Martha Colmenares

La noticia sobre Birmania puede considerarse un triunfo. El Congreso de EE.UU ayer martes ha enviado al Presidente George W. Bush la solicitud de firma para la aprobación de una ley que permitirá bloquear la importación de piedras preciosas de Myanmar, y de esta manera por ser una de las más lucrativas fuentes de ingresos de la junta militar birmana, violadora de los derechos humanos y de perseguir y encarcelar a su disidencia democrática como es el caso de Aung Sang Suu Kyi, privarlos de beneficios traducido en cientos de millones de dólares. A continuación la reseña en inglés y relacionado. Martha Colmenares

Recomendado: Visita Birmania free.
Victoria en el Congreso de U.S con ley de importacion de gemas de Burma.
El Congreso de EE.UU ha promulgado una ley que restringe las importaciones de piedras preciosas provenientes de Birmania,su principal entrada de divisas para poder sostener ese régimen de terror, la ley ha sido enviada al presidente George W.Bush para su firma y como sabemos El siempre a expresado su solidaridad a la causa de la libertad de este sufrido pueblo,es grato saber que ambos partidos se han unido en esta semana proclamada por el presidente como una de apoyo a las naciones cautivas a la que incluyo a Birmania,Cuba,Iran,Corea del Norte, Sudan, Siria y Zimbawe.

Recibo de US Camping for Burma
Victory! Congress Bans Gem Imports from Burma

Dear Martha,

We are pleased to write to you with major news: last night the U.S. Congress passed new, enhanced sanctions legislation banning the import of gems from Burma. We want to thank the thousands of you who telephoned, emailed, and met with your members of the House of Representatives and Senate. We also want to acknowledge the hard work carried out by the members of the House and the Senate — as well as their staff members — who led this effort.

What Does the Legislation Do?

- This new law closes a gaping loophole in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act that had previously allowed Burmese gems to be sold in the United States, even though most all other imports are banned. The Burmese regime’s sale of rubies and jade brings them upwards of $300 million per year — much of that from unsuspecting American consumers. Now, that will come to an end!

- The law also creates the position of a U.S. “Special Coordinator” for Burma, whose job will be to reach out to other countries to build support for Burma’s human rights activists and ultimately seek a peaceful transition to democracy in the country.

Why The Legislation Is Important and Next Steps

- Similar to how “conflict diamonds” help prop up a civil war in Africa, the sale of Burmese rubies and jade funnelled hundreds of millions of dollars to Burma’s military dictatorship, financing their reign of terror.

We still have much more work to do — the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act must be renewed and gems weren’t the only source of funds for the military regime — but for one day we want to pause and celebrate an important step forward.

*****
US Congress approves legislation to bar Myanmar gems
Yahoo news
by P. Parameswaran Wed Jul 23, 2:42 AM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Congress on Tuesday sent legislation to President George W. Bush seeking to block import of gems from Myanmar, in a move to deprive its ruling junta of hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue.

The Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act, passed by the Senate Tuesday and by the House of Representatives last week, will keep the gems, including jade and rubies, from entering US markets via third-party countries.

Despite a longstanding ban on all Myanmar imports, gems from the impoverished country have entered the United States via third nations such as Thailand, China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore, rights groups have said.

The gems trade is one of the most lucrative sources of profit for the military rulers, accused of blatant human rights abuses and stifling democratic opposition.

“This is bipartisan legislation that is now on its way to the president for his signature,” said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell after the bill was unanimously approved.

“By focusing the sanctions on the (military rulers), this bill sends a clear message to the junta that the United States stands squarely with the freedom-loving people of Burma,” McConnell said, using Myanmar’s former name.

The bill also makes the generals and their families ineligible for visas to the United States and enhances existing financial sanctions against the regime.

They include new reporting requirements which will provide greater transparency about the junta in terms of their financial holdings, information about countries that provide military aid to the regime and background on Myanmar’s timber trade, McConnell said.

“We cannot allow this regime to prosper financially while they continue to violate the human rights of their own people,” said Howard Berman, Democratic chairman of the House foreign affairs committee.

“This bill hits the Burmese leaders where it hurts — in the wallet. It’s our hope that these sanctions will push other countries to examine their own financial dealings with Burma,” Berman said.

The Jewelers of America, representing more than 11,000 jewelry stores nationwide, supports the ban on gem imports, and major retailers such as Tiffany’s and Bulgari have voluntarily implemented a ban.

The European Union and Canada have similarly banned the import of Myanmar gems.

“The ‘blood’ color of rubies not only brings (Senior General) Than Shwe’s military regime 300 million dollars per year, it signifies all the blood lost by innocent civilians in our struggle for human rights,” said Aung Din, a former political prisoner and co-founder of the US Campaign for Burma.

“We want to thank the United States Congress for taking strong and meaningful action.”

An earlier version of the legislation was introduced last fall by human rights advocate Tom Lantos, a senior lawmaker who died of cancer in February, in response to the junta’s deadly crackdown of peaceful protests.

But Congress began to consider it in the aftermath of a cyclone that ravaged the country earlier this year, when the junta blocked entry to many foreign aid workers and relief shipments, relenting only after a personal visit by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The disaster left at least 138,000 missing or dead.

The new legislation also urged US energy giant Chevron to consider divesting from a lucrative gas project if the junta did not embrace reforms.

Lawmakers had dropped a plan to impose sanctions that would have pressured Chevron to pull out from the Yadana gas project after the company argued that other firms from nations such as China and India could easily take over its stake if divested.

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