Forced labor continues to escalate

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April 4, 2001

Oral Intervention on Agenda Item 10
Catholic Institute for International Relations
Delivered by Ms. Khin Ohmar
57th Session of the UNCHR
Geneva, Switzerland

Mr. Chairman,

My name is Khin Ohmar and I am from Burma. For the past two years, I
have talked before this session on the appalling human rights situation
in my country. I welcome the ongoing talk between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
and the military authorities. However, the overall human rights
situation is still a grave concern. I would like to call upon the
Commission to pay special attention, especially on the escalating use of
forced labor.

The military authorities in Burma informed the ILO technical mission
before its Governing Body Meeting in November 2000 that General Khin
Nyunt, Secretary (1) of SPDC, had already issued a directive to all
administrative and military units, which include the notion that the
practice of forced labor is illegal and those who conscript forced labor
will be prosecuted according to the law.

However, Mr. Chairman, this directive has never been announced by the
State-run media. People are not well aware of this directive. In fact,
the practice of forced labor has been continued throughout Burma,
particularly in the Karen, Karenni and Shan States where the Burmese
army is deployed in strength.

According to the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma, an estimate of at
least 80,000 individuals, men, women and children and elderly persons
from approximately 60 villages in four districts of Karen State were
forced to perform hard labor during the period November 2000 to January
2001. There have been reports on conscription for military porterage and
forced labor for plantations owned by army units in Ye Township in
Tanassariam Division, the southern tail of Burma.

According to our sources, military confiscated lands without any
compensation along a new gas pipeline construction from Thanbuzayat in
Mon State to Myainggalae in Karen State. Many villages on pipeline route
have been forcibly relocated. This pipeline will bring gas from Yetagon
gas field for the consumption of cement factory in Myaingalae. We
received information that forced labor is being used for the
construction of that gas pipeline.

Mr. Chairman,

We are gravely concerned about the ongoing military operations in the
Shan, Karen and Karenni States. In these areas, the SPDC has continued
the systematic campaign of forced relocation. Massive internal
displacement and, destruction of crops and live stocks by the Burmese
army has made the livelihood of villagers impossible. Starvation,
malnutrition and deaths from contagious diseases continue in these
non-Burman ethnic areas, where international relief organizations and
media are not accessible.

Since December 2000 the SPDC troops started dry season offensive in
Shan, Karen and Karenni areas, and the use of forced porterage has
elevated. For example, in Karen State from October to mid- December
2000, the army battalions of Division 22 demanded 10 villagers from each
village in Shan-ywa-thit and Kulu Hta to carry supplies and ammunitions
to Klaledi, about 20-mile distance. The villagers were ordered to serve
as porters about 4 times a month. They had to carry loads weighing about
30 kilograms without being paid. At the end of November, a villager
named Day Hkaw from Htee Ler Doh village stepped on a landmine and his
leg was blown off while carrying army supplies.

Mr. Chairman,

In the course of civil war, various forms of human rights violations
such as torture, rape, forced labor, arbitrary killings, extortion of
money, properties and live stocks continue unabated.

As much as we welcome the talks between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the
military authorities in Rangoon, we are seriously concerned with the
ongoing egregious violations of human rights in our country. We have
witnessed the fact that the ongoing civil war and systematic and
widespread use of forced labor by the Burmese army is interrelated.
Because of the unmodernized means of transportation in the Burmese army,
it is very likely that the military will pursue the use of forced labor
to carry arms and ammunitions and food for the army in the conflict
zones. Until and unless the civil war is ended, it is obvious that we
cannot expect the end of practice of forced labor by the Burmese army.
In the context of the talks between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and SPDC, which
started in October last year, we strongly believe that it is time for
all conflicting parties to find ways and means for confidence building,
and further substantive political dialogue. We call upon the Commission
to encourage the SPDC to negotiate a nationwide cease-fire with all
ethnic armed groups, which is a vital step for the end of forced labor
and further the development of national reconciliation process in Burma.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.





