*HC1052*
April 20, 2021
HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION No. 47
DIGEST OF RESOLUTION
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION urging Congress to
support democracy and the civilian-led people of Burma.
Jacob
April 20, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary.
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 April 20, 2021
First Regular Session of the 122nd General Assembly (2021)
HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION No. 47
1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION urging Congress to
2 support democracy and the civilian-led people of Burma.
3 Whereas, On February 1, 2021, the military of Burma (the
4 "Tatmadaw") seized power in a coup shortly before a new
5 government was scheduled to be formed;
6 Whereas, Burma is composed of multiethnic groups and
7 political factions, including armed militia groups exerting
8 considerable control in parts of the country. Since its
9 independence in 1948, political instability and fighting in the
10 country has been described by some observers as "the world's
11 longest running civil war";
12 Whereas, Burma's military-controlled administration took
13 power in a March 1962 coup and has had a long history of
14 imposing direct or heavily influenced rule over the people of
15 Burma and taking ruthless, self-serving, and repressive actions
16 toward ethnic minorities across the country;
17 Whereas, In 1988, the people of Burma, led by university
18 students, protested against the military dictatorship, which led
19 to the Tatmadaw deploying the use of machine guns and tanks
20 on crowds of unarmed protesters, resulting in thousands killed
21 and thousands more displaced;
22 Whereas, In May 1990, the Tatmadaw called for the election
23 of a new legislature, which saw the opposition party, the
24 National League of Democracy (NLD) led by political leader
25 Aung San Suu Kyi, win four-fifths of the available seats, but the
26 Tatmadaw prohibited the legislature from convening and
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1 placed two of the party's leaders under house arrest;
2 Whereas, Facing political challenges from the people of
3 Burma, the military leaders ratified a new constitution in 2008
4 to allow for national elections in 2010, but the constitutional
5 amendment also imposed a requirement that one-fourth of the
6 members of each legislative chamber would be appointed by the
7 Tatmadaw;
8 Whereas, In the 2010 elections, following a series of election
9 reform laws that forced the NLD to dissolve and annul the
10 results of the 1990 elections, Tatmadaw-supported candidates
11 formed a semi-democratic civilian government and began to
12 experience years of growth;
13 Whereas, Between 2016 and 2018, the country's military and
14 police conducted brutal crackdowns on the civilian Muslim
15 population of Rakhine state, causing an estimated more than
16 800,000 to flee the country;
17 Whereas, On November 8, 2020, Burma conducted another
18 parliamentary election, which resulted in the NLD winning a
19 clear majority of seats in both legislative chambers and
20 decreasing the seats of the Tatmadaw-aligned party, resulting
21 in the military rejecting the election results;
22 Whereas, On February 1, 2021, parliament was scheduled to
23 meet for the first time since the election. However, the
24 Tatmadaw arrested and detained NLD leaders, including State
25 Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, claimed
26 unlawful control of the government, and enacted portions of its
27 constitution to declare a national emergency to further
28 consolidate power in the hands of senior generals of the
29 Tatmadaw;
30 Whereas, In response to the coup, a general strike was held
31 on February 22, 2021, across Burma, with countless citizens
32 participating and with protests continuing day and night. An
33 estimated 700 people have been detained so far, with additional
34 unlawful arrests occurring in the middle of the night;
35 Whereas, Internet access and connectivity in the country has
36 been cut off or strictly limited to hide Tatmadaw actions against
37 the people of Burma and prevent or hinder the people of Burma
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1 in their fight for democracy;
2 Whereas, At least 149 peaceful civilian protestors have been
3 killed by the military coup gangs in Burma since protests
4 against the military started, per the United Nations;
5 Whereas, Current instability may exacerbate existing tensions
6 among ethnic groups and other factions across Burma, leading
7 to increased violence;
8 Whereas, In recent decades, an estimated 40,000 refugees
9 have fled Burma and are still living in neighboring countries,
10 including Malaysia, India, and Thailand, and many would be
11 risking arrest and their lives if they return;
12 Whereas, There are an estimated 200,000 Burmese living in
13 the United States, many of whom arrived in the past 15 years as
14 refugees escaping violence and oppression at the hands of the
15 military;
16 Whereas, More than 30,000 Burmese refugees have settled in
17 Indiana, with nearly 20,000 of the total refugees living on the
18 south side of Indianapolis;
19 Whereas, Following the latest actions by the Tatmadaw
20 military, U.S. citizens and activists abroad have joined the
21 people of Burma in solidarity to protest the actions of the
22 Burmese military, to support democracy, and to end any human
23 rights violations;
24 Whereas, Pressure, engagement, and intervention from the
25 international community is needed to uphold democracy; and
26 Whereas, The United States, with the support of international
27 partners, must act urgently to prevent further bloodshed in the
28 country: Therefore,
29 Be it resolved by the House of Representatives
30 of the General Assembly of the State of Indiana,
31 the Senate concurring:
32 SECTION 1. That the Indiana General Assembly urges
33 Congress to provide support to the democratic-led people of
34 Burma, and the return to power of all members of the civilian
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1 government.
2 SECTION 2. That the Indiana General Assembly urges
3 Congress to allow more Burmese refugees, who fled their
4 country to escape military persecution and threats of violence,
5 an opportunity to settle in the United States.
6 SECTION 3. That the Indiana General Assembly urges
7 Congress and the United Nations Security Council to consider
8 additional measures to support the people of Burma.
9 SECTION 4. The Principal Clerk of the House of
10 Representatives is hereby directed to transmit copies of this
11 Resolution to each member of the Indiana congressional
12 delegation.
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