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[freeburma] Re: Letter to ILO Direc



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Re: Letter to ILO Director General

In my view, Bathaka is technically and strategically correct in urging the=
=20
ILO to take
action on Burma for its use of forced labour and,  as one of the=20
best-informed groups
in the business, to confirm that there has been no change in law or=
 practice.
Another expert body, the ICFTU, has certainly not been shy about making its=
=20
wishes
felt   -- see press  release enclosed, posted separately, and with other=20
items on the
ICFTU  website www.icftu.org

So far as the ILO is concerned, the systematic and widespread use of forced=
=20
labour in
Burma is an established fact  -- "res judicata". This was the judgement of=
=20
the  ILO
Commission of Inquiry,  which spent two years on the job, received more=20
than 10,000
pages of  written evidence from UN bodies and agencies, governments, NGOs,=
=20
experts
and individual victims, as well as videos, photos etc. It held=20
quasi-judicial hearings in Geneva to
which it invited a wide variety of people with knowledge of forced labour=20
in Burma (though
invited, the SPDC representatives failed to turn up). Denied permission to=
=20
carry out a fact-
finding mission in Burma, the  commissioners went instead  to Thailand,=20
India and  Bangladesh
where they made 246 interviews with refugees from Burma who had been=20
subject to forced labour.
A very thorough inquiry by a very senior judicial body.

If you haven't read the report, it's on
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/gb/docs/gb273/myanmar.htm
There are also French and Spanish versions on the website.

To read the ILC resolution, the debate that preceded the vote, and even the=
=20
voting record, see:
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc88/com-seld.htm

The ILO technical cooperation mission which has just come back from Rangoon=
=20
did not
have a fact-finding mandate. It started from the position established by=20
the Commission of
Inquiry that forced labour exists in Burma -- no more proof is needed.=20
Indeed, the very fact that
the mission was invited to Rangoon is an implicit recognition by the SPDC=20
that forced labour
exists, since the ILO was perfectly clear about the mission's terms of=20
reference. Its task was
to assist the "government" in any attempts it might be making to carry out,=
=20
before the deadline,
the recommendations  of the Commission of Inquiry to get rid of forced=20
labour in law and practice.
The mission's report should  be out in a few days.

If it finds that the SPDC has been making concrete efforts to carry out the=
=20
recommendations,
this is what it will tell the Director General and the Governing Body. If=20
it fails to find that the
required concrete and detailed action has been taken "to adopt the=20
necessary framework for
implementing the Commission of Inquiry's recommendations" then this is what=
=20
it will report.

What the Governing Body will do with the report and the abundance of=20
concrete and detailed
evidence of the continuation of forced labour received since June by the=20
ICFTU and submitted
to the ILO is another  matter. According to the Conference resolution (para=
=20
2), the measures
will take effect on 30 November, "unless, before that date, the Governing=20
Body is satisfied that the
intentions expressed by the Minister of Labour of Myanmar in his letter=20
dated 27 May have
been translated into a framework of legislative, executive and=20
administrative measures that
are sufficiently concrete and detailed to demonstrate that the=20
recommendations of the
Commission of Inquiry have been fulfilled and therefore render the=20
implementation of one
or more of these measures inappropriate".   (Note the words "concrete" and=
=20
"detailed", and
that the GB has to be "satisfied" -- not just "informed".)

The terms of the resolution seem very clear, but though there are some=20
constituencies
in and around the ILO which would want to implement the measures if the=20
conditions
are not met, there are others which would not.

The Western group of governments and the workers group are in favour of=20
strict adherence
to the terms of the resolution. Other governments and the employers group=20
are divided.
Some of the  positions are:

* "this regime only responds to strength, so implement the measures";

* "if the regime has taken no concrete action to halt forced labour and the=
=20
Governing
Body nonetheless decides to postpone or not to implement the measures,=20
the  ILO
will be so profoundly discredited and weakened that the Burmese junta and=20
other
regimes will know it is a toothless tiger and that they can get away with=20
anything --
so implement"

* "if the measures are implemented and do not work, the Article 33=20
procedure and the ILO
will be weakened, so do not implement";

* "if the measures are implemented, the regime will turn its back on the=20
ILO and other
international organisations and this will kill any hope there might have=20
been of gradual
improvement".

