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ICFTU OnLine - Burma Conference ban



 INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS (ICFTU)
 
 ICFTU OnLine
 134/990702/DD
 
 Indian Government bans Burma democracy conference for political reasons
 
 Brussels July 2 1999 (ICFTU OnLine): The Indian government has admitted
 that it is banning a conference on Democracy for Burma as 'too political'.
 It obviously felt that holding an international trade union conference,
 (scheduled for July 6 - 8), to which exiled Burmese trade unionists were
 invited, would have offended the army generals now running Burma.
 
 The decision followed a move by the Indian government to make it
 "mandatory" for all voluntary organisations to get clearance from the
 Ministry of External Affairs if they intend to organise events in which
 there are foreign participants. In addition, all foreigners participating
 in events organised by voluntary organisations have to get clearance from
 the Home Ministry if the event "appears to be Government/politically
 sensitive." According to a government notification, the ICFTU Conference
 falls into that category.
 
 "The stand taken by the Indian government is a slur on its credibility as
 the world's supposedly largest democracy" said the International
 Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) one of the Burma conference
 organisers.   An earlier attempt to organise the ICFTU Conference in
 Thailand also failed following a ban by the authorities in Bangkok.
 
 Burma has a recent history of severe trade and human rights abuses,
 including arbitrary imprisonment, murder, rape and torture and the
 widespread use of forced labour. Two weeks ago the International Labour
 Conference in Geneva agreed to the de facto expulsion of Burma, because of
 the government's systematic forced labour practices. The decision followed
 a joint proposal submitted and adopted by government, trade union and
 employers' delegates, asking the ILO to refuse Burma all technical
 assistance and to ban the country's representatives from attending its
 meetings
 
 Earlier in June, the ICFTU provided fresh evidence that more than three
 quarters of a million people are being used as slave labour on projects
 run by the generals, much of it for personal profit. So far, no-one
 involved in the use of forced labour, which the International Labour
 Office last year described as a crime against humanity, has been
 prosecuted.
 
 "That the Indian government can refuse to allow a conference which
 discusses forced labour and other human rights issues in Burma, because of
 fear of offending its perpetrators, and can make it difficult for any
 organisation to organise events which it deems "politically sensitive" is
 a menacing sign for those working to promote peace, justice and social
 progress in the region" said the ICFTU.
 
 For further information, please contact the ICFTU Press Office on: (+32-2)
224  0212
 


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