#aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #bcbg ,,an ,,act ,to direct the ,secretary of ,state to provide assistance to civil society organizations in ,burma that work to secure the release of prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in ,burma1 and assistance to current and former prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in ,burma1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,burma ,political ,prisoners ,assistance ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,aung ,san ,suu ,kyi and the ,national ,league for ,democracy 7,,nld7 pledged that they would not arrest anyone as political prisoners1 but have failed to fulfill this promise since they took control of ,burma's ,union ,parliament and the ,government's executive branch in ,april #bjaf4 7#b7 ,as of the end of ,april #bjai1 there were #cca political prisoners in ,burma1 #dh of them serving sentences1 #ij awaiting trial inside prison1 and #aic awaiting trial outside prison1 according to the ,assistance ,association for ,political ,prisoners in ,burma4 7#c7 ,during its #c years in power1 the ,,nld ,government has provided pardons for ,burma's political prisoners on six occasions4 ,state ,counsellor ,aung ,san ,suu ,kyi took steps to secure the release of nearly #bce political prisoners in ,april #bjaf4 ,on ,may #bc1 #bjag1 former ,president ,htin ,kyaw granted pardons to #bei prisoners1 including #hi political prisoners4 ,on ,april #ag1 #bjah1 current ,president ,win ,myint pardoned #h1eda prisoners1 including #cf political prisoners4 ,in ,april and ,may #bjai1 he pardoned more than #bc1jjj prisoners1 including #bj political prisoners4 7#d7 ,the ,burmese security forces have used colonial-era laws to arrest and charge political prisoners and prisoners of conscience4 ,these laws include but are not limited to provisions of the ,penal ,code1 the ,peaceful ,assembly and ,peaceful ,procession ,act1 the #aijh ,unlawful ,associations ,act1 the #bjac ,telecommunications ,act1 and the #aibc ,official ,secrets ,act4 7#e7 ,on ,december #ab1 #bjag1 ,reuters reporters ,wa ,lone and ,kyaw ,soe ,oo were arrested and charged with violating the ,official ,secrets ,act1 continuing a trend of restricting media and free speech and attempting to thwart coverage of the events in ,rakhine ,state4 7#f7 ,on ,september #c1 #bjah1 ,wa ,lone and ,kyaw ,soe ,oo were convicted and sentenced to #g years in prison4 ,time ,magazine included pictures of the two reporters on the cover of its ,person of the ,year issue on ,december #aj1 #bjah1 as two of the ,guardians and the ,war on ,truth4 7#g7 ,on ,may #f1 #bjai1 ,wa ,lone and ,kyaw ,soe ,oo were released after more than #ejj days behind bars4 7#h7 ,according to ,burmese free speech organization ,athan1 #dd journalists and #adb activists since #bjaf were charged with colonial-era laws used to stifle dissent and restrict activist groups and have faced trial4 7#i7 ,since ,december #bjah1 three ,kachin activists were sentenced to #f months in prison in connection with peaceful antiwar protests2 a protester demonstrating against the ,myitsone ,dam 7a controversial ,chinese-backed hydropower project7 was charged for peaceful demonstrations1 and police used excessive force to crack down on peaceful protesters in ,kayah ,state1 with some of the demonstrators charged under vaguely worded1 repressive laws4 7#aj7 ,on ,august #ah1 #bjag1 ,aung ,ko ,htwe was arrested because he gave a media interview in which he described his experience as a child soldier1 including how the ,burmese military abducted and forcibly recruited him when he was #ac years old4 ,he was charged under ,section #eje7;b7 of ,burma's ,penal ,code4 7#aa7 ,although former ,secretary of ,state ,rex ,tillerson took ,burma off the ,state ,department's list of the worst offenders in the use of child soldiers in #bjag1 the ,department reinstated ,burma to the list in #bjah4 ,according to the ,united ,nations1 the ,burmese military and ethnic guerrilla groups remain persistent perpetrators' in the recruitment and use of children in ,burma44 #c4 ,child soldiers ,it is the sense of ,congress that no one should be jailed for freely expressing him or herself or for speaking against the use of child soldiers4 #d4 ,peaceful assembly ,it is the sense of ,congress that ,burma must immediately drop defamation charges against the three ,kachin activists1 ,lum ,zawng1 ,nang ,pu1 and ,zau ,jet1 who led a peaceful rally in ,mytkyina1 the capital of ,kachin ,state in ,april #bjah1 and that the prosecution of ,lum ,zawng1 ,nang ,pu1 and ,zau ,jet is an attempt by the ,burmese authorities to intimidate1 harass1 and silence community leaders and human rights defenders who speak out about military abuses and the impact on civilian populations4 #e4 ,press freedom ,it is the sense of ,congress that press freedom is a fundamental human right and should be upheld and protected in ,burma and everywhere1 and that ,burmese authorities must immediately cease the arbitrary arrest1 detention1 imprisonment1 and physical attacks of journalists1 which have created a climate of fear and self-censorship among local journalists4 #f4 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states that-- 7#a7 all prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in ,burma should be unconditionally and immediately released2 7#b7 the ,administration and the ,department of ,state should use all of their diplomatic tools to ensure that all prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in ,burma are released2 and 7#c7 the ,burmese ,government should repeal or amend all laws that violate the rights to freedom of expression1 peaceful assembly1 or association1 and ensure that laws such as the ,telecommunications ,law of #bjac and the ,unlawful ,associations ,act of #aijh1 and laws relating to the right to peaceful assembly1 all comply with international human rights standards4 #g4 ,political prisoners assistance ,the ,secretary of ,state shall continue to provide assistance to civil society organizations in ,burma that work to secure the release of prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in ,burma1 and assistance to current and former prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in ,burma4 ,such assistance may include the following3 7#a7 ,support for the documentation of human rights violations with respect to prisoners of conscience and political prisoners4 7#b7 ,support for advocacy in ,burma to raise awareness of issues relating to prisoners of conscience and political prisoners4 7#c7 ,support for efforts to repeal or amend laws that are used to imprison individuals as either prisoners of conscience or political prisoners4 7#d7 ,support for health1 including mental health1 and post-incarceration assistance in gaining access to education and employment opportunities or other forms of reparation to enable former prisoners of conscience and political prisoners to resume a normal life4 7#e7 ,the creation1 in consultation with former political prisoners and prisoners of conscience1 their families1 and representatives1 of an independent prisoner review mechanism in ,burma to review the cases of individuals who may have been charged or deprived of their liberty for peacefully exercising their human rights1 review all laws used to arrest1 prosecute1 and punish individuals as political prisoners and prisoners of conscience1 and provide recommendations to the ,burmese ,government for the repeal or amendment of all such laws4 ,passed the ,house of ,representatives ,september #bd1 #bjai4;,clerk4