Dan Burton

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh and the Council of Khalistan, who have completed 15 years of service to the Sikh community in this country and the people of the Sikh homeland, Khalistan. For the past 15 years, Dr. Aulakh has been diligently walking the halls of the U.S. Congress to tell us about the latest developments in India and the massive violations of human rights that have been perpetrated against Sikhs, Christian, Muslims, and other minorities. We appreciate the work he has done and the information he has provided. Dr. Aulakh's efforts have made a valuable contribution to the consideration of our policy towards India and South Asia. I appreciate his efforts, and I congratulate him on 15 years of tireless efforts on behalf of the oppressed.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, the duplicity of India is clearer after the collapse of its talks with Pakistan. Pakistani President Musharraf went home abruptly because India was not dealing in good faith. Although much discussion focused on the Kashmir issue, India's spokeswoman never even acknowledged that Kashmir was on the agenda. India refused to go along with three drafts of a joint statement approved by both leaders. Instead, India insisted on including its unfounded accusations that Pakistan is fomenting terrorism in Kashmir and other places that India controls. India has a long record of supporting terrorism against the people within its borders. The most recent incident took place last month when Indian military troops tried to burn down a Gurdwara and some Sikh homes in Kashmir, but were stopped by Sikh and Muslim residents of the town. There are many other incidents. The massacre in Chithisinghpora is very well known by now. It's also well known that India paid out over 41,000 cash bounties to police officers for killing Sikhs. It's well known that India holds tens of thousands of political prisoners, Sikhs and other minorities, in illegal detention with no charges and no trial. Some of them have been held since 1984. Is this how a democratic state conducts its affairs? It is India that introduced the specter of nuclear terrorism into South Asia with its nuclear tests. Can we blame Pakistan for responding? Although it claims that the nuclear weapons are to protect them from China, the majority of them are pointed at Pakistan. Unfortunately, if there is a war between India and Pakistan, it is the minority peoples in Punjab and Kashmir who will suffer the most and bear most of the cost. The United States must become more engaged in the subcontinent. We should continue to encourage both India and Pakistan to reduce their nuclear stockpiles. However, we should not remove the sanctions against India for its introduction of nuclear weapons into this region. In addition, we should end all aid to India until the most basic human rights are respected and not violated. Finally, we should publicly declare support for a free and fair vote in Kashmir, as promised in 1948 and as President Musharraf was pushing for, and in Punjab, Khalistan, in Nagalim, and in all the 17 nations under Indian occupation where freedom movements are ongoing. Only by these means can we strengthen America's hand in South Asia, ensure that a violent breakup like that of Yugoslavia does not occur in the subcontinent, and let the glow of freedom shine for all the people of that troubled region.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2456 would allow Federal employees to keep frequent flyer miles they earn from official travel. This bill was approved unanimously by the Government Reform Committee last week. It will help Federal agencies compete with the private sector for hard-to-retain employees. In 1994, we passed a law that said that Federal employees can't keep frequent flyer miles. The idea was to save money. We wanted Federal agencies to use these miles for official business. Unfortunately, it didn't work. Frequent flyer miles are going to waste at agencies across the government. The problem is that, according to the airlines, frequent flyer miles can only be awarded to individuals. The airlines won't set up separate business accounts and personal accounts. So in most cases, the frequent flyer miles are being wasted. They're not being used by Federal agencies, and in most cases, they're not being used by Federal workers. This situation isn't benefiting anyone. In the private sector, businesses let their employees keep frequent flyer miles. It's good employee relations. Business travel can be draining. Employees often have to travel on their own time. Letting employees keep their frequent flyer miles compensates them for lost time they could be spending with their families. It also helps companies hold on to their good employees. That's the approach the Federal government ought to take. In a review done for the Committee, the General Accounting Office expressed their strong support for this legislation. According to the GAO, passage of this bill would boost employee morale and help the government attract and retain top-quality employees. The Bush Administration has also fully endorsed this legislation. I would like to thank Congresswoman Connie Morella, an original cosponsor of the bill, for her hard work on this important legislation. I urge my colleagues to support it. U.S. Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC, July 27, 2001. Hon. Dan Burton, Chairman, Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 2456, a bill to provide that federal employees may retain for personal use promotional items received as a result of travel taken in the course of employment. If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark Grabowicz, who can be reached at 226-2860. Sincerely, Barry B. Anderson (For Dan L. Crippen, Director). Enclosure.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on America's battle with heart disease. The Government Reform Committee, which I Chair, has been conducting an oversight investigation into the role of complementary and alternative therapies in our health care system. Dr. Dean Ornish has testified before our Committee. His program prevents heart attacks and strokes--not through expensive medication or surgery--but through lifestyle modification like diet, stress management and yoga. It's innovative, low cost, non-invasive, and scientifically proven to be effective. Scientific research has demonstrated that Dr. Ornish's program not only helps prevent heart problems like arterial blockages, it actually reverses heart disease in people with serious conditions. The Medicare program is currently conducting a pilot program to test Dr. Ornish's program on 1,800 Medicare patients. Last year, Congressman Rangel and I introduced legislation to extend this demonstration program for two more years to make sure that all 1,800 patients can complete the program and be thoroughly evaluated. I really believe that this program can save lives, and save the Medicare program billions of dollars. At a time when HCFA has estimated that our health care costs will double by the year 2007, programs like this lifestyle modification program hold out real hope for reducing open-heart surgery and cutting down on the need for expensive prescription medications. I salute Dr. Ornish for all of the hard work he has done on this issue for America.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, the suffering of the Cuban people is caused by Fidel Castro, and not by the embargo. The money that is paid to the employees down there by businesses that go into Cuba does not go to the employees; it goes to Castro. If they are paid $400 a month, that $400 goes to Castro, and he pays them in the local currency, which is worth about $5 to $10 a month. He is the one who keeps his heel on the neck of the people of Cuba. He is the one that causes the suffering down there. He is the one that causes the human rights abuses, and he is the one that has killed that economy. Why does he want the embargo lifted? Because he knows if we have tourism going down there, he knows if there is trade with him, the money will go into his pocket; the money will be able to prop up his regime, and he will be able to continue his communist philosophy and dictatorship down there. Finally, just let me say one more thing. People say he is no longer exporting revolution. I will tell you right now, Fidel Castro is supporting the FARC guerrillas in Colombia that are flooding our streets with drugs, that are killing our kids and ruining people's lives. The FARC guerrillas wear the berets that Che Guevara wore when he was down there exporting revolution for Fidel Castro. This man is a tyrant, he is a man we should not deal with, he is a man who has killed his own people, and he is the one that suffers; not the people of Cuba, because he is the one that is keeping them under his heel and under his boot. Five to $10 a month is what they earn because of Fidel Castro.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, on July 20, 2001, due to a family commitment, I was unavailable for rollcall vote No. 256. Had I been here I would have voted ``aye.'' Stated against:

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the ``Erroneous Payments Recovery Act of 200l.'' This bill would require Federal departments and agencies to use a process called recovery auditing to identify and recover overpayments made to government contractors. Overpayments occur for a variety of reasons, including duplicate payments, pricing errors, missed discounts, and fraud. They are payments that should not have been made or that were made for incorrect amounts. They are a serious problem. They waste tax dollars and detract from the efficiency and effectiveness of Federal operations by diverting resources from their intended uses. Since most agencies do not identify, estimate and report their improper payments, the full extent of the Federal government's overpayment problem is unknown. However the General Accounting Office has reported that each year the Department of Defense alone overpays its contractors by hundreds of millions of dollars. My bill would require Federal agencies procuring more than $500,000,000 in goods and services each year to carry out recovery auditing programs. Agencies could either conduct recovery audits in- house, or they could use private contractors, whichever is most efficient. Part of the money recovered would be used to pay for the recovery audits and to credit appropriations accounts from which the erroneous payments were made. Amounts recovered would also be used by agencies to improve management practices and would be refunded to the General Treasury. In the last Congress, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the ``Erroneous Payments Recovery Act'' would save taxpayers $100 million per year by giving agencies the tools and the incentive to implement recovery auditing programs to detect mistaken payments. The bill passed the House in March of 2000, but it stalled in the Senate and didn't make it to the President's desk for his signature before Congress adjourned. Recovery auditing is an established private sector business practice with demonstrated financial returns. It has also been successfully used in a few Federal programs. Also, President Bush has identified reducing payment errors as one of a series of management reforms to be pursued by the Office of Management and Budget. The ``Erroneous Payments Recovery Act of 2001'' would expand the Federal government's use of recovery auditing to ensure that the hundreds of millions of dollars overpaid each year, that would otherwise remain undetected, are identified and recovered. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this legislation.

