- A House resolution condemning those who carried out the coup in Myanmar voted 398-14 on Friday.
- More than a dozen GOP representatives, mostly from the Trump Freedom Caucus, opposed the motion.
- Some of those who voted against the measure linked it to immigration or the outcome of the U.S. election.
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The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution on Friday calling for a 398-14 military coup in Myanmar. More than a dozen Republicans, most of them from the Trump freedom caucus, are in opposition.
The vote condemned the military generals who organized the coup and called on the Biden government to impose sanctions on them.
Some representatives of the Freedom Caucus have tied their votes to right-wing political issues, and some have referred to the 2020 US election.
Those who voted no were 13 of those who are part of the Freedom Caucus:
- Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia
- Rep Lauren Boebert from Colorado
- Rep. Chip Roy from Texas
- Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania
- Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland
- Rep Ted Budd of North Carolina
- Rep Mary Miller of Illinois
- Rep. Alex Mooney of West Virginia
- Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama
- Rep. Jody Hice of Georgia
- Rep. Ken Buck from Colorado
- Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida
Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, a member of the caucus, voted in favor.
One Republican, who is not part of the Freedom Caucus, also votes against the resolution: Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
Perry protested against Pennsylvania voters before the January 6 and Friday uprising and his spokesman told Forbes that the resolution in Myanmar ” is an open attempt to lure Republicans to refute allegations of electoral fraud in Burma. condemned while continuing similar claims (according to the Democrat’s testimony during US elections. ‘
Harris made a statement to immigrants, saying Congress should pay attention to “COVID positive illegal aliens that are spreading in our communities rather than wasting time on useless decisions about a foreign country.”
Biggs, the caucus chair, mailed a video on Twitter explaining its opposition to the resolution.
In the video, Biggs said the violence as a result of the coup is tragic. However, Biggs says there is suffering all over the world and he believes the US cannot be the military police for the whole world. He claims the resolution was a way of ‘sticking our foot in the door in Burma’.
In the November election in Myanmar, the ruling National League for Democracy won 396 of the 476 seats in parliament, with the military-affiliated Union Solidarity and Development Party gaining 33 seats.
The military, known as the Tatmadaw, claimed that the election was ongoing with voter fraud – according to the AP, 8.6 million cases of “voter irregularities” among a population of 54 million were charged – a claim made by the country ‘s election commission was rejected.
Top members of the ruling party, including civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, were detained by the military.
Since the beginning of February, mass protests have followed the coup in Myanmar, and according to the UN, military forces have since killed at least 138 protesters. The military has also imposed media and internet disruptions.
After the vote on Friday, Democratic Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia tweeted that, “The House QAnon Caucus refuses to condemn the military coup in Burma.”