The US House of Representatives passed a resolution on Tuesday urging the UN Security Council not to accept the constitution which has been written by the Burmese military junta to retain its hold on power.

The House Resolution (No. 317), which was sponsored by more than 50 congressmen, said the draft constitution was one sided, undemocratic and illegitimate because no democratic and transparent process was adopted in its drafting.

Calling it as a sham constitution, Congresswoman Diane Watson said in the debate: “The referendum attempts to give democratic legitimacy to a process that was designed by the Burmese military, implemented by the Burmese military and benefits only the Burmese military. As such, it is anything but democratic.”

Watson said: “We call on the administration, the UN, and the international community to support a legitimate, inclusive dialogue between the regime and opposition forces. Only such an inclusive tripartite negotiation can put Burma back on the path to peace and prosperity, where it rightfully belongs.”

Calling it as a callous decision for the junta to go forward with the referendum on Saturday, just a week after a tropical cyclone devastated the nation, Congressman Ted Poe said: “This constitution ignores the will of the people of Burma as expressed in the streets of Rangoon and other cities last fall. This one-sided constitution seeks to legitimize military dictatorship rule. The current junta seized power by crushing a mass democracy uprising over two decades ago.”

One of the main sponsors of the resolution, Congressman Rush Holt, who visited Burma several decades ago, said the resolution urges President Bush to call on the world community not to accept or recognize the junta’s constitution.

“This referendum later this week would be a sham, a fake, pretend; it would be bogus, fraudulent, spurious, and phony. Use whatever word you want. But it would not be democratic. It would not be to the benefit of the people of Burma who want a true democracy,” he said.

Congressman Mark Souder of Indiana, the home of a substantial number of Burmese refugees, said: “Despite international recognition of its gross human rights violations, Burma’s regime continues to use violence and murder to terrorize its own people, most recently during last September’s demonstrations.”

Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee said the military regime is attempting to give democratic legitimacy to a process, controlled from start to finish by the Burmese military, which is anything but democratic. A true democracy benefits the people; this referendum will only benefit the Burmese military, she said.