Mr. BURTON

Mr. BURTON. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a bill that would assist federal departments and agencies in their efforts to recruit and retain employees. This bill would allow federal civilian employees to keep frequent flyer miles and other promotional benefits they receive while traveling on official government business. Unlike private-sector employees, federal workers are currently prohibited by law from keeping these benefits for personal use. The existing law, enacted in 1994, intended to save the government money. However, the law has been difficult to implement because the airlines regard frequent flyer miles as belonging to the individual traveler and are generally unwilling to create separate official and personal frequent flyer accounts for the same individual. Overall, the burdens and costs of administering this program have limited its benefits to the government. The private sector commonly allows its employees to keep the frequent flyer miles they receive while on business travel, giving private companies, including government contractors, a competitive edge over federal agencies in attracting and retaining skilled employees. Changing this policy would help level the playing field. However, in order for federal employees to keep these benefits, the bill would require that they be obtained under the same terms as provided to the general public and must be at no additional cost to the government. Frequent flyer miles that are accrued during employees' official travel will also help compensate employees for the sacrifices and frustrations often associated with air travel. Similar to private- sector employees, federal employees must often travel on their personal time to meet work schedules. This is just one small step to help counteract the effects of the expected retirements in the federal workforce in the coming years, and it would help the government compete for top-quality employees. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this legislation.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, on June 4, the Information Times reported that India and Russia have signed $10 billion worth of defense contracts. This is not good for American interests in the world or for the cause of freedom. Much has been written lately about the Indian Government's desire to improve its relations with the United States. However, we must not forget that India just recently voted to oust the United States from the UN Human Rights Commission. It supported a Chinese bid to table our resolution condemning Chinese human-rights violations. In May 1999, according to the Indian Express, Defense Minister George Fernandes convened a meeting with the ambassadors to India from Cuba, Communist China, Libya, Yugoslavia, and Russia to construct a security alliance ``to stop the U.S.'' India was an ally of the former Soviet Union and publicly supported its invasion of Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker, America's national interests are best served by seeking new allies in south Asia. The best way to achieve that is to support the legitimate aspirations for freedom of the occupied and oppressed nations of South Asia such as Khalistan, Kashmir, Nagalim, and several others by means of a free and fair plebiscite under international supervision on the question of independence. Until India allows that democratic vote and permits all the minorities and every citizen to exercise their rights freely, we should cut off all aid to India. That should focus their attention on practicing democratic principles, not on grabbing every available military technology in pursuit of hegemony in South Asia. These are the best measures we can take to support the cause of freedom in the Indian subcontinent. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the Information Times article of June 4 into the Record. India, Russia Sign About 10 Billion Dollars Defense Contracts Russia, 4 June 2001 (VOA): India and Russia have signed defense contracts worth some $10 billion as the two countries seek to increase their military cooperation. The signing came during a visit to Russia by Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh. Singh arrived in Moscow late Sunday for a series of meetings with Russian officials that will also focus on the United States' proposal for a national missile defense system. Russia opposes the plan, while India has indicated it is open to the idea. Among the agreements already concluded are major Indian purchases of Russian Su-30MKI fighter jets and T-90 tanks. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov says the two countries will sign an agreement later this year to jointly develop a military transport aircraft and a next-generation fighter plane. Klebanov says contracts for the sale of a Soviet-era aircraft carrier to India will be signed later this year. India has traditionally been one of the largest customers for Russian weapons.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me say to everyone paying attention to this debate that I am under no illusion that this bill is going to go down to defeat. I think it is going to pass overwhelmingly. I do support wholeheartedly the $14 billion in fee reductions, which in effect is going to be like a tax cut for the American people. It is going to be an economic stimulus. What I do oppose, however, is the pay parity provisions, because I think it is going to end up costing the taxpayers of this country a great deal of money. Now, the SEC in effect wants to take the lid off of the salaries for the people that work there and to have them raised up in conjunction with the other financial institutions in this country. But let me just give you some facts that I think are very important. The SEC right now has the authority to pay retention allowances under current law up to 25 percent of base pay. So if somebody is making $160,000 a year, right now they could get a $40,000 bonus to keep that person employed. That would kick them up to $200,000. So they do not need this legislation to do that. The SEC has the authority to pay recruitment bonuses up to 25 percent of base pay. So, once again, if a person was being hired at $160,000, they could give them a $40,000 bonus, which would take them to $200,000. They have that ability right now. The SEC has the authority to grant employees up to a $10,000 performance bonus, in addition to the other bonuses I just talked about. So a person, if they did a good job, could get $210,000, if their base pay was $160,000. Now, clearly the SEC is a mismanaged agency. In a recent letter to me from OPM, the Office of Personnel Management, about a 4-page letter, they cited all the problems with the SEC that need to be corrected before they start talking about pay parity. They also said they opposed the pay-parity provisions. The White House, the Office of Management and Budget, opposes the pay-parity provisions. Yet, it is in this bill, and I am confident it is going to pass today. But I want to go on record opposing it, because it is going to get into the American taxpayers' pockets. Let me just talk about a couple of other things. Right now the SEC, with recruitment allowances and retention bonuses combined with the special pay rates, could pay attorneys $14,000 more than the FDIC today. They could pay $6,000 more than the Comptroller of the Currency. So if we are talking about making sure that that pay parity is there, it is already there. They just need to utilize the tools they already have available to them. So despite the claims of the SEC, they have recruitment and retention problems really in only three areas, and that is attorneys, accountants, and examiners. If we take those three categories out, the loss of jobs, the people leaving the SEC, has only gone down by 3.1 percent. So the problem that needed to be addressed was only the attorneys, accountants, and examiners, and we tried to work that out, and we could not. Let me tell the Members something. As a result of this bill being passed, other agencies of government are going to want the same thing, which means the lid is going to be taken off as far as salaries are concerned for government employees. Already, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Export-Import Bank, and the Patent Trademark office have all asked for the same pay parity provisions that are in this bill, and I guarantee the Members that every agency of government is going to want the same thing. They are already calling my office, since my committee has jurisdiction over those pay increases. So Members can just count on pay going through the roof in many agencies of government. Now, the President wanted a 4 percent cap on spending. It has been raised to about a 5 percent cap on spending. When all the agencies that want these pay parity provisions get them, that cap is going to just be busted right to smithereens, and the cost of government is going to go up. That means the taxpayers are going to have to pay more and more and more for government. The top pay right now at the FDIC and the Office of Thrift Supervision equals the pay of the Vice President of the United States right now. The pay schedule for an employee at the National Credit Union Administration in San Francisco is almost $300,000 a year. At the other banking regulating institutions, one out of every five employees makes more than $100,000. At the Federal Housing Finance Board, it is one out of every three employees. In the rest of the whole government, only one out of 25 employees makes that kind of money. Members can see they are all going to want the same thing. It is going to force a raising of the salaries throughout the government. All the employee unions are going to see this and start pushing for it. This is the camel's nose under the tent. The American people are going to end up paying a heck of a lot more for government than they are paying right now. This is not a good provision. I support the fee reductions, but this pay parity provision is going to really be bad for the country.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, on June 6, the French news agency, Agence France Presse, reported that Russia offered to provide an anti-missile system to India, which Indian ``defense expert'' Uday Bhaksur called a ``desirable development.'' This offer comes from the same Russian government that has told us that we cannot build a missile defense system because of the ABM treaty. It is ironic that Russia is vigorously opposing our missile defense efforts while providing an anti-missile system to a country that has a longstanding tradition of opposing America on a variety of issues and in a variety of foreign policy forum. For example, India, a country which supported the former Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan, recently voted with China to table a U.S. resolution at the United Nations against Chinese human-rights violations. India later voted to remove America from the U.N. Human Rights Commission. In fact, India votes against the United States at the U.N. more often than any country except Cuba. We should not forget that in May 1999, the Indian Express reported that Defense Minister George Fernandes convened and led a meeting with the Ambassadors from Red China, Cuba, Russia, Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Libya. According to this article, the aim of this meeting was to set up a security alliance ``to stop the United States.'' According to the Council of Khalistan, India has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since June 1984 when it attacked the Golden temple, the Sikh religion's holiest shrine. According to a recent report from the Movement Against State Repression, India admitted to holding over 52,000 Sikh political prisoners without charge or trial. Just recently, five Indian troops were overwhelmed when they were trying to set fire to a Gurdwara and some Sikh homes in Kashmir to set Sikhs and Muslims against each other. Both Sikh and Muslim residents of the village came out to stop the troops from burning down the houses and the Gurdwara. Two reports accuse the Indian government of killing 35 Sikhs in Chithi Singhpora in March 2000. By some calculations, India has also killed more than 75,000 Muslims in Kashmir. Other reports indicate that the Indian government has killed tens of thousands of Dalit ``untouchables,`` Assamese, Tamils, Manipuris, and other minorities. Since Christmas 1998, India has pursued a policy of terror against Christians. A missionary named Graham Staines, who was running a program to help treat leprosy, was burned to death in his jeep, along with his two sons, ages eight to ten, while the killers surrounded the jeep and chanted ``Victory to Hannuman,'' a Hindu god. This wave of terror has been characterized by church burnings, the murder of priests, the rape of nuns (supporters of the RSS, the parent organization of the ruling BJP described these murders as ``patriotic''), attacks on prayer halls, and attacks on Christian schools. Reports indicate that over 200,000 Christians have been killed by the Indian government since 1947. Mr. Speaker, America should not support this military provocation and human-rights abuse. We should stop all our aid to India until the human rights violations have ceased. We should also support the fundamental right of all peoples to self-determination. Whether it is the Sikhs of Khalistan, the Kashmiris in Indian-occupied Kashmir, or the people of Nagalim, all peoples and all nations should have the right to govern themselves. States which rule through the force of violence are destined to collapse. In the case of India, it is better that this happens peacefully like the Soviet breakup. We do not want another Yugoslavia in South Asia. And when all the people and nations of South Asia have achieved freedom, our help will bring us new allies in that troubled region. