International Trade Unions condemne

[aungsan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: International Trade Unions condemned to the SLORC

This report include;

1 FTF and Civil Servant Confederation
2 PUBLIC SERVICES INTERNATIONAL (PSI), PSI TOKYO OFFICE
3 INTERCO / CFDT
4 CPSA (The Civil and Public Services Association)
5 TURKIYE GAGLIK ISCILERAL SENDIKASI GENEL BASKANLIGI

--------------------------------------------------------------

FTF and Civil Servant Confederation

1st July, 1997
96.11.06
AC/lao

General Than Shwe, Chairman
State Law & Order Restoration Council
197, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road
Bahan Post Office
Yangon, Union of Myanmar

Dear General,

Arrest of Trade Union Leaders

The FTF, Salaried Employees' and Civil Servants' Confederation
representing approx. 400,000 members, protests in the strongest possible
terms against the arrest, on 13 June, 1997 in Yangon of U Khin Kyaw and
U Myo Aung Thant, two Executive Committee Members of the Federation of
Trade Union-Burma (FTUB).

U Myo Aung Thant is a member of the All Petro-Chemical Corporation Union
since 1988. He was arrested on his return from Bangkok on 13th June at
Mingaladon airport, by officers of the National Intelligence Bureau
(NIB). His wife and children were also detained. Later that day, NIB
officials arrested U Khin Kyaw and his wife at their home. U Khin Kyaw,
is an official of the Seamen's Union of Burma, a member of the FUTB and
an ITF-affiliate of the International Transport Workers' Federation
(ITF). He was detained for trade union activities in 1993; after his
release by court order for lack of evidence, he was never compensated
for his arbitrary detention and his wife was sexually abused.

General, the arrest of trade union activists in retaliation for the
exercise of legitimate trade union activities is a flagrant violation of
internationally-guaranteed trade union rights, full respect of which is
binding on the Union of Myanmar by virtue of its membership in the
International Labour Organisation. As on of the prisoners has already
been tortured during a previous period of detention, the FTF further
consider both U Khin Kyaw and U Myo Aung Thant, as well as their
relatives detained with them, to be at grave risk of torture.

We thus urge you, General, to order the immediate and unconditional
release of our two detained colleagues and of all their relatives, and
request you to provide public guarantees that they have not and will not
be tortured during their detention.

Yours sincerely,


Sd xxxxxxx

Anker Christoffersen
President

-----------------------------------------------------
 
PUBLIC SERVICES INTERNATIONAL (PSI)
PSI TOKYO OFFICE
5TH FLOOR JICHIRO BLDG, 1 BOKUBANCHO,
CHNODA KU, TOKYO, JAPAN
PHONE.:  03-3234-3270
FAX.: 03-5275-5464

To: General Than Shwe,
Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council
192 Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Post office, Yangon
Union of Myanmar
Date: 30 June 1997

General Than Shwe,
Representing PSI Japanese Affiliates Coordinating Council, 1.3 million
public sector workers of 6 unions in Japan, I strongly urge you to do as
follows, since I have heard that our international trade union
colleagues of Myanmar, U Khin Kyaw and U Myo Aung Thant of the
Federation of Trade Union-Burma (FTUB), were arrested by your NIB
officials with their families;

1. to immediately and unconditionally release the two colleagues and
their families.
2. to provide public guarantees that they have not been and will not be
tortured during their detention.
3. to fully respect internationally-guaranteed trade union rights and
stop any oppression and harassment against free trade unionism within
Myanmar, in complying with ILO labour standards.


Yours sincerely,

Sd xxxxxxx
Morishigh Goto
Chairperson of PSI Japanese Affiliates Coordinating Council

All-Japan Prefectural and Municipal workers union (JICHIRO)
Japan General Federation of National Public services Employees
(KOKKO-SOREN)
All Japan Water Supply Workers Union (ZENSUIDO)
Labour Federation of Government Related Organizations (SEIROREN)
Japanese Confederation of National Tax Unions (KOKUZEI-ROSO)
All Japan Garrison Forces Labour Union (ZENCIIURO)
-------------------------------------------------------
 FEDERATION
INTERCO
CFDT

Ref.: YL/MPF/GnlTShwe
Ph. 01-40 40 85 50
Paris, June 30th 1997

General,

As members of Public Service International, we strongly protest against
the arrest of trade union activists.

This is a flagrant violation of internally-guaranteed trade union
rights, full respect of which is binding on the Union of Myanmar by
virtue of its membership in the International Labour Organisation.

Two trade-unionist known as U Khin Kyaw and U Myo Aung Thant, members of
the Executive Committee of the Federation of Trade Unions-Burma (FTUB),
have been arrested and are at grave risk of torture.

We thus urge to order the immediate and unconditional release of our two
detained colleagues and of all their relatives, and request you to
provide public guarantees that they have not and will not be tortured
during their detention.

Your sincerely,



Sd xxxxxxx

Alexis GUENEGO
General Secretary

General Than Shwe
Chairman of State Law and Order Restoration Council
192, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road
Yangon
Union of Myanmar
(BIRMANIE)

47/49, avenua Simon Bolivar 75950 Paris Cedex 19,
Tel.: 01 40 40 85 50 Fax: 01 42 06 86 86
------------------------------------------------------------
 National Union

July 27, 1997

General Than Shwe
Chairman of State Law and Order Restoration Council
192, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road
Bahan Post Office
Yangon
Union of Myanmar

Dear General Than Shwe,

Our National Union has heard, through international solidarity, of your
arrest on June 13, 1997, in Yangon of U Khin Kyaw and U Myo Aung Thant,
two Executive Committee Members of the Federation of Trade Unions-Burma
(FTUB).

