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Mizzima: HMS urges Government to ta
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HMS urges Government to talk Burmese junta on forced labor tussle -
Burmese exiles celebrate May Day
New Delhi, May 1, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)
Showing solidarity with the Burma Campaign called by the International
Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), the Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS)
has condemned the Burmese military junta for continued use of forced
labor in the country and urged the Government of India to take up the
forced labor issue with the junta there.
The HMS, which claims to have more than four million memberships from
2300 trade unions all over India, expressed its concern over the
?persistent? violations of human rights and trade unions rights by the
Burmese junta. It has also urged all units and affiliated unions in
India to protest against the violations of trade union rights in Burma
on their May Day programs.
Last year, the HMS-affiliated Calcutta Port Shramik Union activists and
dockworkers blocked the entry of two Burmese ships in the Calcutta Port
for several hours in protest against the suppression of trade union
rights in Burma.
The Brussels-based International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
(ICFTU) is organizing an International Day of Union Action for Burma
today (May Day) to pressurize the national and multinational companies
to stop doing with the business in Burma. ?(I)t is impossible to
maintain business relations with Burma without directly or indirectly
supporting forced labor in Burma?, said the ICFTU.
It said that over 800,000 Burmese women and men, in all age, are subject
to forced labor everyday and any attempt to carry out trade union
activity in the country is savagely repressed by the military junta.
Interestingly, trade union of the ruling political party of India, the
Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), voted against the Burma resolution of the
International Labor Organization in June last year. The ILO?s resolution
demanded the Burmese junta to end forced labor in the country or face
stringent worldwide actions. Similarly, in July last year, the Indian
government banned a trade union meeting planned to be held in Calcutta
by the Asia-Pacific Regional Organization of ICFTU in support of
democracy in Burma.
Burmese exiles organize May Day programs
In New Delhi, about 25 Burmese pro-democracy activists gathered at Burma
Community Resource Centre in Vikas Puri this morning and celebrated the
May Day, highlighting the situation of workers in the country.
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<center><b><font color="#0000FF"><font size=+1>HMS urges Government to
talk Burmese junta on forced labor tussle -</font></font></b>
<br><b><font color="#0000FF"><font size=+1>Burmese exiles celebrate May
Day</font></font></b></center>
<p><b><font color="#990000"><font size=+1>New Delhi, May 1, 2001</font></font></b>
<br><b><font color="#990000"><font size=+1>Mizzima News Group (<a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>www.mizzima.com</a>)</font></font></b>
<p><font size=+1>Showing solidarity with the Burma Campaign called by the
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), the Hind Mazdoor
Sabha (HMS) has condemned the Burmese military junta for continued use
of forced labor in the country and urged the Government of India to take
up the forced labor issue with the junta there.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The HMS, which claims to have more than four million memberships
from 2300 trade unions all over India, expressed its concern over the ?persistent?
violations of human rights and trade unions rights by the Burmese junta.
It has also urged all units and affiliated unions in India to protest against
the violations of trade union rights in Burma on their May Day programs.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Last year, the HMS-affiliated Calcutta Port Shramik Union
activists and dockworkers blocked the entry of two Burmese ships in the
Calcutta Port for several hours in protest against the suppression of trade
union rights in Burma.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The Brussels-based International Confederation of Free
Trade Unions (ICFTU) is organizing an International Day of Union Action
for Burma today (May Day) to pressurize the national and multinational
companies to stop doing with the business in Burma. ?(I)t is impossible
to maintain business relations with Burma without directly or indirectly
supporting forced labor in Burma?, said the ICFTU.</font>
<p><font size=+1>It said that over 800,000 Burmese women and men, in all
age, are subject to forced labor everyday and any attempt to carry out
trade union activity in the country is savagely repressed by the military
junta.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Interestingly, trade union of the ruling political party
of India, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), voted against the Burma resolution
of the International Labor Organization in June last year. The ILO?s resolution
demanded the Burmese junta to end forced labor in the country or face stringent
worldwide actions. Similarly, in July last year, the Indian government
banned a trade union meeting planned to be held in Calcutta by the Asia-Pacific
Regional Organization of ICFTU in support of democracy in Burma.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Burmese exiles organize May Day programs</font>
<p><font size=+1>In New Delhi, about 25 Burmese pro-democracy activists
gathered at Burma Community Resource Centre in Vikas Puri this morning
and celebrated the May Day, highlighting the situation of workers in the
country.</font>
<p> </html>
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