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the Agence France Presse article into the Record for the information of my colleagues. [From the Agence France Presse, June 6, 2001] Indian Expert Welcomes Russia's Anti-missile Offer New Delhi, June 6 (AFP).--Russia's offer to develop a national missile defence system for India is a ``desirable development'', an Indian defence expert said Wednesday. ``India should definitely says, `We would like more details' It is a very desirable development,'' Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis deputy director Uday Bhaskar told AFP. ``This gives a sense of the direction that Indo-Russian strategic cooperation is likely to take,'' he added. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov, who is holding talks with Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh in Moscow, unexpectedly announced Wednesday that Russia would shortly make a full proposal on the system. Indian defence ministry officials in New Delhi declined to comment. ``The political intent now to pursue defence or even missile defences of deterrence is now becoming more palpable and evident,'' Bhaskar said. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage visited India last month to talk to leaders about the U.S. plan to build a missile defence shield, which India has partially supported. Moscow has traditionally enjoyed warm ties with India, which is currently engaged in a nuclear arms race with arch- rival Pakistan. However, Russia has expressed concern about India's initial warm response to the U.S. missile defense shield. Bhaskar said India was correct to hold discussions with other world powers on the issue. ``If India is talking to the Americans, then they should also talk to the others,'' Bhaskar said. Klebanov also said India and Russia would cooperate on the development ``of the latest type of submarine''. The two sides also agreed to jointly develop an II-214 military cargo plane.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, last week due to an urgent family matter, I was unable to be in Washington for Roll Call votes #150-155. Had I been here, I would have voted Yea on Roll Call votes #150-155.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, Memorial Day was established in 1868 to pay tribute to individuals who have made the ultimate sacrifice to the United States and their families. The men and women of the armed services of today and yesterday took an oath to uphold and protect the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. Those who served in the Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps have been willing to lay their lives on the line to keep this greatest nation on the earth free. We must never forget the importance of this oath and this sacrifice. Last year, when Public Law No. 106-579 was signed into law, we reaffirmed the importance of remembering and renewing the legacy of Memorial Day. We as a nation need to reclaim memorial Day as the sacred and noble event the day was intended to be. We can do this by taking greater strides to domestic appreciation for those loyal people of the United States whose values, represented by their sacrifices, are critical to the future of the United States. As a Government, we have a responsibility to raise awareness of and respect for the national heritage, and to encourage citizens to dedicate themselves to the values and principles for which those heroes of the United States died. As part of this reaffirmation, Congress and the President called on the people of the United States to pause at 3:00 p.m. on Memorial Day to observe a National Moment of Remembrance. By doing so we honor the men and women of the United States who died in the pursuit of freedom and peace. Memorial weekend has become the signal in this country that summer has begun. In Indianapolis this weekend we have the great Indy 500 race and festivities. It is a great weekend for Hoosiers. I hope that each American as we go about our holiday weekend will at the very least remember to take that moment on Monday and pause at 3:00 p.m. for a moment of remembrance through prayer, quiet reflection, or meditation. We have been blessed this week to have a great media focus on the heroes of our armed services. Last Sunday night the James Keach Movie, ``Submerged'' aired on network television. This movie portrayed the heroics of the submariners of our early Navy and told the true story of raising a submarine and saving many of its crew. This Friday the movie ``Pearl Harbor'' will premier in theaters across the nation. I am pleased that these artists have used their talents and efforts to share with the world the stories that are such a vital component of our nation's history. I am also pleased that we are preparing a sixty-year remembrance event at Pearl Harbor. We are fortunate in the 107th Congress to have heroes among us. The following are members of the House and Senate who served in the armed services during World War II. From the House of Representatives: Cass Ballenger, John D. Dingell, Benjamin A. Gilman, Ralph M. Hall, Amo Houghton, Henry J. Hyde, Joe Moakley, Ralph Regula, Norman Sisisky, Joe Skeen, and Bob Stump. From the Senate: Daniel K. Akaka, Jesse Helms, Ernest F. Hollings, Daniel K. Inouye, Ted Stevens, Strom Thurmond, and John Warner. As we go about remembering those who died in service, I hope we will also remember those who are still with us. Each month over 38,000 World War II veterans die. Our veterans are our nation's heroes. Whether a Private or a General, combat veteran who served on the front lines, a nurse in a MASH unit, or the quartermaster who was stateside during war--our veterans deserve to be remembered and honored by our country and by each of us. We need to make sure every eligible veteran who goes to a Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital or clinic for medical care is treated with compassion and respect and gets good medical care. We also need to make sure that we do a better job with those whose conditions mean their care is palliative and not curative. During a Government Reform Committee hearing in October 1999, we learned that the VA had an initiative to improve their hospice programs. We heard from such experts as Dr. Ira Byock and Dr. Judith Salerno as well as Dannion Brinkley who founded Compassion in Action--a non-profit foundation that trains hospice volunteers to serve in VA hospitals. I am pleased that in four short years this organization has been able to train 4,000 hospice volunteers who last year provided 27,000 hours of service to veterans. Americans who volunteer through Compassion in Action, the American Legion, the Paralyzed Veterans Association, and the many other volunteer service organizations at the VA are also our heroes. Many of these volunteers are veterans as well and continue to serve their country as brigades of volunteers without whom our VA hospitals could not function. I am pleased that our President is continuing the legacy of the Thousand Points of Light by rejuvenating the call to volunteerism and compassion through service.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, everybody knows about Iwo Jima and the horrible battle that took place there back in 1945. This weekend an organization called Freedom Alliance is going to have a number of specials on this on the Fox News Channel, and I hope all of my colleagues have a chance to see this. The Freedom Alliance founder and Honorary Chairman, Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North, will be hosting a 60-minute documentary this weekend on the Fox News channel outlining the bloody battle, Iwo Jima during World War II. He will interview survivors from Iwo Jima and Marines who played crucial roles in the pivotal battle in the Pacific for the special which is entitled War Stories with Oliver North. This will air three times on the Fox News channel over Memorial Day weekend. I urge all of my colleagues to watch. The times and dates are as follows: on Saturday, May 26 at 10 p.m. Eastern; 7 p.m. Pacific it will be on; Sunday, May 27, 8 p.m. Eastern; 5 p.m. Pacific; and Monday, May 28, noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. The battle for Iwo Jima which was fought during February and March of 1945 was one of the bloodiest battles of World War II, nearly 7,000 U.S. military personnel lost their lives and 16,000 were wounded. Most of them were Marines. Mr. Speaker, when the island was secured on February 23, 1945, five Marines and one Navy Corpsman raised the Stars and Stripes on Mt. Suribachi, the highest point on the island. Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal captured the historic moment on film and the Marines Corps War Memorial, which now stands at the north end of Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, was sculpted from that famous photograph. This fascinating and informative television special this weekend is worth all of our time. I hope my colleagues will watch it. On this Memorial Day, Oliver North and the Freedom Alliance salute all the men and women of our Armed Forces whose lives were taken in the defense of America's liberty. We continue to pray also for the safety of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who serve today. Mr. Speaker, I hope all of my colleagues will take the time this weekend to watch this very important.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, on May 22nd, President Chen Shui- bian of the Republic of China will be completing his first year of service as Taiwan's head of state, and I would like to take this occasion to congratulate him and comment on a few of Taiwan's achievements. For the last two decades, the republic of China on Taiwan has been a major trading partner of the United States. It has maintained friendly ties and relations with us for the last ninety years. Taiwan is one of the most successful models of rapid political reform in the entire world. Fifty years ago, Taiwan was a closed authoritarian society with no freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, or right to vote. Today, Taiwan is a full-fledged democracy. It is home to more than 90 political parties. Virtually every political office in Taiwan is hotly contested through free and fair elections. Taiwan believes in free-market economics. Taiwan's economics. Taiwan's economy is so strong that it offers its people one of the highest standards of living in Asia, universal education, and free medical care for people of all ages. With respect to U.S.-Taiwan trade, Taiwan is our seventh largest export market, supporting many jobs for U.S. manufacturers. In addition, U.S. colleges and universities host more than 10,000 Taiwan students. The U.S. is the number one destination for most of Taiwan travelers. Lastly, Taiwan and the United states share many common values such as a respect for human rights, freedom of speech, and democracy. I would like to offer my congratulations to President Chen and the people of Taiwan. I also would like to welcome President Chen as he transits New York on his way to Central America. Although his stay in New York will be brief, his visit is of tremendous importance to all of us Americans who recognize and value what a great, longstanding friend Taiwan has been to the United States.