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CLINTON 4/22 STATEMENT ON BURMA INV



Subject: CLINTON 4/22 STATEMENT ON BURMA INVESTMENT SANCTIONS

To :IntelAsia@xxxxxxxxxxx
DATE:04/22/97
TITLE:22-04-97  TEXT:  CLINTON 4/22 STATEMENT ON BURMA INVESTMENT SANCTIONS

TEXT:
("We seek to keep faith with the people of Burma")  (670)

Washington -- President Clinton has announced a ban on new U.S.
investment in Burma.

In a statement released by the White House April 22, the President
said: "I have taken this step in response to a constant and continuing
pattern of severe repression by the State Law and Order Restoration
Council (SLORC) in Burma. During the past seven months, the SLORC has
arrested and detained large numbers of students and opposition
supporters, sentenced dozens to long-term imprisonment, and prevented
the expression of political views by the democratic opposition,
including Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy
(NLD)."

"Through our action today," the President said, "we seek to keep faith
with the people of Burma, who made clear their support for human
rights and democracy in 1990 elections which the regime chose to
disregard. We join with many others in the international community
calling for reform in Burma, and we emphasize that the U.S.-Burma
relationship will improve only as there is progress on democratization
and respect for human rights."


Following is the official text of the President's statement:

(begin text)

April 22, 1997

THE WHITE HOUSE

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

Investment Sanctions in Burma

Today I am announcing my decision to impose a ban on new U.S.
investment in Burma.

I have taken this step in response to a constant and continuing
pattern of severe repression by the State Law and Order Restoration
Council (SLORC) in Burma. During the past seven months, the SLORC has
arrested and detained large numbers of students and opposition
supporters, sentenced dozens to long-term imprisonment, and prevented
the expression of political views by the democratic opposition,
including Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy
(NLD).

I have therefore imposed sanctions under the terms of the
"Cohen-Feinstein" Amendment, a bipartisan measure that I fully
support. As contained in the Burma policy provision of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1997 (Public Law
104-208), this amendment calls for investment sanctions if the
Government of Burma has physically harmed, rearrested for political
acts, or exiled Aung San Suu Kyi, or has committed large-scale
repression of or violence against the democratic opposition. It is my
judgment that recent actions by the regime in Rangoon constitute such
repression.

Beyond its pattern of repressive human rights practices, the Burmese
authorities also have committed serious abuses in their recent
military campaign against Burma's Karen minority, forcibly
conscripting civilians and compelling thousands to flee into Thailand.
The SLORC regime has overturned the Burmese people's democratically
elected leadership. Under this brutal military regime, Burma remains
the world's leading producer of opium and heroin, and tolerates drug
trafficking and traffickers in defiance the views of the international
community. The regime has shown little political will to stop the
narcotics exports from Burma and prevent illicit drug money from
enriching those who would flaunt international rules and profit by
destroying the lives of millions.

The United States and other members of the international community
have firmly and repeatedly taken steps to encourage democratization
and human rights in Burma. Through our action today, we seek to keep
faith with the people of Burma, who made clear their support for human
rights and democracy in 1990 elections which the regime chose to
disregard. We join with many others in the international community
calling for reform in Burma, and we emphasize that the U.S.-Burma
relationship will improve only as there is progress on democratization
and respect for human rights.

In particular, we once again urge the authorities in Burma to lift
restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi and the political opposition, respect
the rights of free expression, assembly and association, and undertake
a dialogue on Burma's political future that includes leaders of the
NLD and the ethnic minorities.[IntelAsia]