Mizzima: Burma junta hit back the W

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Burma junta hit back the Western nations on ILO resolution

New Delhi, June 16, 2000
Mizzima News Group (http://www.mizzima.com)

The military junta in Burma has rejected the ILO?s resolution on Burma
as ?politically motivated and spearheaded by a group of Western nations?
and vowed not to bow down to outside political pressure.

Burmese foreign ministry issued a press release yesterday that the ILO
resolution is ?unfair and unjust and the process flawed? and it totally
rejects the resolution.

The ILO?s Burma resolution, adopted by the International Labour
Conference on June 14 in Geneva, demanded the ruling military junta
comply with its recommendation to put an end to forced labour, failing
which the country will face punitive actions by the international
community.

The resolution has given the Burmese junta five months to take concrete
measures bringing its laws and administrative measures into line with
international conventions banning forced labour or face sanctions.

The Junta?s release said that the ILO resolution was ?a blatant misuse
by the Western industrialized countries of the tripartite nature of the
ILO and the measures in the resolution far exceeded the authority of the
ILO under its Constitution".

The press release further said ?It was a sad day for the ILO and a
sadder day for the developing countries that are the member States of
the organization. Today Myanmar (Burma) is singled out for censure and a
punitive action in an arbitrary manner. Tomorrow it may be another
developing country?.

Burma junta has been consistently saying that practices of forced labour
do not exist in the country and necessary administrative, executive and
legislative measures are being implemented to prevent the use of forced
labour.

Government delegates from India, China, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia,
Philippines, Cuba, Pakistan and some other Asian countries voted against
the resolution but it was adopted by overwhelming 257 votes.