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I had a prepared statement that I was going to use, but it has not arrived, so I will speak extemporaneously tonight. Mr. Speaker, vaccinations have been a real plus for this country. We had a lot of diseases that used to be so feared, like polio and diptheria that we do not have to worry about anymore, and it is because we have vaccinations that really help protect our young people. But along with the positives, unfortunately there are some negatives, and parents across this country ought to be aware of the negatives as well as the positives. That is why my committee has been holding a number of hearings and has had the health agencies of this country before the committee numerous times. We have had what is called an explosion of autism in America. Autism, that is a disease most people are not familiar with unless it has hit their family, and that is where one day your child is apparently normal or appears to be normal, and the next day he is running around flapping his arms, cannot speak clearly anymore, bangs his head against the wall, has severe bowel disorders and other related things. We have had an explosion, an absolute explosion. Twenty years ago, 1 in 10,000 children in America were considered autistic. Today it is 1 in 500. In some parts of the country, it is as many as 1 in 150. Now think about that; 1 in 150 children in some parts of this country is autistic. We need to find out why. Our committee has held hearings, and we think we have some things that need to be thoroughly investigated, and one of those is why do we have vaccines going into children's arms and into adults arms that contain mercury. Mercury. Mercury is a toxic substance that we have taken out of our topical dressings. It used to be that you could buy creams that had mercury in them because it was a preservative. They said because it could leach into the bloodstream through the skin, they thought it was safer to take it out of all topical dressings. They still use it as a preservative in many of the vaccinations given to our children. Mercury is being injected, as I speak tonight, into children across this country along with the vaccinations they are getting. Other substances being injected into our children are formaldehyde and aluminum, metals that could be and substances that could be toxic. We need to find out why. I, for one, believe that my grandson became autistic at least in part because he received vaccinations. He received 9 in 1 day, and 6 of those contained mercury. Mercury has a cumulative effect in the body. It gets in the brain. So I believe that 1 week after he received these vaccinations, he became autistic. He spoke normally. He acted like any other normal child. Yet within 1 week he was running around flapping his arms, walking on his toes, because he had severe bowel disorder, banging his head against the wall, and he could not speak clearly anymore, and he still has those problems. Mr. Speaker, if what we are putting into our children's bodies along with the vaccinations is causing that, something has to be done. I asked the Food and Drug Administration when they were before our committee, do we have vaccines that do not contain mercury or these substances? They said, yes, we do, in single-vial doses. Now, what does that mean? It means that if we have single-vial doses that do not contain the mercury, the child is not going to get the mercury. But what happens is, the pharmaceutical companies are putting out many shots into one vial, and because of that they have to have these preservatives in there, and in many cases they put several vaccines together. And so they have these preservatives in there to make sure that the vaccine does not become contaminated. If we went to single-vial vaccines and shots, we would eliminate, in my opinion, a large part of the problem. But that is why this country needs to have continued oversight over our health agencies, because our health agencies have not really been following up on these vaccines to find out if there are any side effects that are really going to hurt our kids for the rest of their lives. Mr. Speaker, I will say tonight that mercury should be taken out of every vaccine in the country, and it should be taken out today. There should be an instant recall on any vaccine that is going into our children that has mercury in it. We have enough vaccines that do not contain these toxic chemicals and substances, so our children can be inoculated in a safe and effective way, and yet our health agencies continue to let these companies use mercury in these vaccines. Today as I speak, as I said, children are being vaccinated with these toxic chemicals in them. It is unconscionable. Mr. Speaker, we have what is called SIDS deaths, and they have said it is because children go to bed and they sleep on the wrong side, and there is no explanation why they do not. My granddaughter received a Hepatitis B shot, and within an hour she quit breathing. We had to you rush her to the hospital, and she was blue in the face. Had she been in bed, the next morning she would have been dead; but my daughter saw her and saw her turning blue and rushed her to the hospital. It was a reaction to the Hepatitis B shot. Mr. Speaker, let me just say in conclusion, we will have more of these 5-minute special orders, every parent in the country ought to start reading the inserts on those vaccines. Vaccinations are important, but we want to make sure we know what is going into our children's bodies. Committee on Government Reform's Oversight Activities of Vaccine Safety During the 106th Congress the Full Government Reform Committee and two of its Subcommittees initiated investigations looking at several vaccine issues. There are increasing concerns that the risks related to vaccines are not widely known or acknowledged. Vaccines have been hailed as the greatest public health advance in the twentieth century. I have said from the outset of our investigation that I am not anti- vaccine. Rather I support the appropriate use of safe vaccines that have been thoroughly tested. I support improved information sharing with parents and patients regarding the benefits and risks of immunization and respect the concerns that have been raised by thousands of families across the United States about vaccine adverse events. I also support increased clinical research looking at the long- term safety of vaccines, including their potential link to chronic conditions such as autism, diabetes, attention-deficit disorder, and asthma. Vaccines are the only drugs Americans are mandated to receive as a condition of attendance at day care and schools and in some cases as a condition of employment. Because each state bases its mandatory immunizations on Federal recommendations, it is very important that adequate oversight be provided by Congress to insure the integrity of the vaccine programs. At this time, there is a paucity of research looking at long-term safety of any vaccine. This was acknowledged last year in a report to Congress from the Institute of Medicine, ``Few vaccines for any disease have been actively monitored for adverse effects over long periods of time. Conflict of Interest on Vaccine-Related Advisory Committees The Committee investigated two vaccine-related advisory committees. We were concerned that the pharmaceutical industry has too much influence over these committees. From the evidence we found, I think they do. The first committee was the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC). This Committee makes recommendations on whether new vaccines should be licensed. The second committee is the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practices (ACIP). This committee recommends which vaccines should be included on the Childhood Immunization Schedule. We focused on the handling of the rotavirus vaccine. The FDA approved it for use in August 1998. The CDC recommended it for universal use in March 1999. Serious problems cropped up shortly after it was introduced. Children started developing serious bowel obstructions. The vaccine was pulled from the U.S. market in October 1999. We learned that during the FDA's committee meetings there was concern raised about adverse events. They were aware of potential problems. Five children out of 10,000 developed bowel obstructions. There were also concerns about children failing to thrive and developing high fevers, which as we know from other vaccine hearings, can lead to brain injury. Even with all of these concerns, the committee voted unanimously to approve it. At the CDC's committee, there was a lot of discussion about whether the benefits of the vaccine really justified the costs. Even though the cost-benefit ratio was questioned, the Committee voted unanimously to approve it. We learned that waivers had been granted to individuals who had financial ties to the industry. This is troubling. At the time the Rotashield vaccine was approved and recommended for universal use, the following conditions existed: (1) That members, including the chair, of the FDA and CDC advisory committees who make these decisions own stock in drug companies that make vaccines. (2) That individuals on both advisory committees own patents for vaccines under consideration or affected by the decisions of the committee. (3) That three out of five of the members of the FDA's advisory committee who voted for the rotavirus vaccine had conflicts of interest that were waived. (4) That seven individuals of the 15 member FDA advisory committee were not present at the meeting, two others were excluded from the vote, and the remaining five were joined by five temporary voting members who all voted to license the product. (5) That the CDC grants conflict-of- interest waivers to every member of their advisory committee a year at a time, and allows full participation in the discussions leading up to a vote by every member, whether they have a financial stake in the decision or not. (6) That the CDC's advisory committee has no public members--no parents have a vote in whether or not a vaccine belongs on the childhood immunization schedule. the FDA's committee only has one public member. Families need to have confidence that the vaccines that their children take are safe, effective, and truly necessary. Doctors need to feel confident that when the FDA licenses a drug, that it is really safe, and that the pharmaceutical industry has not influenced the decision-making process. Doctors place trust in the FDA and assume that if the FDA has licensed a drug, it's safe to use. I am concerned that this trust has been violated. We will be continuing this investigation in the 107th Congress to see if the problems have been resolved. Last week, every member of Congress received a well-meaning letter with an attachment addressing some of the ``anti-vaccine'' messages. The letter states the information was prepared by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. What the letter fails to inform members of Congress is that the document was prepared by a Center at Children's lead by someone with direct financial ties to the vaccine industry. I am concerned about this subterfuge. It is important that individuals who are promoting vaccine safety declare their conflicts of interest. To not do so, in my opinion is unfair to those who receive the information. This omission of corporate sponsorship calls into question the accuracy and balance of the information provided. Institute of Medicine's Measles-Mumps Rubella Vaccine and Autism Report The Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Committee on Immunization Safety Review released the ``Measles-Mumps-Rebella Vaccine and Autism Report'' in April. I was troubled by the headlines and news reports which all stated that the IOM Committee found no connection between the MMR vaccine and autism. The IOM Committee also noted in its conclusions that it could not exclude the possibility that MMR vaccine could contribute to Autism Spectrum Disorder. I would urge all of you to read the entire report, which is available on the National Academy of Sciences website. The reality is that there was insufficient scientific evidence to conclusively prove or disprove a connection between the MMR vaccine and acquired autism We have substantial parental observation, which should never be discounted. And we have several case studies and laboratory evidence showing measles virus in the guts of autistic children who have bowel dysfunction. And we also have several population-level epidemiological studies. While the IOM Committee noted that the epidemiological studies do not support an association at a population level, their report stated, ``it is important to recognize the inherent methodological limitations of such studies in establishing causality.'' In essence, the studies that have been published and held up by the public health community as ``proof'' against Dr. Wakefield's hypothesis can never answer the question of whether or not MMR vaccine is linked to autism in some children. That is why we need to insist that the National Institutes of Health fund independent research to replicate Dr. Wakefield's research. At this time, we do not have enough research to make an evidence- based final conclusion. What we have is a clear indication that a problem exists for some children. We need to do the research to get our arms around that problem, so that we can prevent any further escalation of this epidemic of acquired autism. When the Institute of Medicine formed their Committee, we were assured that there were be no one on the Committee who had ties to the vaccine industry. I was disturbed to learn that the Committee sent this report out for review and comment prior to becoming final to numerous individuals who have ties to the vaccine industry including individuals with financial ties to the manufacturer of the MMR vaccine. The Autism Epidemic Two weeks ago, I stood in support of House Resolution 91, which recognizes the importance of increasing the awareness of autism spectrum disorders and supporting programs for greater research and improved treatment of austism and improved training. Autism rates have skyrocketed. Conservative estimates suggest 1 in 500 children in the United States is autistic. However, those rates are dramatically higher in some places such as Brick Township, New Jersey, where the rates are 1 in 150. In the first quarter of this year a child was diagnosed with autism every three hours in California. Last year, that rate was every six hours. Indiana is seeking a similar trend in increased rates. One in 400 children in Indiana is autistic. Between December 1999 and December 2000, requests for special education services for children with autism went up twenty-five percent. That is a twenty-five percent increase in requests for taxpayer provided services in one year. We have a national and potentially worldwide epidemic on our hands. It cannot simply be better reporting or an expanded definition of autism. My Personal Experience Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder is devastating to families. I know this from personal experience. My grandson, Christian, was born healthy and developed normally. His story is not much different than that of the thousands of families we have heard from over the last year. He met his developmental milestones. He was talkative. He enjoyed being with people. He interacted socially. Then Christian received his routine immunizations as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His life changed dramatically and rapidly. He received five different shots and one oral vaccine all in the same day. We now know that many of these shots contained the mercury containing preservative, thimerosal. He may have been exposed to forty-one times the level of mercury than is considered safe by Federal guidelines for a child his size. This was on top of other mercury exposure from earlier vaccinations. This issue of having mercury in children's vaccine is a very troubling issue and I intend to continue this discussion in Special Orders every week. Within ten days of receiving his vaccines, Christian was locked inside the world of autism. Is it related to the MMR vaccine? Is it related to the mercury toxicity? Is it the environment, including food allergies? Or is autism purely genetic? As with any epidemic, we need to focus significant energy and research on containing it. We need to located the cause or causes. We need to be aggressive in developing and making available treatments for both the behavioral issues and the biomedical illnesses related to this condition. Last week I chaired two days of hearings to ask experts and public health officials how they have responded to this epidemic. Show Me the Science Some of the scientists and public health officials that have come before the Committee would have us believe that a child's regression into autism within a short time of vaccination is purely a coincidence. However their opinion is not based on scientific evidence, but on their own desire to protect vaccine policy. In fact, our Government has funded very little research looking at the long-term safety of vaccines and has funded no clinical research looking at the potential connection between autism and vaccines. I don't want to leave the impression that I am an ``anti-vaccine'' because I am not. Vaccines against serious infectious diseases such as polio and smallpox have saved thousands of lives. I support the use of needed vaccines that have been thoroughly evaluated for safety and efficacy and have been tested extensively. As Chairman of the Government Reform Committee, I have conducted several hearings on vaccine safety issues and the potential connection between childhood vaccines and the autism epidemic. We have heard from a lot of witnesses on both sides of the issue. One common thread in testimonies of dozens of witnesses is that to date there is a very little research in this area. Autism and vaccine safety are both very important issues. There is a lot of research that needs to be done to get answers about the causes of autism and whether or not the MMR vaccine and thimerosal-containing vaccines are linked to the onset of acquired autism. Our health agencies can no longer hide their heads in the sand and refuse to acknowledge that we have an epidemic and that in our well-meaning desire to protect the public at large from infectious diseases, that we may have created this epidemic of a chronic and life-long disease.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, the Sikhs recently celebrated their important holiday of Vaisakhi Day. It is the 302nd birthday of the Sikh Nation. On Vaisakhi Day in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh, the last of the Sikh gurus, formed the Khalsa Panth. He blessed them with the blessing ``Raj Kare Ga Khalsa,'' which means, ``the Khalsa shall rule.'' The Sikhs consider Vaisakhi a very important holiday. It is effectively the Sikh national holiday. As this Vaisakhi Day passed, however, the Sikh Nation still lives in slavery. Sikhs ruled Punjab from 1765 to 1849. They ran a secular state with religious tolerance. Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus participated in the government. When the British vacated the subcontinent, the Sikhs were to receive sovereign power, but they were taken in by the false promises of Nehru and Gandhi that they would have freedom in Punjab. No Sikh representative has ever signed the Indian constitution, and many Sikhs are demanding their independence, as declared on October 7, 1987. Although they seek this peacefully, India considers anyone who speaks out for a separate Sikh state, called Khalistan, to be a ``terrorist.'' Instead, it is India that has used the tools of terrorism. A new report from the Movement Against State Repression shows that the Indian government holds, by its own admission, at least 52,268 political prisoners under the illegal and expired ``Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act,'' called TADA. Both the Movement Against State Repression and Amnesty International have confirmed that tens of thousands of political prisoners are being held without charge or trial. Some of them have been in jail since 1984. According to The Politics of Genocide by respected human-rights worker Inderjit Singh Jaijee, the Indian government since 1984 has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs. They join thousands of Christians, Muslims, Dalits, and others who have been killed at the hands of the Indian government. In the spirit of Vaisakhi, the U.S. Congress should support freedom for the Sikh Nation and the other nations of South Asia who are seeking their sovereignty and independence. We must support a free and fair plebiscite in Punjab, Khalistan, on the question of independence and also plebiscites for Kashmir, as India promised in 1948, for Nagalim, and for all the nations living under Indian occupation. We should also cut off American aid until India learns to respect its own laws and the basic human rights of all people. Let the Sikhs, celebration of Vaisakhi remind us that the freedom is the birthright of all peoples and nations. Council of Khalistan, Washington, DC, April 16, 2001. Open Letter to the Sikh Nation: Political Prisoners Should Run in Elections Form Khalsa Raj Party, Start a Stantmai Morcha to Free Khalistan Several reports, including a recent one from Amnesty International, confirm that tens of thousands of Sikh political prisoners are being held in illegal detention in India without charge or trial. Democracies do not hold political prisoners, yet tens of thousands of political prisoners are being held in ``the world's largest democracy.'' Recently, 19 Members of the U.S. Congress wrote to President Bush asking him to get involved in the effort to secure freedom for these political prisoners. These political prisoners are being held for peaceful activities in support of a sovereign, independent Khalistan and/or activities in support of human rights. Some of these political prisoners have been held since 1984. We must secure their freedom. Sovereignty is essential to the survival of the Sikh Nation. As long as we live under Indian rule, these political prisoners will continue to be held and we will all continue to live as slaves. The only way that Sikhs can live in freedom is to liberate our homeland. Self-determination is the right of all peoples and nations. We must tell the Indian government that we demand our freedom. In order to do so, the political prisoners should run for Parliament and for the Legislative Assembly under the banner of the Khalsa Raj Party. The primary plank of the Khalsa Raj Party should be freedom for Khalistan. The Khalsa Panth must be prepared to pay any price, whatever it may be, to free ourselves from the occupation of the Indian government. We must have a full and fair plebiscite on the status of Khalistan and we must launch a Shantmai Morcha to liberate Khalistan. If the political prisoners run for office, Sikhs will have someone to vote for who is committed to freedom. None of the current parties will make any effort to liberate Khalistan. If the political prisoners will not run for office from their jail cells, then their family members should be given the Khalsa Raj Party ticket in the elections. We must have a real choice that will allow us to demand our freedom. Only then can our ve make any difference. Let us vote for a free Khalistan, not just for a change of faces among the oppressors. Guru Gobind Singh Sahib gave sovereignty to the Khalsa Panth. ``In Grieb Sikhan Ko Deon Patshahi'', that is ``Khalsa shall rule and is sovereign.'' Guru gave the Sikh Nation sovereignty. Nations that do not have sovereignty perish. Nations that do not have political power vanish from the face of the Earth. Sikhs are instructed to remain free always. It is time to reclaim freedom that is our birthright. In a free Khalistan Sikhs will enjoy freedom and respect the world over. For the survival of Sikh Nation, we must regain our lost sovereignty. It is our duty as Sikhs. The present Akali government and its leadership is corrupt to its bone. The Akalis are in alliance with the militant Hindu fundamentalist BJP, which has recently been rocked by a corruption scandal as well. They are agents of the Indian government. They take their orders from Delhi rulers. They lie to the Sikh Nation. We must discard them now and replace them with a new committed, honest, pro-Khalsa Panth leadership. As instructed by the Guru, Banda Singh Bahadar established the first Khalsa Raj in 17 10 after the complete destruction of city of Sirhand where the two younger sons of Guru Sahib were beheaded after immobilizing them in a wall. Sikhs regained In 1947, when India was divided, the cunning