General, the arrest of trade union activists in retaliation for the
exercise of legitimate trade union activities is a flagrant violation of
internationally guaranteed trade union rights, full respect of which is
binding on the Union of Myanmar by virtue of its membership in the
International Labour Organisation. As one of the prisoner has already
been tortured during a previous period of detention, the international
community considers both U Khin Kyaw and U Myo Aung Thant, as well as
their relatives detained with them, to be at grave risk of torture.

We thus urge you, General, to order the immediate and unconditional
release of our two detained colleagues and all of their relatives, and
request you to provide public guarantee that they have not and will not
be tortured during their detention. We must advise you that failure to
obtain their release would leave the PSI and its affiliate no choice but
to support the formal complaint against the Union of Myanmar at the
International Labour Office (ILO) to be lodged by the International
Federation of Free Trade Unions.

As an international affiliate of PSI, and on behalf of our over 300,000
members strong National Union, we will be watching your action closely.

Sincerely,

Sd xxxxxxx

James Clancy
National President

c.c ICFTU and PSI

e-mail: national@xxxxxxxx
 --------------------------------------------------------

CPSA
The Civil and Public Services Association
160 Faloon Road London SW11 2LN
Tel.: 0171-924 2727
Fax.: 0171-924 1847

BR/pkw
2 July 1997

General Than Shwe
Chairman of State Law and Order Restoration Council
192, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road
Bahan Post Office
Yangon
Union of Myanmar

Fax + 83 213 16

Dear General Than Shwe,

As general secretary of a major British trade union for civil servants,
which is also affiliated to Public Services International, I am writing
on behalf of our 120,000 members to protest in the strongest possible
terms against the arrest, on 13 June, in Yangon of U Khin Kyaw and U Myo
Aung Thant, two executive committee members of the Federation of Trade
Unions-Burma (FTUB).

The arrest of trade union activists in retaliation for the exercise of
legitimate trade union activities is a flagrant violation of
internationally guaranteed trade union rights, full respect of which is
binding on the Union of Myanmar by virtue of its membership in the
International Labour Organisation. As one of the prisoners has already
been tortured during a previous period of detention, we further consider
both U Khin Kyaw and U Myo Aung Thant, as well as relatives detained
with them, to be grave risk of torture.

We urge you, to order the immediate and unconditional release of our two
detained colleagues and of all their relatives, and request you to
provide public guarantees that they have not and will not be tortured
during their detention. I must advise you that failure to obtain their
release would leave us with no choice but to support, through our
affiliation to international labour organisations, the formal complaint
against the Union of Myanmar at the International Labour Office (ILO) to
be lodged by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.

Yours sincerely

Sd xxxxxxx

General Secretary

---------------------------------------------
 TURKIYE GAGLIK ISCILERAL SENDIKASI
GENEL BASKANLIGI
-----------------------------------
Yocetepe Hedel Sokak No.5 08580 - Anitiepe/Ankara
Tel. 231 80 45-46 	Fax. 230 23 96

General Than Shwe
Chairman of State Law and Order Restoration Council
192, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road
Bahan Post Office
Yangon
Union of Myanmar


Public Services International which represent 20 million public sector
workers through 481 affiliated unions in 131 countries around the world,
protest in the strongest possible terms against the arrest, on 13 June,
in Yangon of U Khin Kyaw and U Myo Aung Thant, two executive committee
members of the Federation of Trade Unions-Burma (FTUB).

U Myo Aung Thant is a member of the All Petro-Chemical Corporation Union
since 1988. He was arrested on his return from Bangkok on 13th June at
Mingaladon airport, by officers of the National Intelligence Bureau
(NIB). His wife and children were also detained. Later that day, NIB
officials arrested U Khin Kyaw and his wife at their home. U Khin Kyaw,
is an official of the Seamen's Union of Burma, a member of the FUTB and
an ITF-affiliate of the International Transport Workers' Federation
(ITF). He was detained for trade union activities in 1993; after his
release by court order for lack of evidence, he was never compensated
for his arbitrary detention and his wife was sexually abused.

The arrest of trade union activists in retaliation for the exercise of
legitimate trade union activities is a flagrant violation of
internationally guaranteed trade union rights, full respect of which is
binding on the Union of Myanmar by virtue of its membership in the
International Labour Organisation. As one of the prisoners has already
been tortured during a previous period of detention, PSI further
consider both U Khin Kyaw and U Myo Aung Thant, as well as relatives
detained with them, to be grave risk of torture.

We thus urge you, General, to order the immediate and unconditional
release of our two detained colleagues and all of their relatives, and
request you to provide public guarantee that they have not and will not
be tortured during their detention. We must advise you that failure to
obtain their release would leave the PSI and its affiliate no choice but
to support the formal complaint against the Union of Myanmar at the
International Labour Office (ILO) to be lodged by the International
Confederation of Free Trade Unions.

Yours sincerely,



President
Health Workers Union of Turkey