Some governments think that imposing the measures would be a bad precedent,=
=20
fearing
that they might be next in line. Others are doubtless anxious for their=20
corporations to get
in there and start making money -- they would also oppose implementation of=
=20
the measures.

There are probably numerous other variations paralleling "constructive=20
engagement" and the
opposition. It will be an interesting debate.

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

ICFTU ONLINE...Trade unions worldwide increase pressure on Burmese junta=20
31/10/00

Brussels October 31 2000 (ICFTU OnLine):

Stepping up its campaign for the elimination of forced labour in Burma, the=
=20
International
Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) has called for solidarity to=20
help ensure that
the International Labour Organisation (ILO) takes swift action against the=
=20
Burmese junta.
In an appeal issued last week to its membership, the ICFTU was clear that=20
the time has
come for Rangoon to take international warnings seriously.

Meeting in Geneva over the next two weeks, the Governing Body of the ILO=20
will decide
whether or not to put into action a Resolution on Burma adopted last June.=
=20
The Resolution
aimed at ensuring that the junta complies with recommendations by an ILO=20
Commission
of Inquiry into Burma=92s violations of the Forced Labour Convention (N=B0=
 29),=20
which it ratified in 1955.

The measures, if taken, would include calls for UN agencies, governments,=20
employers and other parties
concerned =93to review relations with Burma and cease any relations or=20
co-operation=94 with the regime which
might have the effect of encouraging forced labour in the country. In other=
=20
words, the measures would open
the way for economic pressure to be put on the junta, such as, for=20
instance, a ban on Burmese investments
by foreign companies, including multinationals.

The actions that ICFTU partners are invited to take, in close consultation=
=20
with the independent Federation of
Trade Unions - Burma (FTUB), include:

lobbying governments prior to the Governing Body=92s meeting (starting on 2=
=20
November);
organising a picket in front of Burmese embassies;
stepping up pressure on the SPDC - State Peace and Development Council,=20
official name of the junta - by
disrupting the supply of services to their embassy (e.g. mail, energy,=20
garbage collection, telecommunications);
=93Fax pickets=94: flooding the embassy=92s fax number with faxed protests=
=20
against forced labour in Burma;
=93Cyberpickets=94: sending repeated protest messages to the SPDC website.

Information on unions=92 initiatives will be soon featured prominently on=
 the=20
organisation=92s website. The ICFTU
has pledged it will regularly post fresh evidence on forced labour in the=20
run-up to the ILO=92s decision,
expected November 16.

The military junta has been under close observation by the ILO ever since=20
the ICFTU, the world=92s largest trade
union body, lodged a complaint in 1994 against the forced labour practices=
=20
regularly imposed in the country.
In 1996, the ILO appointed a Commission of Inquiry which found the use of=20
forced labour to be =93widespread
and systematic=94. Last June, the ILO gave Burma an ultimatum to comply with=
=20
Convention N=B0 29 by
implementing =93concrete legislative, executive and administrative=20
programmes=94 by November 30 or face
international action.

At Rangoon=92s invitation, an ILO technical co-operation mission visited=20
Burma last week to check upon the
regime=92s dubious efforts to comply with international norms. The ICFTU is=
=20
presently compiling evidence that
continuous and recent use of forced labour, backed up by hundreds of recent=
=20
=93forced labour orders=94, issued
by the local military commanders, is still common in Burma.

If the Governing Body of the ILO decides that no clear framework has been=20
adopted by the military, the
measures should follow. It would be a unprecedented step in the ILO=92s 81=
=20
years of existence and should
hopefully force Rangoon to reform its dictatorial practices against its own=
=20
population.

Burma campaign.

For more information, please contact the ICFTU Press
Department on +32 2 224 0212 or +32 476 62 10 18.