and deceitful Hindu leadership of Nehru and Gandhi promised that Sikhs would have the glow of freedom in Punjab and that no law affecting Sikh rights would be passed without Sikh consent. As soon as the transfer of power had occurred and India was free, those promises were broken. Instead, India began its effort to wipe out the Sikh people, the Sikh Nation, and the Sikh religion. The Home Ministry even sent a circular to the deputy commissioners of Punjab saying that Sikhs are ``a criminal tribe'' and should be carefully watched. Since independence, Sikhs have been persecuted, betrayed, robbed of their natural resources, and discriminated against. We must stand up against the oppressors and say enough is enough. We will no longer live under your oppressive regime. Badal did not even fulfill the promises he made before the election. How can they call themselves an Akali government when more than 50,000 people have been tortured, murdered, declared unidentified, and cremated by the police? There is no accountability for them and no police official has been punished. How can they call themselves an Akali government when they have not punished Swaran Singh Ghotna, the murderer of Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke, and the other police officers who kidnapped and murdered human-rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra? With a Khalsa Raj Party and with the politicl prisoners elected, these people can be brought to justice. In pursuit of its divide and rule strategy, the Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs in their effort to create fear psychosis and destroy the Sikh freedom movement. Tens of thousands of Sikh youth are being held as political prisoners without charge or trial. Recently, it has tried to set the Sikhs and the Kashmiri Muslims against each other by creating incidents between the communities. Over 20,000 people were murdered in Delhi alone after Indira Gandhi's assassination. So far, the perpetrators of these heinous crimes roam free in Delhi. The Khalsa Raj Party must demand accountability for the perpetrators of these atrocities. After the Golden Temple attack in June 1984 by the Indian government it was clear to the Sikhs that the Indian government is determined to destroy Sikhism completely. The attack on the Golden Temple was conducted to crush the Sikh aspirations of Khalsa Raj. It doesn't matter whether Congress or the BJP runs the government. Former Indian Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar said that there is no difference between Congress and the BJP. He is right. The party label on the Hindu majority does not matter. Congress and BJP are equally anti-Sikh. Only a Khalsa Raj Party will work to break the cycle of tyranny and oppression. Do you want to live as slaves and jeopardize the future of your children and your children's children, disobeying the Guru's order of Raj Kare Ga Khalsa, or do you want to free yourself from the slavery of the Indian government and enjoy the blessings and happiness of Guru by freeing Khalistan? Always remember that the Guru gave the Sikh Nation Charhdi Kala. For the Charhdi Kala of the Khalsa Panth, let's join hands to form a Khalsa Raj Party to free our homeland, Khalistan. We pray and ask the blessing of the Guru to help us achieve the pious, God-given right to freedom for the Sikh Nation. The Khalsa Panth prays for the well being of the whole human race. We wish every human being in the world, including South Asia, well. We hope that the entire world will live in peace and freedom and let the Sikh Nation also flourish, prosper, and enjoy the glow of freedom in a free Khalistan. Khalsa Ji, always remember ``Khalsa Bagi Yan Badhshah'' and ``Raj Kare Ga Khalsa.'' Sincerely, Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakch, President Council of Khalistan.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit this recent Washington Post editorial regarding autocratic leaders in Central Asia. The editorial draws particular attention to President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan and his intolerance of free speech and rigid control of independent expression. For those Members of Congress who are interested in the true nature of Nazarbayev regime, I highly commend this editorial. [From the Washington Post, May 1, 2001] A Choice for Democracy Russian President Vladimir Putin is not alone in the post- Soviet world in his assault on a free press, environmental organizations and other independent voices. In the five republics of Central Asia, autocratic leaders also are cracking down. Because their countries did not benefit from the years of relative freedom that Russia enjoyed under former president Boris Yeltsin, Central Asia's potentates tend to meet with less resistance, though everywhere some brave people resist. A case in point, both sad and inspiring, is Kazakhstan, after Russia the largest republic of the former Soviet Union. President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who made an effortless transition from Communist boss, was seen in the early years of independence as a potential moderate. Over the years, though, he has grown less tolerant of dissent or pluralism, even as stories of corruption at the highest levels multiply in his oil-rich republic. His decade in power has been marked ``by rigid control of independent expression,'' the nonprofit Committee to Protect Journalists noted recently. Prosecutors routinely harass and investigate newspapers that dare a smidgen of independent reporting. ``Infringement of the honor and dignity of the president'' is a crime. Only the biggest television stations are not bothered, but this is small comfort because, as the Committee to Protect Journalists noted, ``the most influential stations are under the direct or indirect control of the president's family.'' This spring the official crackdown has extended to many nongovernmental organizations in addition to the press. These groups helped organize opposition to a new law on the media that will further tighten government control over Internet sites and small broadcast outlets. Grass-roots opposition managed to delay, though not prevent, adoption of the law, mustering an impressive number of petitions and public meetings. In retribution, prosecutors and tax police have raided groups, forced them to shut down and seized documents and equipment, according to Eric Kessler, a staffer with the U.S.-based National Democratic Institute. The institute, like other pro-democracy organizations, has helped Kazakhstan's small civic groups, often with small grants from the U.S. government. Resistance to the media law shows that their work is not in vain. But overall the fight for democracy is not succeeding, and America's split personality on the subject may be one reason. While backing democracy in a small way, the Clinton administration was more than willing to welcome and forgive Mr. Nazarbayev, because he controls substantial oil and gas wealth, and because his country's independence is seen as a check to potential Russian expansionism from the north or Chinese pushiness from the east. Mr. Nazarbayev may expect the Bush administration, with its concern for expanding sources of oil and gas, to be even friendlier. But President Bush and his team also have stressed the importance of values in foreign policy, particularly the values of freedom and free markets--neither of which is embraced in Kazakhstan. Mr. Nazarbayev's strategy of hoarding power and oil wealth for a small elite is not a recipe for long-term stability. The Bush administration ought to help those inside Kazakhstan who continue to struggle for a different kind of future.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood) for yielding me this time. I would like to congratulate the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Doyle) for cochairing the Autism Caucus. I did not know much about autism, except it was a disease of some kind that afflicted a lot of kids and some adults until it happened to my grandson. One day he was normal, starting to talk, walking, great kid. He got nine shots in one day. Nine shots in one day. Many of the shots he received had mercury in them. Most people do not know that when their kids are vaccinated, many of the shots they get have thimerosal in them. It is mercury and mercury is a toxic substance that hurts people, especially children, and it builds up in your system as you get more and more of it. Anyhow, within just a couple of days after getting nine shots in one day, the MMR shot which has been referred to by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Doyle) and many shots including mercury, he started flapping his arms, running around banging his head against the wall, he had obstructions in his bowel, he had chronic diarrhea, he walked around on his toes, and he has not been normal since. The interesting thing about this is that I found out after seeing this in my grandson, that not too long ago one in 10,000 children in this country were autistic. One in 10,000. Now it is between 1 in 250 and 1 in 500. The gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) just said we have an epidemic on our hands. We really do have an epidemic. In the life span of a child who is autistic, the cost is going to hit this economy to the tune of about $5 million each. Each. And if 1 in every 250 to 500 children are autistic, we better darn well pretty soon find out the cause. Our health agencies really are not doing much. They are appropriating very, very little money in research into autism. We have a growing body of scientists and doctors who have testified before my committee and the Congress that are saying that mercury is a contributing factor to autism and Alzheimer's. We have a growing number of people who have Alzheimer's in this country. They are getting shots with mercury in them. I got a vaccination here by the doctor at the Capitol and I found out, he did not know it, he is a great doctor, a fine fellow, but he did not know there was mercury in the vaccine. How many of my colleagues got vaccines this year to protect themselves against the flu, flu vaccine? If you got one, you got mercury in your vaccination. That is a contributing factor according to a lot of scientists and doctors to Alzheimer's and to autism in kids. We need to find out why they are putting mercury in vaccines. It does not have to be in there. We have a supply of vaccines that will take care of our children across this country that does not contain mercury. Yet if you have three shots in one vial, they put mercury in as a preservative. The mercury is very toxic and may be, and we believe it is, a contributing factor to autism. All I can say is that the FDA and HHS and all of our health agencies need to get on the stick and get things like mercury and aluminum and formaldehyde out of the shots we are giving our children and out of the shots we are giving adults. I just want to tell Members that every parent, every grandparent in this country ought to be concerned about what is going into their children's bodies. Not too long ago the FDA took any topical dressing you put on your skin, they took mercury out of them because it would leach into the skin and could cause a problem. Yet they still give shots to our children that contain mercury today. As we speak, children are getting mercury injected into their bodies with vaccines. That is wrong. It should not happen. It should not happen. That is why we in the Congress ought to know everything we can about what is going into our children. Our children get 26 shots by the time they go to school. Many contain these toxic substances. It should not happen. I personally believe that is what caused my grandson's autism, and I believe parents across the country feel the same way. I do not know how many hundreds of parents I have talked to, thousands of parents I have talked to who had the same experience that we had in our family; and it is something that should not happen. I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Doyle) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for what they are doing. I want to thank the 113 members that have joined the caucus, and I hope all 435 Members join the caucus and put every bit of pressure we can as well as resources into the health agencies to solve this problem.