Ambassador-Designate to Burma
Testimony
Derek Mitchell
Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma
Statement Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Washington, DC
June 27, 2012
Mr. Chairman, and Members of the Committee, I am honored
to appear before you today as the President’s nominee to serve as the U.S.
Ambassador to Burma, the first in more than two decades. I am humbled by the
confidence that President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton have shown in me
with this nomination. Mr. Chairman, I know you take a particularly keen
personal interest in the situation in Burma, and I commend all you have done
during your tenure to advance the relationship between our two countries.
It was almost exactly a year ago that I sat before you
and this Committee as the President’s nominee to serve as the first Special
Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma. I noted in my testimony then
the many challenges facing Burma and our bilateral relationship. No one would
have thought possible the remarkable developments that have occurred since a
year ago. On-going reform efforts have created an opening for increased
engagement between our two countries, and instilled a sense of hope among
millions inside and outside Burma who have worked and sacrificed so much for so
long for real change.
During my time as the Special Representative and Policy
Coordinator for Burma, I traveled to the country many times. The government in
Naypyitaw provided excellent hospitality and demonstrated a willingness to have
open and candid discussions with me on each occasion. I also want to thank the
many other interlocutors – political party officials, civil society
representatives, ethnic minority and religious leaders, former political
prisoners, business executives, international diplomats and non-governmental
representatives, and many local citizens -- for opening their doors to me to
discuss a full range of perspectives on the complexity and diversity of Burma.
I have also traveled throughout East Asia and Europe to
share ideas and coordinate policy approaches. This included meetings with the
many men and women in Thailand who have worked tirelessly along the border with
Burma for decades to provide for the humanitarian needs of Burmese migrants and
refugees. With so much attention focused on developments inside Burma, we
should not forget the work of these committed individuals who help those in
need. I am confident that these and many other committed individuals will join
ongoing efforts inside the country when conditions are right.
And of course I have spent many hours with Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi. As we all know, Daw Suu Kyi remains a uniquely iconic figure inside
and outside Burma. Upon helping bring her country to this point, she has now
entered the field as an elected politician to help guide its next steps toward
a secure, democratic, just, and prosperous future. I look forward to many more
opportunities for discussions with her about her country and about how the
United States can assist its progress going forward.
Perhaps the most important development of the past year,
however, has been the partnership forged between Daw Suu Kyi and President
Thein Sein. President Thein Sein has proven to be a remarkable figure. We
should never forget to recognize his extraordinary vision and leadership, and
for the many reformist steps he and his partners in government have taken over
the past year. These actions have clearly reflected the aspirations, indeed
sacrifices, of millions of brave Burmese.
At the same time, we have no illusions about the
challenges that lie ahead. As Secretary Clinton has observed, reform is not
irreversible, and continued democratic change is not inevitable. We remain
deeply concerned about the continued detention of hundreds of political
prisoners and conditions placed on those previously released. The rule of law
requires an independent and effective judiciary. The constitutional role of the
military in the nation’s affairs is inconsistent with traditional democratic
principles of civil-military relations.
Human rights abuses, including military impunity,
continue, particularly in ethnic minority areas. Although there may be some
hope for an end to the violence and establishment of serious dialogue on
fundamental political issues, mutual mistrust between the government and ethnic
minority groups runs deep and a long road lies ahead. Recent sectarian violence
in Rakhine State demonstrates the divisiveness in Burma cultivated over many
decades, if not centuries, that will need to be overcome to realize lasting
peace and national reconciliation in the country.
We have been quite consistent and direct in public and
private about our continuing concerns about the lack of transparency in Burma’s
military relationship with North Korea, and specifically that the government
must adhere to its obligations under relevant United Nations Security Council
Resolutions and its other international nonproliferation obligations. If confirmed
as Ambassador, I will continue to make this issue of highest priority in my
conversations with the government, and be clear that our bilateral relationship
can never be fully normalized until we are fully satisfied that any illicit
ties to North Korea have ended once and for all.
As the Burmese government has taken steps over the past
year, so too has the United States in an action-for-action approach. Each
action we have taken in recent months has had as its purpose to benefit the
Burmese people and strengthen reform and reformers within the system.
Most recently, Secretary Clinton announced a broad easing
of restrictions on new investment and the exportation of U.S. financial
services to Burma. As she stated in May, we look forward to working with the
business sector as a new partner in our principled engagement approach. If
confirmed, I will promote U.S. business interests in Burma while ensuring
companies understand the complex environment in which they will be engaging and
the important role they can play in promoting American values and interests in
the country. It is clear to me from my discussions inside the country that the
Burmese people admire U.S. products, standards, and principles; staying true to
them promises to serve both our public and private interests going forward.
As the Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for
Burma, I made it a priority to provide regular briefings and consultations with
Capitol Hill. I also urged the Burmese government to open its doors to
Congressional visitors so they may see the changes on the ground for
themselves. I believe the Administration and Congress have formed an effective,
bi-partisan partnership on Burma policy. It is critical to maintain this
partnership going forward. Should I be confirmed, I will make every effort to
continue to reach out to interested Members and staffs, and hope to see you all
regularly on our doorstep in Rangoon.
Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee, let me conclude
by taking this opportunity to extend my utmost appreciation to my many partners
within the Executive Branch with whom I have worked over the past year as
Special Representative – including at USAID, Treasury, Commerce, DoD, the White
House, and State. In particular, I want to commend the excellent career
officers, interagency representatives, and locally employed staff members of
our Embassy in Rangoon whom I have gotten to know during my visits. This team
has proved again and again to me that we have people of the highest quality in
Rangoon. They have responded superbly to a rapidly changing tempo of operations
in the field, and have done so with professionalism and skill. If confirmed, I
will make it my priority to ensure they have the tools and direction necessary
to continue serving our interests in Burma in an exemplary fashion and be
proud of the work they do for our country every day.
Thank you for considering my nomination. I look forward
to your questions.
http://www.state.gov/p/eap/rls/rm/2012/06/194131.htm
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