Activists Urge More Pressure on Burma

New York Sun

UNITED NATIONS — As top Washington legislators plan to bestow the highest congressional honor on Burma's most-recognized dissident, Aung San Suu Kyi, some of her followers say that the world needs to increase attention and pressure on the regime if it is to move toward democracy.

The U.N. envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, last week highlighted the release of some of the hundreds of dissidents who participated in this autumn's street protests, the largest in several years.

But according to data released by Ms. Suu Kyi's supporters, many of the released monks were deported to rural areas. Additionally, the ruling junta has made fresh new arrests of dissident leaders since the release.

Senator McConnell, a Republican of Kentucky, and Senator Feinstein, a Democrat of California, announced this week that they planned to introduce legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Ms. Suu Kyi, according to the Washington-based newspaper The Hill. The legislation would follow up on a similar move at the House.

Last week, the Senate completed legislation that begun in the House, banning import of gems and timber from Burma, as well as barring American financial institutions from conducting business with Burma's regime, even if it is done through intermediaries.