                     International Confederation of Free Trade
                                 Unions(ICFTU)
                  Boulevard du Roi Albert II, B1, B-1210 Brussels,
                          Belgium. For more information
                  please contact: Luc Demaret on: 00 322 224 0212
                                - press@xxxxxxxxx

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

At 05:24 PM 10/31/00 +0000, mo wrote:
>Heiko,
>
>Tell us where else can we get evidence from?  No one can go and record
>abuses in Burma!!!
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Heiko Schaefer <hes@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: <freeburma@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2000 2:16 PM
>Subject: [freeburma] Re: Letter to ILO Director General
>
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > in my understanding of international diplomacy, such letters are more
> > helping the junta in rangoon than the people. Only if such a letter
> > attached by a massive documentation it can effect, otherwise the ILO
> > will see it as an act of dicreditation. International Orgs are too
> > much easy to convince that something has changed. A letter by U Tin
> > Ngwe can be enough for them.
> >
> > Remember, the ILO wasn't monolithic in favour for sanctions on Burma.
> > Burma got a compromise.
> >
> > Regards
> > Heiko
> >
> > --- In freeburma@xxxxxxxxxxx, bakatha <bakatha@xxxx> wrote:
> > > H. E. Juan Somavia.
> > > Director General
> > > International Labour Organization
> > > (CH - 1211) Geneva 22
> > > Switzerland
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > From,
> > > Foreign Affair's Committee
> > > All Burma Federation of Student Unions.
> > > P.O Box (122)
> > > Mae Sot 63110
> > > Tak Province, Thailand
> > >
> > > Date: October 30, 2000
> > >
> > >
> > > Your Execellency,
> > >
> > > We, the Foreign Affairs' Committee of the All Burma Federation of
> > Student
> > > Unions strongly urge that the International Labor Organization take
> > action
> > > on the military regime of Burma for violating Convention on Forced
> > Labour
> > > (Convention 29, 1930).
> > >
> > > Although the junta government are saying that they changed their
> > policy of
> > > the Village and Towns Acts of 1907 / 1908" on 14, May, 1999, the
> > military
> > > is still using forced labor at the all levels of military and
> > > administration mechanism.
> > >
> > > Most of the renovations and construction sites of military projects
> > are
> > > continuos use the forced labor, the military columns use forced
> > porter and
> > > the violations of worker rights and forced labor still continue.
> > >
> > > We, the Foreign Affairs' Committee of All Burma Federation Student
> > Unions
> > > request the director general and ILO governing body to take strong
> > action
> > > on the military regime of Burma as it is refusing to comply with
> > the
> > ILO's
> > > most basic standards. We strongly urge the ILO to take action and
> > implement
> > > the June 2000 resolution, based on Art 33in the ILO convention.
> > >
> > > We, request all democratic organization and government to maintain
> > and
> > > intensify their efforts to bring democratic rule and an end to
> > forced labor
> > > in Burma.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Foreign Affairs' Committee
> > > All Burma Federation of Student Unions
> > >
> > >
> > **********************************************************************
> > ********************************************
> > > P. O . Box ( 122 )
> > > Mae Sod
> > > Tak Province , 631100 .
> > > Thailand .
> > >
> > > Tel : 66 - 55- 542 724 .
> > > Mob: 66 - 1- 6889221
> > > Fax: 66 - 55 - 542 724 .
> > > Email : bakatha @ cscoms.com .
> > >
> > >
> > **********************************************************************
> > ********************************************
> > > SAFEGUARD  STUDENT'S RIGHT.
> > > FIGHT FOR  ACADEMIC FREEDOM.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >

