Daw Aung San Suu Kyi gives video message to U.S. Congress

Today was the first time that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was able to address the U.S. Congress.

Earlier this afternoon the U.S. House Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific held a hearing entitled “Piercing Burma’s Veil of Secrecy: The Truth Behind the Sham Election and the Difficult Road Ahead.”

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi prerecorded a video address for the hearing.

You can read the transcript of her speech – click here

Here is one of the important quotes from her address:

“Professor Quintana has spoken of the need for a commission of inquiry into human rights violations in Burma. I support his call for such a commission, making it quite clear that a commission of inquiry is not tribunal. It is simply a commission of inquiry to find out what human rights violations have taken place and what we can do to ensure that such violations do not take place in the future. I would appreciate everything that is done to help Professor Quintana in his work. Because, unless we respect the work of the Human Rights Rapporteur, I do not think we will be able to make much progress towards the implementation of the resolution of the United Nations Human Rights Council.”

Full testimony of the other witnesses, Dr. Chris Beyrer and Aung Din can be found at the House Committee on Foreign Affairs website http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/112/aun062211.pdf and http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/112/bey062211.pdf