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US Signals Support for Burma Investigation

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The United States says it is working to establish an international commission of inquiry into human rights violations in Burma.

In a statement issued Saturday, the U.S. State Department said Washington is committed to seeking accountability.

The statement says the U.S. is consulting with its friends, allies and other partners at the United Nations to establish a commission.

On Wednesday, Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi urged U.S. lawmakers to push for an international commission, saying such a panel would not be a tribunal, but a way to make sure abuses do not recur.

She made the remarks in a video played for the U.S. House subcommittee on Asia and Pacific Affairs. The panel was conducting a hearing on last November's elections, Burma's first in 20 years.

International critics of Burma say the elections merely solidified military rule, since a party backed by the military won the most parliamentary seats.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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