries of their own people. This Congress, however, should not and must not be deaf to the cries of the suffering men, women and children in Burma. It is essential that the House speak today in a strong and unified voice and pass Mr. Crowley's important resolution. The American people would expect no less, and the Burmese people will be forever grateful. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo) be allowed to manage the remainder of our time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Florida? There was no objection. Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I yield 6 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), the chief sponsor of this proposed legislation. Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend, Representative Faleomavaega, for not only yielding me the time but for working with us on this important resolution. I also want to thank his staff who has worked with my staff in an expeditious way to get this resolution to the floor as soon [[Page 8886]] as possible. I want to thank the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee as well, Congressman Berman, and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen, and the other members of the committee for their quick movement on this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deepest condolences and sympathy to the people of Burma for the grave loss of life and vast destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis. Burma was hit by the cyclone more than 10 days ago, and its impact has been nothing but devastating. To date, it has claimed an estimated 100,000 lives. It has robbed more than a million people of their homes, and tens of thousands of people are still missing and unaccounted for, while millions are struggling to survive without access to clean water, food, or shelter. Shamefully, the military junta of Burma, showing no regard for the lives of their fellow Burmese, did little to warn the people in the cyclone's path that the cyclone was coming, and they have done little to help their own people in the aftermath of this natural disaster. Instead of providing much-needed emergency humanitarian aid to its people, the junta pushed forward with an election to pass their sham constitutional referendum. At a time when all resources should have been focused on saving the lives of survivors struggling to find food and clean water to stave off starvation, disease and death, the regime deployed personnel to campaign in favor of the referendum, man polling stations, and fill state television with images of dancing girls urging people to vote in favor of their referendum. Aside from failing to use their own resources to help the people, the junta would not even accept outside resources to aid the devastated communities in the aftermath of the cyclone. Immediately after the cyclone hit, the United States embassy in Burma authorized $250,000 in emergency assistance, as it does whenever such an emergency takes place around the world. {time} 1730 President Bush also swiftly followed by pledging an additional $3 million, the assistance of the U.S. Navy assets in the region, a disaster assessment team and any additional aid that would be needed. And the United States Agency For International Development Administrator Henrietta H. Fore announced an additional $13 million in aid to Burma, bringing the total value of U.S. Government assistance to more than $16.3 million. Yet most of those funds and offers have gone unaccepted. To date the junta has allowed only one plane load of U.S. emergency aid to enter the country, and it is unclear if that reached the survivors at all. While estimates from the international humanitarian organization in Burma reveal that more than 1.5 million people are on the brink of death unless aid reaches them immediately, the Burmese military regime continues to deny international aid workers entry in the country. Yesterday, at a meeting in Rangoon, a Burmese cabinet minister told relief agencies that foreign aid workers are prohibited from entering the disaster zone, and must present all of their supplies to the military for distribution. The regime does not have the capacity or skills to handle this major humanitarian crisis, yet it continues to deny visas to disaster assessment teams that can help. It has allowed only the smallest trickle of international aid into the country. At this point, in the post-tsunami relief operation, the hard hit region of Aceh was receiving one aid flight every single hour. In Burma, the regime is only allowing three or four flights a day, after not allowing any in the first five days after the cyclone hit. Efforts to ensure aid reaches the survivors of the cyclone are continually hampered by military officials who will not allow aid workers, foreigners, diplomats or journalists, or even ordinary Burmese who want to help their fellow citizens access to the hardest hit areas. Many of the affected communities have received no aid from the regime or any aid agency. To make matters worse, it is being reported that the junta is also selling aid supplies to local markets. Mr. Speaker, that is simply unacceptable. Just yesterday, China experienced its own natural disaster, a massive earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, and our hearts go out to the victims of that disaster. But China, unlike the junta in Burma, immediately acted to help the victims and the citizens of its country. Countries that have the capacity to react to a natural disaster and