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the Bowers and Donaldson families for their loss. I commend Congressman Hoekstra for bringing this resolution to the floor. It is the right thing to do. My committee held a hearing today, chaired by subcommittee chairman Mark Souder. What became readily apparent from a variety of administration witnesses, is the CIA was responsible for this tragedy, yet they refused to return staff phone calls, member requests for briefings, and to provide a witness for the hearing. Instead the hearing resembled Abbott and Costello's ``Who's on First'' routine. There is an established procedure for air interdiction. It has worked successfully nearly 100 times since it was implemented in 1995. Clearly this procedure was not followed here. Why? Why is all information surrounding the shootdown classified? Why does the CIA refuse to provide legitimate oversight committees in the Congress with briefings or witnesses? Why does the CIA refuse to provide a witness? All of these questions need to be answered, and I hope Chairman Souder continues to pursue this matter in his subcommittee with oversight jurisdiction on this matter. But, what cannot be done, is to give the drug traffickers a green light to resume their illegal activity that has been significantly slowed by the air interdiction program. I would like to submit for the record this AP article in which the Bowers family indicates that their tragedy should not stop the program. Mr. Bowers is quoted as saying ``the United States should quickly resume drug surveillance flights . . . to say there needs to be an entire review of the whole program and suspend it and to let the drug people continue their business as usual is wrong.'' If a grieving husband and father can say this, the government should take note, and get back to providing the necessary coverage to stifle the drug flights as soon as possible. There is an avenue here to consolidate these surveillance flights under one roof. The U.S. Customs Service already does this mission very well. They are a law enforcement agency with strict rules of engagement. It may be time to give this entire account--and most importantly the additional assets and funding necessary to successfully complete the mission--to the Customs Service. This means more P-3 surveillance planes as well as Citation aircraft. By placing this in one department who does not use civilian contractors, will leave the responsibility in one place. There will be no question of who is responsible, and where to go with questions. The acting Customs Commissioner at the hearing today said they would be able to do this if they were given the assets and the mission. I think it is time we in Congress gain some accountability by giving them the responsibility for this mission. Thank you Mr. Speaker, and may God bless and comfort the Bowers and Donaldson families in their time of mourning. [From the Associated Press, Apr. 30, 2001] Missionary Says Drug Surveillance Should Resume Quickly (By Bill Kaczor) Pensacola, FL (AP).--A missionary says the United States should quickly resume drug surveillance flights suspended after his wife and adopted baby were killed in Peru when they were mistaken for drug smugglers and shot down. Jim Bowers, who survived unharmed when their small plane crash landed after being fired upon by a Peruvian warplane April 20, said Monday he has expressed that view in a call to Secretary of State Colin Powell's office. ``To say there needs to be an entire review of the whole program and suspend it and to let the drug people continue their business as usual is wrong,'' Bowers said at a news conference. He said it should take investigators no more than a day to figure out the shooting was simple error. The Peruvian air force failed to contact a control tower that was in radio contact with the missionaries' float plane before shooting at it without first firing any warning shots, Bowers said. ``The main error in this whole thing is they were too quick to the trigger,'' he said. ``I don't hold anyone responsible. It was a mistake as though someone fell asleep at the wheel and ran into us in a vehicle.'' A U.S. Central Intelligence Agency aircraft had detected the missionaries' plane and notified the Peruvian air force. American officials say the surveillance crew, however, had advised it appeared, from the way the plane was flying, that it was not a drug smuggling flight. Bowers, 38, of Muskegon, Mich., was in Pensacola for the funeral and burial Sunday of his wife, Veronica ``Roni'' Bowers, 35, and their 7-month-old daughter, Charity. He stayed with family in Wake County, N.C., immediately after the shooting. The couple's 6-year-old son, Cory, also survived uninjured, but the plane's pilot, Kevin Donaldson, 41, of Morgantown, Pa., was wounded. Bowers spoke to reporters at Marcus Points Baptist Church where the funeral services was held. His wife's parents, John and Gloria Luttig, of nearby Pace, are members of the church, which had helped support the couple's missionary work. Bowers expressed his forgiveness to all involved at the funeral and during a memorial service Friday at his home church in Michigan. He said Monday he also hopes to talk personally with the Peruvian pilot who fired on their plane. ``I'm looking forward to that some day, but right now, I'm praying for him,'' Bowers said. Although insisting he wasn't placing blame, Bowers said the pilot failed to give the missionaries a chance to land before he started shooting. ``I was assuming, because I've watched movies just like you all have, that there would be some kind of communication, they would come up next to us and let us know what they wanted,'' Bowers told reporters. The air force plane swooped by a half-dozen times and begin firing only five or 10 minutes after the first pass, he said. ``Any decent air force pilot would give the other aircraft time to understand his intentions,'' Bowers said. ``I just thought this is way too soon for them to be shooting already.'' He said he saw a puff of smoke from the front of the warplane and told Donaldson he thought it was shooting at them just as the bullets began ripping through their aircraft. A single bullet instantly killed his wife and daughter. Bowers said neither he nor anyone else from his family or church has been in contact with the baby's natural parents, but he said they knew she had been killed. The couple's missionary work also has been supported by Calvary Church in Fruitport, Mich., and the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism, based in New Cumberland, Pa.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, the world has been shocked by the recent news stories about a corruption scandal that has engulfed the Indian government. Already, the president of the ruling BJP and the Defense Minister have been forced to resign after they were caught taking bribes from two internet news reporters posing as arms dealers in regard to a fake defense contract. The opposition is calling for the government to resign. The resignation of Defense Minister George Fernandes is no loss for friends of democracy. Mr. Fernandes is the man who led a meeting in 1999 with the Ambassadors from China, Cuba, Russia, Libya, Serbia, and Iraq aimed at putting together a security alliance ``to stop the U.S.'' This meeting was reported in the May 18, 1999 issue of the Indian Express. Those of us who have been following Indian and South Asian issues are not surprised. The Indian Government has demonstrated many times before how deeply it is infected with corruption. In India, people have come up with a new word for bribery. They call it ``fee for service.'' It has become necessary to pay a fee to get government workers of any kind to deliver the services that they are mandated to provide. In November 1994, the newspaper Hitavada reported that the Indian government paid Surendra Nath, the late governor of Punjab, $1.5 billion to generate terrorist activity in Punjab, Khalistan, and in Kashmir as well. This is in a country where half the population lives below the international poverty line. Forty-two percent of the people live on less than a dollar a day and another forty-two percent live on less than $2 per day. In India, corruption is endemic as is tyranny against minorities. Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, and others have been subjected to violence, tyranny, and massive human-rights violations for many years. Christian churches have been burned. Priests have been killed, nuns have been raped, and many other atrocities have been committed with impunity. Muslims have been killed in massive numbers and the ruling party has destroyed mosques. The Indian government has killed Sikhs. Religious pilgrims have been attacked with lathis and tear gas. This is just a recent sample of the atrocities against minorities in India. Mr. Speaker, India is a significant recipient of American aid. Why should the taxpayers of this country pay taxes to support the corruption and tyranny of the Indian Government? There is, however, something that America, as the world's only superpower, can do about it. America can stop sending aid to India and support self- determination for the people of Khalistan, Kashmir, and Nagalim. Let us take these steps to free the people of the subcontinent from corruption and brutality. Mr. Speaker, I insert into the Record an article from the current issue of The Economist about the latest Indian Government bribery scandal. I commend it to all my congressional colleagues who care about spending our foreign aid dollars wisely. [From The Economist, Mar. 24, 2001] India's Corruption Blues Though it may well survive the latest corruption scandal, the authority of the leading party in the government is badly dented Fatalism is ever present in India, and the government in Delhi seems to be hoping that a popular belief in the inevitability of corruption will help it survive the biggest scandal of recent times. That hope seems well founded. But whether the government will regain the authority it needs to pursue its two main initiatives--economic reform and peace in Kashmir--is much more doubtful. The uproar over the release of videotapes last week showing top politicians and officials taking bribes from two Internet news reporters posing as arms dealers has reached a noisy impasse. The defence minister, George Fernandes, has resigned, though he remains ``covener'' of the 18-party ruling National Democratic Alliance. The NDA has lost one member, the Trinamul Congress party of West Bengal, but remains sure enough of its majority to dare the opposition to bring a no-confidence vote in Parliament. The opposition, equally sure of its minority, has declined. Instead, it has blocked parliamentary proceedings for a week, relenting long enough only to allow money to be voted for the state to continue functioning. Both sides have converted an occasion for shame into one for self-righteousness. Sonia Gandhi, leader of a suddenly alert Congress party, vowed at its plenary meeting in Bangalore to ``wage every war'' to ``ensure that this country is liberated from the shackles of this corrupt, shameful and communal government''. But she herself was wounded when her own personal assistant came under investigation in a separate scandal. The prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, has blended penitence with defensiveness. He has promised a judicial probe into the allegations, and a clean-up. But, in a television address on March 16th, Mr. Vajpayee reserved the word ``criminal'' to describe the hurling of allegations, not the behaviour alleged. It is true that tehelka.com, the enterprising website that armed its reporters with cash and spy cameras, used surreptitious means to persuade a variety of officials, generals and politicians to accept a total of 1.1m rupees (about $24,000) in bribes and gifts. It is also true that some of the most serious allegations made against Mr. Fernandes and Brajesh Mishra, the prime minister's top aide, among others, are unsubstantiated gossip. But they have concentrated discussion on how many more heads will roll and when. The real import of the tapes is the evidence they give that corruption is the norm, not the exception, at every level of public life. This does not surprise Indians, who are expected to bribe everyone, starting with traffic policemen. India is beset by what some call a crisis of governance, which compromises nearly every public service, from defence to the distribution of subsidised food to the generation of electricity. Tehelka.com has simply rubbed Indians' faces in it. Politicians, in honest moments, admit