Statement of the ITF

[aungsan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

International Transport Workers' Federation

ITF House
49-60 Borough Road
London SE1 1DS
Tel: +44-171-403 2733
Fax: +44-171-357 7871


To all ITF affiliates

Circular No: 156/A.25/1997
June 26, 1997

Ref: DC/SF


Dear colleagues,

RE: Official of the Seafarers' Unions of Burma arrested

Please find attached the text of a letter we have written to the State
Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) of the Union of Myanmar
(Burma). As you will see, two trade unionists have recently been
arrested with their families. One of them, Khin Kyaw, is an official of
ITF affiliated Seafarers' Union of Burma (SUB). Khin Kyaw was arrested
in 1993 at which time he was tortured and his wife was sexually abused.

The ITF is obviously very concerned for safety of the two trade
unionists, their wives and children. We would ask you to send letters to
the Burmese Embassy in your country, with a copy to the ITF. Should your
union decide to arrange a protest or demonstration of any kind, please
keep us informed.

Thank you for your cooperation. We will update you should there be
further developments.


Yours in solidarity,


Sd xxxxxxx

David Cockroft
General Secretary


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Annex to Circular No: 156/A.25/1997

General Than Shwe
Chairman
State Law and Order Restoration Council
192 Kaba Aye Pagoda Road
Bahan Post Office Road
Yangon
Myanmar

DC/SF/jh

26 June, 1997

Dear Sir

Arrest of Trade Union Leader

The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) representing 5
million transport workers through its 500 affiliated unions in 124
countries, protests in the strongest possible terms against the arrest
in Yangon on 13 June of U Khin Kyaw and U Myo Aung Thant, Executive
Committee members of the Federation of Trade Unions - Burma (FTUB).

Official of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) arrested U Khin Kyaw
and his wife at their home on Jun 13. Brother Khin Kyaw is an official
of the Seafarers' Union of Burma, a member of the FTUB and an affiliate
of the ITF. He was detained for trade union activities in 1993 and,
after his release by court for lack of evidence, he was never
compensated for his arbitrary detention or re-instated in his job. He
was tortured during his detention, and his wife was sexually abused.

U Myo Aung, a member if the All Burma Petro-Chemical Corporation Union,
was arrested by officers of the NIB at Mingaladon airport earlier on 13
June on his return from Bangkok. His wife and children were also
detained.

The arrest of trade union activists for the exercise of legitimate trade
union activities in a flagrant violation of internally agreed trade
union rights, full respect of which is binding on the Union of Myanmar
by virtue of its membership of the International Labour Organisation. As
one of the prisoners has already been tortured during a previous
detention, the ITF considers both, together with relatives detained with
them, to be at grave risk of torture.

We urge you to order the immediate and unconditional release of our two
colleagues and their relatives, and request you to provide public
guarantees that they have not and will not be tortured during their
detention. I must advise you that failure to obtain their release would
leave the ITF no choice but to call its affiliates worldwide to act in
any way possible against Burmese economic interests, including Burmese
aircraft and vessels on the Burmese shipping register, a
Flag-of-Convenience register.

The ITF and the ICFTU would also lodge a formal complaint against the
Union of Myanmar to the International Labour Organisation and the
appropriate UN human rights mechanisms.



Yours faithfully,


Sd xxxxxxx
David Cockroft
General Secretary