provide aid to its citizens have a moral obligation to do so. China's actions in the United Nations Security Council to prevent efforts to invoke the responsibility to protect in Burma is appalling. It is truly saddening, but not surprising, to see the Burmese junta turn a blind eye to its own people. The United States, along with the international community, understands the gravity of the situation, even if the military regime in Burma does not. Even in the wake of one of the most deadly natural disasters they refused to provide the proper humanitarian assistance needed to ensure the health and survival of their own citizens. Mr. Speaker, the bill before us is about making clear to the people of Burma that we stand with them, and that we will continue push the junta to accept our assistance to help those in need. Mr. MANZULLO. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith). Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank my good friend for yielding and I rise in very strong support of H. Res. 1181 regarding the heartbreaking situation in Burma. I thank my friend from New York for sponsoring it following the devastating cyclone that hit that country earlier this month. The United Nations, Mr. Speaker, has suggested that the death toll from the cyclone is likely to number more than 100,000. Many people already living in poverty saw their homes swept away, and some two million survivors are now struggling to stay alive, threatened by disease and starvation. The water is contaminated, medicine is hard to come by, and much of the land in the affected regions is still under water. Bodies of victims are floating in the waters with those of drowned animals. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this terrible tragedy and to their families. This body has addressed the plight of the Burmese people many times in the past as they have struggled for the most basic freedoms under the repressive military junta that rules them. It is tragic that a people that has already suffered so much now faces this devastation. The resolution we are considering expresses support for the Burmese people and confidence that they will overcome the hardships they now face. It calls on Americans to give generously to humanitarian agencies that are addressing the crisis. I am pleased that the U.S. government has pledged more than $16 million in relief for Burmese cyclone victims. And if our relief is allowed to get there, I'm sure that number will skyrocket. But the military regime has thwarted the efforts of relief agencies and personnel to enter the country and distribute aid. There have been reports that the government has also appropriated supplies, withholding them from the victims. Our aim here, Mr. Speaker, is not to score points on the Burmese question. My feelings and those of my colleagues are well known. At this point, we all just want to see humanitarian aid get to the people as soon as possible to save lives and mitigate suffering. Right now paranoia reigns among about Burma's military strongmen, and innocent people, as a result, are dying. But I plead with Burma's leaders to facilitate relief efforts, allow the international community to help. I ask them to heed H. Res. 1181's call to put the welfare of the Burmese people first. Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield for the purpose of making a unanimous consent request to the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman), chairman of our House Foreign Affairs Committee. [[Page 8887]] Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution. One cannot help but be deeply saddened by the harrowing reports and images coming from Burma in the wake of Cyclone Nargis. Television clips show bloated, dead bodies floating among scared and starving Burmese, desperate for assistance. Entire villages are destroyed, some with survivors in the single digits, others with no survivors at all. Because of the escalating cost of fuel, it is too expensive to burn the corpses of the dead. As horrific as the current destruction is in Burma, there is the eerie fear that we are on the precipice of the situation becoming much worse. The threat from disease could raise the number of dead from the tens of thousands to over one million. It seems unthinkable that in this modern age, 1 million people can be left to die as the result of a single natural disaster. Yet, that is what we face if we are not able to provide aid and assistance to the people of Burma. And, if it is horrific to hear reports of the humanitarian crisis in Burma, it is nauseating to hear reports of the lack of humanity on the part of the Burmese regime. The Burmese junta seems committed to preventing the full-scale relief operations necessary to respond to the current crisis. Instead of welcoming the outpouring of assistance from around the world, Burma's generals are letting aid groups and governments languish as they wait for visas. The United States stands ready with so many other countries, international organizations and NGOs, to do what it can to prevent further loss of life and to help Burma begin to recover from this devastating storm. But the military leaders continue to rebuff our help and our pleading on behalf of the Burmese people. Most governments would be strained by the demands of responding to such devastation, and Burma lacks a fraction of the capacity necessary to deal with this crisis. To make matters worse, there are reports of corruption inside Burma eroding the efforts that are allowed to take place. We hear that supplies that were provided by donors are being confiscated by the government and resold back to aid groups. This is sinister profiteering at its most extreme. That the junta went ahead with its scheduled constitutional referendum on Saturday in the unaffected areas is sickening and surreal. The constitution under question is intended to legitimize the current ruling government. But despite its many, many crimes, this government has done few things that have so de-legitimized its claim to govern over the Burmese people. It is time for the Burmese government to do what Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said it should do, and ``put its people's lives first.'' We hope and pray that, for the sake of the people of Burma, the junta does so as soon as possible. Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, it's not without irony that just this past week Congressman Joe Crowley and I, representing the House, and Senators Feinstein and McConnell, representing the Senate, the other body, were at the White House for the signing of the bill that awarded the Congressional gold medal to Aung San Suu Kyi, and it was a very interesting moment there. The First Lady joined the President at the bill signing, which was quite unusual. And the First Lady, the day before, had actually conducted a press conference, which is quite unusual for her, talking about the untold suffering that is occurring in this country. And while we discussed the issue, it was apparent the intensity with which the President and the First Lady, and indeed the entire Nation is viewing the impact of the fact that the junta in Burma simply would not allow humanitarian aid to flow into that country. And so at the time, when we honor somebody with the Congressional Gold Medal, somebody who represents a bulwark of freedom and democracy, the country gets hit with this horrible tragedy. Our purpose here today is simply to encourage the junta to follow the humanitarian strain which is written in the soul of every individual, and that is to set aside the politics, to allow the American aid that is available and, indeed, world aid that is available, in order to alleviate the suffering. Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1181, expressing condolences and sympathy to the people of Burma for the grave loss of life and vast destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis. I would like to thank my colleague Representative Crowley of New York for introducing this important legislation that reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the people of Burma who have been victims of the natural disaster caused by Cyclone Nargis. Mr. Speaker, Burma has been a region of serious political unrest and economic changes. As my colleagues may know, in the evening of May 2, 2008, Cyclone Nargis struck the coast of Burma leaving in its wake catastrophic destruction. It was reported that an estimated 1.5 million people were severely affected by the cyclone. With winds reaching 190 kilometers per hour and an 11.5 foot storm surge that swept across affected areas, the world could only fathom the damage that was inflicted in horror. It has been projected that the damage caused by the cyclone significantly exceeds the government's ability to provide full relief for the victims and it has indicated its acceptance of assistance from the international community. It is my sincere hope that the military-backed caretaker government currently in power in Burma will promptly lift the state of emergency in the remaining regions and move expeditiously to allow foreigners to administer vital care and aid to the people. At this dire state, our deepest concerns in supplying aid to all the people affected should be directed to Burma's willingness to openly allow international efforts. In this key period of political change, one that will hopefully allow for a more free and fair democratic Burma, the nation has been hit by an unthinkable natural disaster that has affected the country. The country's infrastructure is in shambles and it is estimated that there are 22,000 dead with 41,000 missing. In the midst of the rice shortages that South Asia is experiencing, the most productive agricultural lands and crops of Burma have also been destroyed. It will take an estimated two years for Burma to be able to produce food for its people and will need continued assistance and support throughout that time. As a member of the international community, it is in the best interest to provide humanitarian services and aid to those in need in Burma. The United States must offer its full support and continued aid in restoring the country's self-sufficient agricultural sector to reduce the strain on food shortages in the entire region. It is imperative to cultivate harmonious relations between the United States government and that of Burma to help facilitate the mission of international peace. I believe that it is crucial that the United States government express its heartfelt sympathy and support to the people of Burma in the wake of this terrible disaster. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation and to further their efforts to ensuring the complete restoration of the well-being of Burma. Mr. MANZULLO. I have no further speakers. I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I also yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1181. The question was taken. The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn. ____________________