Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United Nations Security Council should immediately impose an arms embargo against the military of Burma.

IV 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 348 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United Nations Security Council should immediately impose an arms embargo against the military of Burma. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 22, 2021 Ms. TENNEY (for herself, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. KIM of California, Ms. JACOBS of California, Ms. TITUS, Mr. MOORE of Utah, Mr. VARGAS, and Mr. MEIJER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United Nations Security Council should immediately impose an arms embargo against the military of Burma. Whereas the military of Burma (also referred to as the ‘‘Tatmadaw’’) conducted a coup against the democrat- ically elected civilian government on February 1, 2021; Whereas, on February 2, 2021, the Department of State con- cluded that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Bur- ma’s ruling party, and President Win Myint, the duly elected head of government, were deposed in a military coup on February 1, 2021; VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:42 Apr 23, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR348.IH HR348 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 348 IH Whereas the Tatmadaw has detained the elected civilian lead- ers of the country, nullified the results of the November 2020 democratic elections, and installed a junta, the State Administration Council, under a ‘‘state of emer- gency’’; Whereas the Tatmadaw has restricted freedom of movement, telecommunications, internet service, and the media, lim- iting access to information to and from Burma during a political crisis and international pandemic; Whereas protests opposing the coup have continued across Burma, and hundreds of innocent people have died at the hands of the Tatmadaw through the brutal use of force; Whereas the United States has sanctioned Tatmadaw offi- cials, including Commander in Chief Min Aung Hlaing and Burma’s chief of police, Than Hlaing, and Bureau of Special Operations commander, Lieutenant General Aung Soe; Whereas the United States has also designated two entities linked to the coup leaders, Myanma Economic Holdings Public Company Limited (MEHL) and Myanmar Eco- nomic Corporation Limited (MEC); Whereas, on April 13, 2021, the United Nation’s High Com- missioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said, ‘‘There are clear echoes of Syria in 2011.’’ in the current situation in Burma, and warned, ‘‘I fear the situation in Myanmar is heading towards a full-blown conflict. States must not allow the deadly mistakes of the past in Syria and elsewhere to be repeated.’’; and Whereas, on February 3, 2021, United Nations Secretary General Anto´nio Guterres stated, ‘‘We will do everything we can to mobilize all the key actors and international VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:42 Apr 23, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR348.IH HR348 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 348 IH community to put enough pressure on Myanmar to make sure that this coup fails.’’: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep- 1 resentatives that— 2 (1) the United Nations Security Council should 3 immediately impose an arms embargo against the 4 military of Burma to prevent the continued acquisi- 5 tion of arms and military equipment and the pro- 6 liferation of weapons throughout the country, and to 7 hold the Tatmadaw accountable for— 8 (A) ongoing violations of human rights and 9 the security forces’ history of grave abuses 10 against peaceful protestors of military rule and 11 against the Rohingya and other ethnic minority 12 groups; 13 (B) obstructing humanitarian access to ci- 14 vilian populations in dire need of assistance; 15 (C) using increasingly lethal force against 16 peaceful, prodemocracy demonstrators; and 17 (D) threatening and arbitrarily detaining 18 government officials, activists, journalists, stu- 19 dents, and civil servants, and imposing rolling 20 internet shutdowns that put lives at risk; 21 (2) the lifting of a United Nations arms embar- 22 go should be contingent upon the Tatmadaw— 23 (A) implementing a permanent cease-fire; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:42 Apr 23, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR348.IH HR348 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 348 IH (B) releasing the democratically elected 1 government leaders from imprisonment; 2 (C) bearing the primary responsibility for 3 gross human rights abuses and forced displace- 4 ment perpetrated by the Tatmadaw’s violent 5 rule, including but not limited to the Rohingya, 6 Karen, Rakhine, and Kachin ethnic minorities; 7 (D) allowing for consistent, unimpeded hu- 8 manitarian access to vulnerable civilian popu- 9 lations; 10 (E) fully restoring internet and tele- 11 communications access within the country of 12 Burma; and 13 (F) establishing a clear and verifiable proc- 14 ess to immediately transition power back to a 15 democratically elected civilian-led government; 16 and 17 (3) the international community should con- 18 tinue to support civilians, particularly ethnic minori- 19 ties, who have been adversely affected by the coup 20 in Burma and should promote peace and reconcili- 21 ation dialogues within local civil society. 22 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:42 Apr 23, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR348.IH HR348 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS