"Free Burmese Unionist" Supported b (r)

[osolnick@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

INTERNATIONAL  DEPARTMENT	
HISTADRUT-GENERAL FEDERATION OF LABOUR IN ISRAEL

July 27,1998.




Senior General Than Shwe
Prime Minister
SPDC
Rangoon
Thc Union of Burma



Dear Prime Minister,


The Histadrut, General Federation of Labour in Israel, representing the
Israeli workers remains extremely concerned at the continuing detention of
U Khin Kyaw and U Myo Aung Thant, leaders, respectively, of the Seafarers'
Union of Burma and of the All-Burma Petrol Chemical Corporation Union, both
affiliated with the Federation of Trade Unions- Burma(FTUB).

U Myo Aung Thant was sentenced to 10 years in jail in addition to life
imprisonment for high treason while U Khin Kyaw is still being detained
without trial. ICFTU, the International Confederation of Free Trade Union,
organization that Histadrut is affiliated, representing over 125 million
workers worldwide, has last year reported their case to the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights Special Rapporteur on Torture after receiving
credible evidence that the two union officials had been tortured and
ill-treated in detention.

The Histadrut calls for thc unconditional re1ease of U Myo Aung Thant, U
Khin Kyaw and their families as well all other trade union activists
currently detained in Burma, and the immediate cessation of all acts of
intimidation, threats and house arrest against labour rights' activists.


Yours sincerely,

Chairman            



Histardrut BLDG.. 7 Beit Hadius ST., 95 483 Jerusalem, ISRAEL., Tel,
972-2-6589868 FAX. 972-2-6526781