The Issue:
In late July 2003, outraged by the continuing human rights and labor rights abuses of a dictatorial regime in Burma, Congress approved and the President signed into law a new series of sanctions including a complete 3-year ban on U.S. imports from Burma.  The import ban took effect on August 28, 2003 and was renewed by Congress every year.  In July 2006, President Bush approved new legislation (H.J. Res 86/S.J.Res 38) to reauthorize the ban for an additional 3-year period.  On a related point, the Bush administration has now brought the Burma issue before the United Nations Security Council, raising the profile of the situation to a new level. 

AAFA on the Issue:
AAFA was one of the first organizations to publicly call for the original import ban. AAFA continues to urge the Congress and the Bush administration to work with other countries to renew and multi-lateralize the import ban.

The Latest News:

07.28.08
On July 24, Congress cleared a bill that extends for an additional year a ban on imports from Burma. AAFA has long supported this ban and has urged other countries to follow suit. Although the most recent one-year import ban technically expired on July 27, 2008, President Bush is expected to sign the legislation into law shortly, which provides for a seamless extension. Bush is also expected to sign into law a companion measure that would authorize a series of additional sanctions targeting the Burmese jade and gem industry.

06.23.08
AAFA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke wrote a series of letters to the Congressional sponsors of legislation (H.J. Res 93 / S.J. Res 41) to renew the import ban on Burma contained in The Burmese Freedom & Democracy Act of 2003. The ban was enacted in response to horrific human rights abuses committed by the ruling military junta in Burma. AAFA is a long-standing supporter of the ban and issued a press release urging Congress to renew it before it expires on July 26. Renewing the ban now is especially important in light of the ruling military junta’s complete disregard for the welfare of its own people in its recent response to Cyclone Nargis, which greatly exacerbated the devastation caused by that tragedy.

10.01.07
Demonstrations by monks and their supporters against the ruling military junta in Burma have steadily grown over the last two weeks. The demonstrations turned violent last week, however, when the military used gunfire and tear gas against demonstrators. Meanwhile, President George W. Bush on September 25 condemned the ruling military junta for the human rights abuses it has committed against its own people at the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly and urged the United Nations and all member countries to follow the United States' lead in imposing sanctions against the ruling military junta.

07.24.07
Set to expire July 26, Congress moved quickly to once again renew the AAFA-supported import ban on Burma contained within the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 (HJ Res 44). The bill, now before President George W. Bush, maintains for another year the import restrictions against the ruling military junta in Burma due to their horrific human rights violations. The US Senate approved the legislation by a vote of 93-1 on July 24, only a day after the US House of Representatives passed the bill by voice vote.  (See AAFA News Release)