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Warning to Burmese sailors



Received: (from strider) by igc4.igc.apc.org (8.6.12/Revision: 1.15 ) id SAA25618 for conf:reg.burma; Tue, 31 Oct 1995 18:08:29 -0800
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 1995 18:08:29 -0800


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STRANDED BURMESE SAILORS

>From Anna Allott, Sorbrook Mill, Bodicote, Banbury, Oxon OX15 4AU
Phone 01295 720 142 Fax 01295 721 664

TO ALL CONCERNED WHO MAY BE ABLE TO HELP

31 October 1995

It has just come to my notice that a group of six Burmese seamen are at
present stranded penniless in the port of ROUEN in northern France. 
This has come about because the vessel, MT Stainless Glory, on which
they form part of the crew, was put under arrest by the ITF
(International Transport Federation) for failure to pay the crews wages
since March of this year.  The boat has been tied up in Rouen since 21
May.  The ship's owners, ADRIATIC TANKERS, a Greek owned company, have
not paid the crew for eight months.  Apparently this company is
notorious for being badly run and for late payment of its crews in this
way.  It is very likely that the company will soon collapse entirely and
cease to be able to operate. 

What has happened so far is roughly as follows: When the ship docked at
Rouen in May, the crew refused to unload the cargo as they had received
no wages since boarding.  The French consignee was anxious to unload the
valuable chemical cargo and finally agreed, after some delay, to pay a
sum in advance to the master of the ship to cover part of the crew's
wages, and the cargo was unloaded.  Most of the Korean crew returned
home, but a skeleton crew of 6 Burmese, 3 Russians and the Korean master
(and his wife) remain on board.  The money thus raised from the
consignee by unloading the cargo ghas been used by the captain to pay
the crew enough to be able to buy food for themselves until now. the
quantity of food they are able to buy with the money given to the by the
captain keeps them from starving but is far from adequate.  They are now
living on rice and sardines. 

The skeleton crew must consitnue to live on board the vessel in order to
maintain their claim against the company for their outstanding wages. 
However the boat is not able to start up its engines and so has no
electric power, and thus they have no lighting, heating, hot water, or
possibility of watching TV. 

The crew have been advised by the ITF to stay on board for as long as
possible in the hope of extracting the money owed to them by the
company. If the Adriatic Tankers company finally collapses, its assets,
i.e. its vessels, will have to be sold to repay the mortgagor bank/.  In
this case, the crew would receive their back pay and money for
repatriation.  But this may take many more months. 

By the end of November it will be very cold on the boat.  I have been
told that at th emoment they have enough warm clothing (given to them by
the local seamens' centre) but their diet is inadequate and they are
worried for their families back in Burma who will be experiencing
hardship as the expected regular remittances of money have not been
arriving for the last six months. (I know that at least one of the
sailors has three young children). 

They can be written to c/o

The International Seafarers Centre
MT 'Stainless Glory'
Rue Duguay Trouin
7600 Rouen
France

or phoned on Wednesdays and Sundays when they are at the centre (Ask for
2nd Engineer Kyaw Win).  Tel 35 70 02 94 Fax 35 07 12 65

The English Port Chaplain at the seamans club in Rouenm, Reverend Andrew
Marks, who has been of great help to them, can be contacted on his
direct line 35 70 51 63. 

They may in a short while be obliged to ask for financial help just to
get back home.  But at the moment, the best help you can give them would
be to find a friendly English-speaking lawyer in Rouen or Paris who
would be able to ensure that they do not leave the boat without lodging
a correct claim for all the money due to them.  the services of a French
lawyer could/would be expensive. Also, donations of money, or even
Burmese food, would be welcome and encouraging. 

Please contact me for further information.  I am in touch with officials
at the ITF HQ in London who are fully aware of the situation and very
helpful. Worldwide publicity in the Far east and South East Asia to warn
AT
seamen to avoid service on this shipping line is needed. 

Anna Allott



**************

  Strider adds,

   There is a Seaman's union for Burmese merchant sailors.  The 
Seaman's union is a part of the Federation of Trade Unions-Burma and 
can offer some protection and help to seaman who get in trouble 
abroad.  It is limited in what it can do because trade unions are 
banned and actively suppressed by the SLORC, but as it operates outside 
the country, it has more freedom of action than any other underground 
union.  On the off chance that any Burmese seaman are on the net and 
want information about the FTUB, please contact them.  I'll also 
forward Anna Allott's request for help to them.

   --Strider