Ros-Lehtinen Urges Administration to Stop Talks with Burmese Regime; Says "Any Concession to Dictatorship Would be Grossly Premature'

Statement

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on the Obama Administration's recent overtures to Burma:

"I am distressed that the Administration is prematurely and publicly discussing any major concessions to the Burmese regime, such as nominating an Ambassador. Any concession to the dictatorship would be grossly premature. The world needs to see that the upcoming April elections are not the same kind of sham that we saw in 2010.

"While welcome and long overdue, the release of 591 prisoners of conscience from the Burmese gulag is hardly a "momentous step' toward fundamental reform. The Burmese junta claims the right to round up these individuals again at any time. A former prisoner of conscience said it best, "[it's a] release with a rope around my neck.'

"The Burmese regime's ongoing military assaults, mass rapes, and atrocities against minority groups prove that it is far too early to regard it as "a partner and friend.' The preliminary agreements between the junta and the Karen National Union (KNU), for example, still do not include a nationwide ceasefire, human rights guarantees, or unrestricted press access to vulnerable areas.

"I call on the Administration to immediately cease talks with the ruthless tyrants in Burma until the junta has been replaced with a duly elected, democratic government that respects human rights and civil liberties."

Source