this, Kapil Sibal, a prominent member of Congress, says ``the system is thoroughly corrupt.'' Pramod Mahajan, the minister of information technology and a member of Mr. Vajpayee's Bhraratiya Janata Party (BJP), thinks the voters face a choice ``not between good and bad. It is between bad and worse.'' With turpitude so common, removing one group of parties from power would not solve the problem. Given a chance to fight political corruption, Parliament usually ducks it. It now wants to shear the Central Vigilance Commission, the main body implementing anti-corruption law, of its role overseeing investigations of politicians. The problem begins, says N. Vittal, the central vigilance commissioner, with the 40% of the economy that is unaccounted for. Indian democracy runs on this murky money. The total cost of a campaign for a parliamentary election has been estimated at 20 billion rupees (around $430m), which is often paid for by undeclared donations of the sort proffered by tehelka.com. Reformers such as Mr. Vittal want such donations to be declared and made tax deductible. Some also want the Election Commission to give the voters information about candidates' criminal backgrounds, as Delhi's High Court has directed. But that reform may also be stopped: the government has appealed against the decision. No one in power seems to back the promised cleaning. Mr. Vajpayee's immediate concern is the fate of his closet advisers, widely resented for accumulating power in the prime minister's office at the expense of other ministries. On March 19th, Mr. Mishra and N.K. Singh, his top economic adviser, called a press conference to defend themselves against claims that they had improperly influenced decisions on deals in telecoms, power and, in Mr. Mishra's case, defence equipment. Pressure for their dismissal, form some of Mr. Vajpayee's best friends, is mounting. A fiercely right- wing ally of the BJP, the Shiv Sena, is calling for their heads. And although the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (Association of National Volunteers), ideological big brother to the BJP, has withdrawn its calls for their removal, it has done so only for fear of destablishing the government. The departure of Mr. Mishra and Mr. Singh would probably blunt the government's drive for economic reform. Even if they stay, Mr. Vajpayee will have trouble enacting the most controversial but valuable elements of the reforms announced along with the budget last month. These include privatisation and making labour law more flexible. The labour reform requires the approval of Parliament's upper house, where the government lacks a majority. The crisis may also strengthen the home ministry, thought to be more reluctant than the prime minister's advisers to make gestures to separatists in Kashmir. If Mr. Vajpayee survives the tehelka scandal, he may begin to ask himself what, exactly, he is in power for.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation to clarify the Cooperative Mail Rule that the United States Postal Service uses to limit the commercial use of non-profit mail. Mr. Speaker, as you know, non-profit organizations provide many valuable services to citizens across the country. Nonprofit organizations are key in providing education and information about a variety of issues ranging from public health to participation in civic affairs. Nonprofit organizations are able to provide such services often by raising money through voluntary contributions rather than tax dollars. Nonprofit organizations must rely on commercial entities to provide goods and services, and such goods and services cost money. Often, new or less-well funded nonprofit organizations must obtain these goods and services based on a contingency arrangement with a commercial business. The Postal Service has in recent years interpreted a postal regulation known as the Cooperative Mail Rule to disallow reduced rates for nonprofits based solely on their business relationships with commercial entities, even when the nonprofit's mail contains no commercial matter. This interpretation is inconsistent with the original intent of Congress in creating nonprofit rates. The Cooperative Mailing Rule was originally designed to prevent commercial parties that do not have a nonprofit postal permit from entering into cooperative arrangements with nonprofit permit holders to mail commercial matter at the reduced nonprofit rates. In 1993, at the request of the Postal Service, Congress incorporated the Cooperative Mailing Rule into the United States Code to prohibit those types of cooperative arrangements. The legislation I am introducing today allows qualified nonprofit organizations to mail at reduced rates regardless of whether they employ commercial companies to help them prepare and mail their letters or engage in other commercial arrangements. The mail must still relate to the respective nonprofit permit holders themselves and not promote or advertise products or services on behalf of a commercial entity. This will rectify the Postal Service's recent misapplication of the Cooperative Mailing Rule. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this legislation.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I think my colleagues have covered the rule very well. I thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) and the Committee on Rules for bringing an open rule down to the floor. I think the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) have covered the bill rather well. There are 24 million small business people in this country that have been suffering dramatically under the burden of overregulation and paperwork. This bill takes a giant step toward eliminating a lot of the problems they face. This is supported strongly by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. I think it is a great bill. Its time has come, as the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) has said.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, those of us who follow events in Central Asia are alarmed by the growing influence of Islamic extremism in Central Asia. As my colleagues are aware, an Islamic insurgency has taken root in the Fergana valley area where the borders of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan meet. Reports indicate that this insurgency is being supported and fueled by the fiercely Islamic Taliban in Afghanistan. So far, Kazakhstan has not been directly affected by this insurgency. However, because of its oil and mineral wealth, Kazakhstan is the crown jewel of the region and is thus another likely target of Islamic extremist groups. Kazakhstan's democratically challenged regime has taken note of the alarming developments in its neighbors to the south and has taken steps to strengthen its defenses. That's the good news. The bad news, however, is that President Nursultan Nazarbayev has apparently stepped up his repression, and it has been reported that he is plundering his oil and mineral rich country by siphoning hundreds of millions of dollars into foreign bank accounts. As a result, President Nazarbayev is said to be the eighth richest person in the world. The people of Kazakhstan are not as blind. They can easily see that they inhabit a rich country, and they are justifiably beginning to ask why so little of their country's great wealth seems to be trickling down to them. The people are also not blind to sham elections, the stifling of press freedom, and the jailing of opposition leaders that have come to characterize the country's political life. I have been told that more and more people in Kazakhstan are losing hope, and are more willing to give Islamic extremists groups, who claim that they will eliminate the corruption of the current regime, a chance to govern. In the March 3 issue of the Economist, there is an excellent article on Kazakhstan's security situation. At the end of the article, the author states ``Government repression and mismanagement help to nourish extremism and terrorism in Central Asia. An effort to improve social and economic conditions and freedom of expression might make Kazakhstan less fertile ground for militant zealots.'' I wholeheartedly agree with this premise, and I ask that the full text of the Economist article appear immediately after my remarks. Mr. Speaker, some people in Washington may be tempted to urge U.S. support for the Nazarbayev regime because it claims to be a bulwark of defense against Islamic extremism. But according to the information that I have been receiving, it is the Nazarbayev regime itself that will likely fuel the growth of Islamic extremism. Democracy, a free press, and respect for human rights are the keys to protecting a country like Kazakhstan from the influence of Islamic extremists groups. The United States must stand with regimes in Central Asia who share these key democratic values, not those regimes and leaders who subvert them. [From the Economist, Mar. 3, 2001] In defence When the Soviet Union broke up ten years ago, the leaders of Central Asia's newly independent states felt safe from possible attacks on their region. Their main concern was to promote order, economic reform and the assertion of power for themselves and their families. They were jolted out of their complacency by bomb blasts in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, in February 1999 and an attack by Islamic militants in Kirgizstan in August. Last year Islamists again attacked both countries. Although Kazakhstan was not directly affected by these attacks, they have alerted the country to look to its defences. President Nursultan Nazarbaev has set about making Kazakhstan's armed forces capable of dealing with what he believes are the main threats to the state; terrorism as a result of religious extremism, and organized crime. He is strengthening defences in the south, in the mountainous border regions from which an Islamic incursion might come. He wants his soldiers to be more mobile. Sniper groups are being formed. Villagers with local knowledge of the terrain are being recruited as guides. The country's defence budget has been more than doubled this year to $171m, or 1% of GDP. Soldiers' pay is to go up by 30-40%. One difficulty is the Kazakhstan's borders were not clearly defined in Soviet times, so it is difficult to decide what is a ``border incursion''. Kazakhstan has 14,000 km (8,750 miles) of borders with neighboring states. It has agreed on its border with China, but it is still negotiating with Russia, Kirgizstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Bulat Sultanov, of Kazakhstan's Institute of Strategic Studies, worries that ``our border troops cannot carry out any operations because there is no legal basis for them.'' Last year, Uzbek border guards entered southern Kazakhstan and claimed a stretch of land. Since then, there have been several brushes between Uzbeks and Kazakhs, mostly villagers unclear about which country they are living in. All this is a distraction from the task of making the south of Kazakhstan more secure. Then there is Afghanistan. Although Kazakhstan is not a direct neighbour, the fiercely Islamic Taliban who control most of Afghanistan are a worry to all of Central Asia. They are believed to provide training for extremists, among them the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), which wants to set up a caliphate in the Fergana valley, where Kirgizstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan meet. The IMU was said to be behind the attacks in Kirgizstan and Uzbekistan in the past two years and is thought to be preparing another assault before long. Most of Kazakhstan's military equipment dates back to the Soviet period. Replacing, say, old helicopters used in the border areas will be expensive, but necessary. In January a Mi-8 helicopter crashed in the south, injuring the defence minister, Sat Tokpakbaev, who was aboard. Another helicopter crashed near the Chinese border two weeks ago, killing six people. Kazakhstan will receive arms from Russia worth $20m this year as part of its annual payment for the use of a space- rocket site at Baikonur. It is due to receive over $4m from the United States to improve border security. The government might also consider some nonmilitary measures. Government repression and mismanagement help to nourish extremism and terrorism in Central Asia. An effort to improve social and economic conditions and freedom of expression might make Kazakhstan less fertile ground for militant zealots.