Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  That is true.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Personally, I fully agree with your idea because we don't want to see any unelected member of parliament in the house of parliament because they don't know what they should do. Members of parliament should be elected according to the 2008 constitution. It's very difficult to amend this.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Legally, it is helpful. It is a good idea, but the main idea of the previous military regime is to play the divide and rule policy. For example, in Shan State they created many self-administered zones. Since then, they have had a number of arguments in Shan. In some areas it is helpful, but in Shan State, it created more problems.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  You're welcome.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you so much, Mr. Chair, for giving me a great opportunity to be a witness and testify on the plight of the Rohingya and their human rights issues. Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Yes, they didn't necessarily vote for the bill. Therefore, with a majority of votes the bill would have passed.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I have paid a big price because of my voice for the persecuted Rohingya people. I'm now living in the United States of America. As Mr. David knows very well, I came to the United States of America to attend an IPPForB conference and a number of meetings with the State Department and, of course, to attend the U.S.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  In fact, there are some camp leaders appointed by the Myanmar government, but they don't have any power. The situation in all the camps is very bad. A huge number of families share a very small space. They don't have proper water, they don't receive proper food, most of the children are suffering from malnutrition, and most of the elders are suffering from chronic diseases.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Yes, but let me say out loud that the government is... We can call it a sugar-coated democracy, because when we go deeper, we see that the main authority of the country is in the hands of the home ministry and the defence ministry. In their everyday lives, grassroots people have to face the local administrator.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Could you please repeat? I didn't get the main point. Could you do it again?

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I understand that the democracy is very young, and also that the government is, let's say, favouring the wrong men, but any government could at least take steps. They could speak up. The problem is that they are totally silent. What I am saying is not based only on this one-month period.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  More than 25 Rohingya applied; all of them were denied.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Yes. When the bill was initiated by the USD Party MPs, no NLD MP objected to that abuse. If they didn't object, logically we have to say they accepted it. They didn't argue anything.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Let me answer the question of the honourable member. As of today, I don't see any hint that the new government, even the NLD Party, is ready to talk with our Rohingya representative inside our country. Although a lot of political parties, representatives, and politicians tried to approach even Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, her party was unwilling to meet with them.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Yes. In fact, I didn't want to say that, but the situation has forced me to say so, because I am also repeating the idea of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. When she was denied by the rebel military regime, she called on the U.S. government and all industrial countries for sanctions. We believe these sanctions worked a lot for democratic changes in our country.