BURMA OUT!! (ICFTU) Unions gives j

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Subject: BURMA OUT!!  (ICFTU) Unions gives junta the stiff finger.,


INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS (ICFTU)
ICFTU OnLine...
119/990617/LD

Burma - de facto exclusion from the ILO
Brussels, 17 June 1999 (ICFTU OnLine): Burma, where thousands of people are
still in forced labour despite universal condemnation, was excluded de facto
from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on Thursday.  The decision
followed joint action  by the trade union and employers' organisations
within the organisation, an unprecedented move in the annals of this United
Nations agency.  In a resolution submitted to the International Labour
Conference, the ILO's annual assembly, which ended today (June 17) in
Geneva, trade unions and employers asked the ILO to refuse Burma all
technical assistance and to ban the country's representatives from attending
its meetings, because of the systematic use of forced labour by the ruling
military junta.
The resolution was adopted by a large majority of government, employers' and
workers' delegates from the 174 Member States of the ILO.  The ILO does not
have a mechanism with which to exclude one of its members, but the
resolution was approved by 333 votes for,  27 against and 47 abstentions.
Each of the 174 members has four votes.  In practice, Burma is "virtually
excluded" from the ILO, stated a spokesperson for the organisation.   The
General Secretary of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
(ICFTU), whose initiative it was,  welcomed the ILO's decision.  "It is a
victory for all those who risk their lives and their freedom to defend
rights and democracy in Burma" stated Mr. Bill Jordan, adding that the ICFTU
would continue its efforts to isolate the military regime within
international institutions. The trade union leader also welcomed the
"firmness" shown by the trade unions and employers, who shared "identical
views" on the situation in Burma.
In a letter addressed to the President of the International Labour
Conference, the presidents of the employers' and workers' groups underlined
the blatant disregard shown by the government of Myanmar (the name the
military junta chose to give to the country) in face of the recommendations
made last year by the ILO Commission of Inquiry.  Although refused entry
into Burma, the Commission interviewed over 250 eye witnesses and put

together more than 6,000 pages of documents.  In its report it concluded
that "the obligation to suppress the use of forced or compulsory labour is
violated in Myanmar in national law as well as in actual practice in a
widespread and systematic manner, with total disregard for the human
dignity, safety and health and the basic needs of the people."
Last May, the Director General of the ILO, Mr. Juan Somavia, reported to the
ILO Governing Body that no measures had been taken by the Burmese
authorities to follow the recommendations.  The International Confederation
of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) had provided fresh evidence of forced labour,
based on many sources from within the country.  The ICFTU estimates that
more than 800,000 Burmese are subjected to forced labour.
In its resolution, the ILO notes that no-one involved in the use of forced
labour had been prosecuted so far.  The failure to punish those responsible
is also deplored by the ICFTU, which classifies this modern form of slavery
practised in Burma as a crime against humanity.
Some 2,000 delegates representing governments, workers and employers from
the 174 Member States of the International Labour Organisation (ILO)
attended the annual conference.  The ICFTU represents  213 trade union
organisations in 145 countries, a total of 125 million workers worldwide.
It coordinates the activities of the workers' group within the ILO.

Contact: ICFTU-Press at: ++32-2 224.02.12 (Brussels). For more information,
visit our website at: (http://www.icftu.org) <http://www.icftu.org)> .

Follow the appreciations of the Shan Democratic Union, 
film maker John Pilger,  HH the  Dalai Lama, The Free Burma 
Coalition, Dennis Skinner MP, Tony Benn MP, parliamentarians, 
Socialist Workers' Party, JPR Williams, sportspersons, Hendrix 
bassist Noel Redding, Abdullah Ibrahim, musicians,  All 
Burma Students Democratic Organisation, and numerous others.  

             Support a REAL war on drugs : Sydney 2000 : Burma Out!

Music Industry Human Rights Association
http://www.mihra.org / policy.office@xxxxxxxxx 
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Mihra was founded during UN50 to advance and protect 
creators rights in a cultural market monopolised by the 
recording  / publishing Grand Cartel. Mihra's roots are in 
music and anti-racism and was first in line in calling for a 
sports boycott of Burma for the Sydney 2000 Olympic 
Games.

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