BRI Held the 8th Hybrid Congressional Briefing on Burma

Ellicott City, Maryland —The Burma Research Institute (BRI) held the 8th Hybrid Congressional Briefing on Burma, featuring keynote remarks and Q&A with H.E. Daw Zin Mar Aung during her Washington visit. She is the Foreign Minister of the National Unity Government of Myanmar and a member of the Secretariat of the Steering Council for the Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union (SCEF).

BRI is grateful to Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI-4), sponsor of the BRAVE Burma Act (H.R.3190), for his support in making this briefing possible.

Title: U.S. National Interests in Burma: Online Scams, Regional Stability, Countering Regional Powers’ Influence, and Trade & Investment

Date: Friday, July 24, 2026
Time: 12:00–2:00 PM (ET)
Location: Rayburn House Office Building (Room 2044)
45 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20515
Lunch: 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM

PROGRAM
Moderator: Zo Tum Hmung, President and CEO, Burma Research Institute (BRI), Click here for his bio

Lunch: 12:00–12:30 PM
Welcome & Opening Remarks: Moderator
- Click here to view the full recording of event
Opening Remarks: Pu Zing Cung, Member, Leading Body for Strategy and Policy of the Steering Council for the Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union (SCEF)
- Click here for his written statement and video remarks
Introducing H.E. Daw Zin Mar Aung: Virginia Farris, Foreign Advisor, BRI
- Click here to view the introduction and click here to view Virginia Farris’ bio
Keynote Remarks: H.E. Daw Zin Mar Aung, Foreign Minister of the National Unity Government of Myanmar and a member of the Secretariat of the Steering Council for the Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union (SCEF)
- Click here for her bio, written statement, and video remarks
Question & Answer Session: H.E. Daw Zin Mar Aung and Zo Tum Hmung
- Click here to view the Q&A session
Program Concludes: Moderator
- Click here to view the conclusion of the program

On June 25, 2026, testimony by Assistant Secretary of State Michael G. DeSombre before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, which revealed Americans lost $12.5 billion to Burma-linked online scams in 2025 — up 25% from 2024.

On June 19, 2026, UN Special Envoy Julie Bishop briefed the General Assembly on Myanmar’s worsening conditions, citing 3.7 million internally displaced people and 1.6 million refugees regionally. In its six-month report released on June 22, 2026, the UN Commission on Human Rights recorded at least 702 civilian deaths between August 2025 and January 2026, of which 476 were attributed to airstrikes. The report also highlighted ongoing efforts by foreign governments and private entities to supply military hardware and dual-use materials to the military regime.

These developments underscore the urgent need for sustained U.S. engagement on Burma, where interests include countering scams, promoting trade and investment, ensuring regional stability, and limiting regional powers’ influence.

Coverage of the Briefing by News & Media Outlets:

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