Burma

Speaking Out On Behalf Of The People Of Burma
Mrs. Bush Supports Burmese People's Efforts To Free Themselves From Regime's Tyranny

Mrs. Bush Stands With The People Of Burma In Support Of Human Dignity And The Rule Of Law

Mrs. Bush is bringing the plight of the Burmese people to the national and international forefront in hopes of alleviating their suffering. For nearly 20 years, Burma's oppressive military regime has crushed peaceful dissent and jailed thousands of political prisoners. Aung San Suu Kyi, the head of the democratically-elected National League for Democracy, has spent more than 12 years under house arrest since 1989.

• Health and humanitarian conditions within Burma continue to deteriorate. Incidence of malaria and AIDS/HIV are on the rise in Burma, and outside groups such as the Global Fund are unable to send adequate resources due to the probability that those resources will be intercepted and diverted. Experts anticipate further degradation of already severe circumstances within Burma following Cyclone Nargis in May 2008.

As a voice of the Bush Administration, Mrs. Bush has called on the regime to stop their terror campaigns against their own people, to release all political prisoners, to commit to a meaningful, unrestricted dialogue with opposition leaders, and to take steps to foster a democratic transition.

• Mrs. Bush protested the junta's violent crackdown of peaceful protests during "The Saffron Revolution" in the fall of 2007. She criticized the regime's "shameful response" to pro-democracy voices: nonviolent demonstrators struck down with batons, tear gas, smoke grenades and bullets; civilians, including children, seized at random; innocent men and women slain.



• On May 5, 2008, Mrs. Bush held a press conference in the White House Press Briefing Room following Cyclone Nargis. She called on the junta to allow unhindered access for international disaster experts and aid providers so that the Burmese people could receive much needed assistance in the wake of the devastating cyclone.

The United States Has Called On The International Community To Support The People Of Burma In Bringing Peaceful Change To Their Country

As part of her ongoing call to the international community to assist the Burmese people in their struggle for democracy and human rights, Mrs. Bush traveled to the Thai-Burma border. In August 2008, Mrs. Bush visited the Mae La refugee camp and the Mae Tao clinic to learn first-hand of the refugees' plight and their dedication to education and freedom. Mae La, the largest of nine camps along the western Thailand border, shelters over 35,000 refugees, and 300-400 people come to Mae Tao clinic each day for free care.

Mrs. Bush urges the United Nations and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon to take action in condemning the violence in Burma and to help prevent future violence in one of the world's most isolated and repressed countries.

• Mrs. Bush convened a forum at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in 2006 to draw attention in the international community to the human rights issues in Burma. Participants included senior U.N. and U.S. government officials, academics, and non-governmental organizations and non-profit organizations working to address humanitarian and human rights concerns in Burma.

In public statements, editorials, and interviews, Mrs. Bush continues to praise the courageous individuals who labor for Burma's freedom and encourage international support for their efforts. As part of a Vital Voices Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. in April 2008, Mrs. Bush honored Burmese women for their courage in the fight for democracy and basic human rights.