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<html>
<font color="#000099"><font size=+1>April 4, 2001</font></font>
<p><font color="#000099"><font size=+1>Oral Intervention on Agenda Item
10</font></font>
<br><font color="#000099"><font size=+1>Catholic Institute for International
Relations</font></font>
<br><font color="#000099"><font size=+1>Delivered by Ms. Khin Ohmar</font></font>
<br><font color="#000099"><font size=+1>57th Session of the UNCHR</font></font>
<br><font color="#000099"><font size=+1>Geneva, Switzerland</font></font>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Mr. Chairman,</font></font>
<p><font size=+1>My name is Khin Ohmar and I am from Burma. For the past
two years, I have talked before this session on the appalling human rights
situation in my country. I welcome the ongoing talk between Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi and the military authorities. However, the overall human rights
situation is still a grave concern. I would like to call upon the Commission
to pay special attention, especially on the escalating use of forced labor.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The military authorities in Burma informed the ILO technical
mission before its Governing Body Meeting in November 2000 that General
Khin Nyunt, Secretary (1) of SPDC, had already issued a directive to all
administrative and military units, which include the notion that the practice
of forced labor is illegal and those who conscript forced labor will be
prosecuted according to the law.</font>
<p><font size=+1>However, Mr. Chairman, this directive has never been announced
by the State-run media. People are not well aware of this directive. In
fact, the practice of forced labor has been continued throughout Burma,
particularly in the Karen, Karenni and Shan States where the Burmese army
is deployed in strength.</font>
<p><font size=+1>According to the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma,
an estimate of at least 80,000 individuals, men, women and children and
elderly persons from approximately 60 villages in four districts of Karen
State were forced to perform hard labor during the period November 2000
to January 2001. There have been reports on conscription for military porterage
and forced labor for plantations owned by army units in Ye Township in
Tanassariam Division, the southern tail of Burma.</font>
<p><font size=+1>According to our sources, military confiscated lands without
any compensation along a new gas pipeline construction from Thanbuzayat
in Mon State to Myainggalae in Karen State. Many villages on pipeline route
have been forcibly relocated. This pipeline will bring gas from Yetagon
gas field for the consumption of cement factory in Myaingalae. We received
information that forced labor is being used for the construction of that
gas pipeline.</font>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Mr. Chairman,</font></font>
<p><font size=+1>We are gravely concerned about the ongoing military operations
in the Shan, Karen and Karenni States. In these areas, the SPDC has continued
the systematic campaign of forced relocation. Massive internal displacement
and, destruction of crops and live stocks by the Burmese army has made
the livelihood of villagers impossible. Starvation, malnutrition and deaths
from contagious diseases continue in these non-Burman ethnic areas, where
international relief organizations and media are not accessible.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Since December 2000 the SPDC troops started dry season
offensive in Shan, Karen and Karenni areas, and the use of forced porterage
has elevated. For example, in Karen State from October to mid- December
2000, the army battalions of Division 22 demanded 10 villagers from each
village in Shan-ywa-thit and Kulu Hta to carry supplies and ammunitions
to Klaledi, about 20-mile distance. The villagers were ordered to serve
as porters about 4 times a month. They had to carry loads weighing about
30 kilograms without being paid. At the end of November, a villager named
Day Hkaw from Htee Ler Doh village stepped on a landmine and his leg was
blown off while carrying army supplies.</font>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Mr. Chairman,</font></font>
<p><font size=+1>In the course of civil war, various forms of human rights
violations such as torture, rape, forced labor, arbitrary killings, extortion
of money, properties and live stocks continue unabated.</font>
<p><font size=+1>As much as we welcome the talks between Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi and the military authorities in Rangoon, we are seriously concerned
with the ongoing egregious violations of human rights in our country. We
have witnessed the fact that the ongoing civil war and systematic and widespread
use of forced labor by the Burmese army is interrelated. Because of the
unmodernized means of transportation in the Burmese army, it is very likely
that the military will pursue the use of forced labor to carry arms and
ammunitions and food for the army in the conflict zones. Until and unless
the civil war is ended, it is obvious that we cannot expect the end of
practice of forced labor by the Burmese army. In the context of the talks
between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and SPDC, which started in October last year,
we strongly believe that it is time for all conflicting parties to find
ways and means for confidence building, and further substantive political
dialogue. We call upon the Commission to encourage the SPDC to negotiate
a nationwide cease-fire with all ethnic armed groups, which is a vital
step for the end of forced labor and further the development of national
reconciliation process in Burma.</font>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Thank you, Mr. Chairman.</font></font>
<br>&nbsp;
<br>&nbsp;
<p>&nbsp;</html>

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