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<html>
Re: Letter to ILO Director General<br>
<br>
In my view, Bathaka is technically and strategically correct in urging
the ILO to take <br>
action on Burma for its use of forced labour and,&nbsp; as one of the
best-informed groups<br>
in the business, to confirm that there has been no change in law or
practice. <br>
Another expert body, the ICFTU, has certainly not been shy about making
its wishes <br>
felt&nbsp;&nbsp; -- see press&nbsp; release enclosed, posted separately,
and with other items on the <br>
ICFTU&nbsp; website
<a href=3D"http://www.icftu.org/"; eudora=3D"autourl">www.</a>icftu<a=
 href=3D"http://www.icftu.org/"; eudora=3D"autourl">.org</a><br>
<br>
So far as the ILO is concerned, the systematic and widespread use of
forced labour in <br>
Burma is an established fact&nbsp; -- &quot;res judicata&quot;. This was
the judgement of the&nbsp; ILO <br>
Commission of Inquiry,&nbsp; which spent two years on the job, received
more than 10,000&nbsp; <br>
pages of&nbsp; written evidence from UN bodies and agencies, governments,
NGOs, experts <br>
and individual victims, as well as videos, photos etc. It held
quasi-judicial hearings in Geneva to <br>
which it invited a wide variety of people with knowledge of forced labour
in Burma (though <br>
invited, the SPDC representatives failed to turn up). Denied permission
to carry out a fact-<br>
finding mission in Burma, the&nbsp; commissioners went instead&nbsp; to
Thailand, India and&nbsp; Bangladesh <br>
where they made 246 interviews with refugees from Burma who had been
subject to forced labour. <br>
A very thorough inquiry by a very senior judicial body.<br>
<br>
If you haven't read the report, it's on <br>
<a=
 href=3D"http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/gb/docs/gb273/myan=
mar.htm"=
 eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/gb/docs=
/gb273/myanmar.htm</a><br>
There are also French and Spanish versions on the website.<br>
<br>
To read the ILC resolution, the debate that preceded the vote, and even
the voting record, see:<br>
<font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times"><a=
 href=3D"http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc88/com-seld=
 .htm"=
 eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc=
88/com-seld.</a><a=
 href=3D"http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc88/com-seld=
 .htm" eudora=3D"autourl">htm<br>
<br>
</a></font>The ILO technical cooperation mission which has just come back
from Rangoon did not <br>
have a fact-finding mandate. It started from the position established by
the Commission of <br>
Inquiry that forced labour exists in Burma -- no more proof is needed.
Indeed, the very fact that <br>
the mission was invited to Rangoon is an implicit recognition by the SPDC
that forced labour <br>
exists, since the ILO was perfectly clear about the mission's terms of
reference. Its task was <br>
to assist the &quot;government&quot; in any attempts it might be making
to carry out, before the deadline,&nbsp; <br>
the recommendations&nbsp; of the Commission of Inquiry to get rid of
forced labour in law and practice. <br>
The mission's report should&nbsp; be out in a few days. <br>
<br>
If it finds that the SPDC has been making concrete efforts to carry out
the recommendations, <br>
this is what it will tell the Director General and the Governing Body. If
it fails to find that the<br>
required concrete and detailed action has been taken &quot;to adopt the
necessary framework for <br>
implementing the Commission of Inquiry's recommendations&quot; then this
is what it will report.&nbsp; <br>
<br>
What the Governing Body will do with the report and the abundance of
concrete and detailed<br>
evidence of the continuation of forced labour received since June by the
ICFTU and submitted<br>
to the ILO is another&nbsp; matter. According to the Conference
resolution (para 2), the measures <br>
will take effect on 30 November, &quot;unless, before that date, the
Governing Body is satisfied that the <br>
intentions expressed by the Minister of Labour of Myanmar in his letter
dated 27 May have <br>
been translated into a framework of legislative, executive and
administrative measures that <br>
are sufficiently concrete and detailed to demonstrate that the
recommendations of the <br>
Commission of Inquiry have been fulfilled and therefore render the
implementation of one <br>
or more of these measures inappropriate&quot;.&nbsp;&nbsp; (Note the
words &quot;concrete&quot; and &quot;detailed&quot;, and <br>
that the GB has to be &quot;satisfied&quot; -- not just
&quot;informed&quot;.) <br>
<br>
The terms of the resolution seem very clear, but though there are some
constituencies <br>
in and around the ILO which would want to implement the measures if the
conditions <br>
are not met, there are others which would not. <br>
<br>
The Western group of governments and the workers group are in favour of
strict adherence<br>
to the terms of the resolution. Other governments and the employers group
are divided. <br>
Some of the&nbsp; positions are: <br>
<br>
* &quot;this regime only responds to strength, so implement the
measures&quot;; <br>
<br>
* &quot;if the regime has taken no concrete action to halt forced labour
