Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Mr. Chairman, and honourable members of the subcommittee, thank you very much for holding this hearing today. I am grateful to be here to testify about the human rights situation in Burma, the country in southeast Asia where I was born and raised. I would like to submit my prepa

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  This is a constitution that is designed to grant supreme power into the hands of the military. The constitution grants supreme power to the commander-in-chief, so the commander-in-chief can run the military, the armed forces, as he deems fit. The constitution also grants the powe

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Just like with Canada's gold rush, many foreign companies would like to rush into Burma to exploit the country's natural resources. Also, people of Burma think that when western investors come to Burma, they are better than Asian investors. Asian investors—from China, Taiwan, M

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  One of the members of the KNU delegation just went to Yangon for a peace talk. She told me that when they were in Yangon, they talked to the region's railway minister, U Aung Min, who was the leader of the government's delegation. She asked them why they were repeating history.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Because they have no intention of having a political settlement. You know, a ceasefire alone is not enough. What the regime is thinking is, okay, we'll stop fighting, we'll let you run in your own territory, and we'll let you do business, and then this will be finished. But eth

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I know that one of the Canadian companies is called Ivanhoe. Ivanhoe is working together with the Burmese government in a joint venture. You will know that Myanmar Ivanhoe Copper corporation is on the targeted sanctions list made by the United States government. For me, this is

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I'm not aware of this because I didn't focus on that particular issue, but I will check and I will get back to you as soon as I get the information.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I totally agree, sir. As I mentioned in my testimony, without addressing the true justice and accountability, any peace-making process will not be credible and acceptable. So we need to set up the international commission of inquiry to investigate those crimes against humanity in

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  First, I really would like to be an optimist. I want to return to my home, to my family, but I can't. I was born and raised in my country. I have been dealing with this government, successive military governments, for many years. I know the changes and what they are doing now, bu

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Not exactly, but I believe that she's...[Inaudible--Editor]. Those governments made an historic visit. They went to see Aung San Suu Kyi and then they told her about this, about that. I don't think they gave her all the information she needed. Also, I don't think she has the ti

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  First, as a human being, I feel sad for him. I understand that he came back from Singapore where he was getting treatment for cancer. His cancer is so dangerous now and that's why he submitted his resignation. But it isn't official yet. They haven't made an official announcement

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  One thing that's different is that in South Africa, it was whites and blacks—white occupiers and black residents. This was the fight between them, right? But in Burma, we are fighting among Burmese. The Burmese military who rule the country are also Burmese. We are fighting again

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  If I made a mistake, I'm sorry about that.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  As I said in my testimony, I support the measured engagement approach to the changes in the country. Mainly, my position is not too fast and not too slow; also, not too much and not too little. How can we balance between too much and too little and too fast and too slow? This i

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  It will be very difficult. The military is above the law, and it has the right to interfere in every executive and judiciary and legislative power. The commander-in-chief has the power to run the military. The military we call “armed forces”, which means only the army, the navy