and the Governing <br>
Body nonetheless decides to postpone or not to implement the measures,
the&nbsp; ILO <br>
will be so profoundly discredited and weakened that the Burmese junta and
other <br>
regimes will know it is a toothless tiger and that they can get away with
anything -- <br>
so implement&quot; <br>
<br>
* &quot;if the measures are implemented and do not work, the Article 33
procedure and the ILO <br>
will be weakened, so do not implement&quot;; <br>
<br>
* &quot;if the measures are implemented, the regime will turn its back on
the ILO and other<br>
international organisations and this will kill any hope there might have
been of gradual <br>
improvement&quot;. <br>
<br>
Some governments think that imposing the measures would be a bad
precedent, fearing <br>
that they might be next in line. Others are doubtless anxious for their
corporations to get <br>
in there and start making money -- they would also oppose implementation
of the measures. <br>
<br>
There are probably numerous other variations paralleling
&quot;constructive engagement&quot; and the <br>
opposition. It will be an interesting debate. <br>
<br>
******************************<br>
<br>
ICFTU ONLINE...Trade unions worldwide increase pressure on Burmese junta
31/10/00 <br>
<br>
Brussels October 31 2000 (ICFTU OnLine):<br>
<br>
Stepping up its campaign for the elimination of forced labour in Burma,
the International<br>
Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) has called for solidarity to
help ensure that<br>
the International Labour Organisation (ILO) takes swift action against
the Burmese junta.<br>
In an appeal issued last week to its membership, the ICFTU was clear that
the time has<br>
come for Rangoon to take international warnings seriously.<br>
<br>
Meeting in Geneva over the next two weeks, the Governing Body of the ILO
will decide<br>
whether or not to put into action a Resolution on Burma adopted last
June. The Resolution <br>
aimed at ensuring that the junta complies with recommendations by an ILO
Commission<br>
of Inquiry into Burma=92s violations of the Forced Labour Convention (N=B0
29), which it ratified in 1955.<br>
<br>
The measures, if taken, would include calls for UN agencies, governments,
employers and other parties<br>
concerned =93to review relations with Burma and cease any relations or
co-operation=94 with the regime which<br>
might have the effect of encouraging forced labour in the country. In
other words, the measures would open<br>
the way for economic pressure to be put on the junta, such as, for
instance, a ban on Burmese investments<br>
by foreign companies, including multinationals.<br>
<br>
The actions that ICFTU partners are invited to take, in close
consultation with the independent Federation of<br>
Trade Unions - Burma (FTUB), include:<br>
<br>
lobbying governments prior to the Governing Body=92s meeting (starting on 2
November);<br>
organising a picket in front of Burmese embassies; <br>
stepping up pressure on the SPDC - State Peace and Development Council,
official name of the junta - by<br>
disrupting the supply of services to their embassy (e.g. mail, energy,
garbage collection, telecommunications);<br>
=93Fax pickets=94: flooding the embassy=92s fax number with faxed protests
against forced labour in Burma;<br>
=93Cyberpickets=94: sending repeated protest messages to the SPDC
website.<br>
<br>
Information on unions=92 initiatives will be soon featured prominently on
the organisation=92s website. The ICFTU<br>
has pledged it will regularly post fresh evidence on forced labour in the
run-up to the ILO=92s decision,<br>
expected November 16.<br>
<br>
The military junta has been under close observation by the ILO ever since
the ICFTU, the world=92s largest trade<br>
union body, lodged a complaint in 1994 against the forced labour
practices regularly imposed in the country. <br>
In 1996, the ILO appointed a Commission of Inquiry which found the use of
forced labour to be =93widespread <br>
and systematic=94. Last June, the ILO gave Burma an ultimatum to comply
with Convention N=B0 29 by <br>
implementing =93concrete legislative, executive and administrative
programmes=94 by November 30 or face<br>
international action.<br>
<br>
At Rangoon=92s invitation, an ILO technical co-operation mission visited
Burma last week to check upon the<br>
regime=92s dubious efforts to comply with international norms. The ICFTU is
presently compiling evidence that<br>
continuous and recent use of forced labour, backed up by hundreds of
recent =93forced labour orders=94, issued<br>
by the local military commanders, is still common in Burma.<br>
<br>
If the Governing Body of the ILO decides that no clear framework has been
adopted by the military, the<br>
measures should follow. It would be a unprecedented step in the ILO=92s 81
years of existence and should<br>
hopefully force Rangoon to reform its dictatorial practices against its
own population.<br>
<br>
Burma campaign.<br>
<br>
For more information, please contact the ICFTU Press<br>
Department on +32 2 224 0212 or +32 476 62 10 18.<br>
<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
International Confederation of Free Trade<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&n=
bsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Unions(ICFTU) <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Boulevard du Roi Albert II, B1, B-1210 Brussels,<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Belgium. For more information<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
please contact: Luc Demaret on: 00 322 224 0212<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&n=
bsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
- press@xxxxxxxxx <br>
<br>
***********************************<br>
<br>
At 05:24 PM 10/31/00 +0000, mo wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=3Dcite cite>Heiko,<br>
<br>
Tell us where else can we get evidence from?&nbsp; No one can go and
record<br>
abuses in Burma!!!<br>
<br>
----- Original Message -----<br>
To: &lt;freeburma@xxxxxxxxxxx&gt;<br>
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2000 2:16 PM<br>
Subject: [freeburma] Re: Letter to ILO Director General<br>
<br>
<br>
&gt; Hi,<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; in my understanding of international diplomacy, such letters are
more<br>
&gt; helping the junta in rangoon than the people. Only if such a
letter<br>
&gt; attached by a massive documentation it can effect, otherwise the
ILO<br>
&gt; will see it as an act of dicreditation. International Orgs are
too<br>
&gt; much easy to convince that something has changed. A letter by U
Tin<br>
&gt; Ngwe can be enough for them.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Remember, the ILO wasn't monolithic in favour for sanctions on
Burma.<br>
&gt; Burma got a compromise.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Regards<br>
&gt; Heiko<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; --- In freeburma@xxxxxxxxxxx, bakatha &lt;bakatha@xxxx&gt;
wrote:<br>
&gt; &gt; H. E. Juan Somavia.<br>
&gt; &gt; Director General<br>
&gt; &gt; International Labour Organization<br>
&gt; &gt; (CH - 1211) Geneva 22<br>
&gt; &gt; Switzerland<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt; From,<br>
&gt; &gt; Foreign Affair's Committee<br>
&gt; &gt; All Burma Federation of Student Unions.<br>
&gt; &gt; P.O Box (122)<br>
&gt; &gt; Mae Sot 63110<br>
&gt; &gt; Tak Province, Thailand<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt; Date: October 30, 2000<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt; Your Execellency,<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt; We, the Foreign Affairs' Committee of the All Burma Federation
of<br>
&gt; Student<br>
&gt; &gt; Unions strongly urge that the International Labor Organization
take<br>
&gt; action<br>
&gt; &gt; on the military regime of Burma for violating Convention on
Forced<br>
&gt; Labour<br>
&gt; &gt; (Convention 29, 1930).<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt; Although the junta government are saying that they changed
their<br>
&gt; policy of<br>
&gt; &gt; the Village and Towns Acts of 1907 / 1908&quot; on 14, May,
1999, the<br>
&gt; military<br>
&gt; &gt; is still using forced labor at the all levels of military
and<br>
&gt; &gt; administration mechanism.<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt; Most of the renovations and construction sites of military
projects<br>
&gt; are<br>
&gt; &gt; continuos use the forced labor, the military columns use
forced<br>
&gt; porter and<br>
&gt; &gt; the violations of worker rights and forced labor still
continue.<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt; We, the Foreign Affairs' Committee of All Burma Federation
Student<br>
&gt; Unions<br>
&gt; &gt; request the director general and ILO governing body to take
strong<br>
&gt; action<br>
&gt; &gt; on the military regime of Burma as it is refusing to comply
with<br>
&gt; the<br>
&gt; ILO's<br>
&gt; &gt; most basic standards. We strongly urge the ILO to take action
and<br>
&gt; implement<br>
&gt; &gt; the June 2000 resolution, based on Art 33in the ILO
convention.<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt; We, request all democratic organization and government to
maintain<br>
&gt; and<br>
&gt; &gt; intensify their efforts to bring democratic rule and an end
to<br>
&gt; forced labor<br>
&gt; &gt; in Burma.<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt; Foreign Affairs' Committee<br>
&gt; &gt; All Burma Federation of Student Unions<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt;
**********************************************************************<br>
&gt; ********************************************<br>
&gt; &gt; P. O . Box ( 122 )<br>
&gt; &gt; Mae Sod<br>
&gt; &gt; Tak Province , 631100 .<br>
&gt; &gt; Thailand .<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt; Tel : 66 - 55- 542 724 .<br>
&gt; &gt; Mob: 66 - 1- 6889221<br>
&gt; &gt; Fax: 66 - 55 - 542 724 .<br>
&gt; &gt; Email : bakatha @ cscoms.com .<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt;
**********************************************************************<br>
&gt; ********************************************<br>
&gt; &gt; SAFEGUARD&nbsp; STUDENT'S RIGHT.<br>
&gt; &gt; FIGHT FOR&nbsp; ACADEMIC FREEDOM.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt;</blockquote></html>

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