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THAILAND BLOCKS ICFTU CONFERENCE ON
- Subject: THAILAND BLOCKS ICFTU CONFERENCE ON
- From: darnott@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 21 May 1999 09:03:00
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INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS (ICFTU)
ICFTU OnLine...
101/990521/JK
Thailand blocks conference on democracy in Burma
Brussels, May 21 1999 (ICFTU OnLine): The Brussels-based International
Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) has strongly reacted to
Thailand's authorities' decision to ban an international trade union
conference on "Democracy for Burma" which was to take place in Bangkok from
24 to 26 may 1999. "The attitude of the Thailand government clearly shows
that commercial and other vested interests take precedence over basic human
and trade union rights", the ICFTU said.
The Conference was aimed at showing international trade union solidarity
with the people and workers of Burma and at devising a global strategy to
restore democracy and ensure respect for human and trade union rights in the
country. The agenda included testimonies and eye-witnesses accounts of
anti-union repression as well as reports on the widespread use of forced
labour in the country. The conference was to have been attended by some 130
participants from a wide range of countries both inside and outside of Asia.
At the same time, and only days after the ICFTU issued a 15-page report
bringing new evidence on forced labour in Burma, which prompted several
hostile reactions from the Rangoon junta, the UN's International Labour
Organisation (ILO) just published its own findings.
The ICFTU conference in Bangkok would have coincided with the publication of
the new ILO report, which should renew a call by the UN agency for Burma to
comply with the recommendations of an ILO Commission on Inquiry, which last
year accused the junta of direct participation in and control of a
near-slavery state-system of abuse.
Meanwhile, the ICFTU has also written to the European Union to "express its
indignation in the strongest possible terms" that the Thai government had
banned it from holding its conference in Bangkok. In a letter sent today to
EU Commission Vice-President Manuel Marin, the ICFTU general Secretary Bill
Jordan called on the European Union to raise the issue of its cancelled
conference "at the highest level in the course of its meeting with its ASEAN
partners", next week in Bangkok. Noting also the "perfunctory regrets
expressed today in Bangkok by the EU Ambassador", Mr. Jordan expressed the
hope that the EU would "formally and forcefully express its condemnation of
the Thai authorities' decision."
In a related development, the ICFTU today blasted the Burmese junta for its
announcement last week that it had allegedly scrapped colonial-era
legislation which authorised forced labour, purportedly in order to comply
with demands formulated last year by the International Labour Organisation.
Last Saturday, the junta said it had scrapped provisions of the infamous
Villages and Towns Acts, inherited from British rule and allowing for the
imposition of forced labour on civilians. Describing the reported legal
changes as "not even qualifying for the term 'cosmetic'", the ICFTU said
"the SPDC's manoeuvre is nothing but one more crude and childish attempt at
deception of the international community, aimed at defusing rising anger at
Burma's poor labour rights' record amongst ILO constituents". The
organisation added that the new ILO report which was released today totally
confirms the ICFTU allegations.
The ICFTU groups 213 national trade union centres in 143 countries
representing 124 million workers world-wide.
Contact: ICFTU-Press at: ++32-2 224.02.12 (Brussels). For more information,
visit our website at: (http://www.icftu.org).
Internet ProLink PC User
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<html>
<br>
<br>
INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS (ICFTU)<br>
<br>
ICFTU OnLine... <br>
101/990521/JK<br>
<br>
Thailand blocks conference on democracy in Burma<br>
<br>
Brussels, May 21 1999 (ICFTU OnLine): The Brussels-based International
<br>
Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) has strongly reacted to <br>
Thailand's authorities' decision to ban an international trade union
<br>
conference on "Democracy for Burma" which was to take place in
Bangkok from <br>
24 to 26 may 1999. "The attitude of the Thailand government clearly
shows <br>
that commercial and other vested interests take precedence over basic
human <br>
and trade union rights", the ICFTU said.<br>
<br>
The Conference was aimed at showing international trade union solidarity
<br>
with the people and workers of Burma and at devising a global strategy to
<br>
restore democracy and ensure respect for human and trade union rights in
the <br>
country. The agenda included testimonies and eye-witnesses accounts of
<br>
anti-union repression as well as reports on the widespread use of forced
<br>
labour in the country. The conference was to have been attended by some
130 <br>
participants from a wide range of countries both inside and outside of
Asia.<br>
At the same time, and only days after the ICFTU issued a 15-page report
<br>
bringing new evidence on forced labour in Burma, which prompted several
<br>
hostile reactions from the Rangoon junta, the UN's International Labour
<br>
Organisation (ILO) just published its own findings. <br>
<br>
The ICFTU conference in Bangkok would have coincided with the publication
of <br>
the new ILO report, which should renew a call by the UN agency for Burma
to <br>
comply with the recommendations of an ILO Commission on Inquiry, which
last <br>
year accused the junta of direct participation in and control of a <br>
near-slavery state-system of abuse. <br>
<br>
Meanwhile, the ICFTU has also written to the European Union to
"express its <br>
indignation in the strongest possible terms" that the Thai
government had <br>
banned it from holding its conference in Bangkok. In a letter sent today
to <br>
EU Commission Vice-President Manuel Marin, the ICFTU general Secretary
Bill <br>
Jordan called on the European Union to raise the issue of its cancelled
<br>
conference "at the highest level in the course of its meeting with
its ASEAN <br>
partners", next week in Bangkok. Noting also the "perfunctory
regrets <br>
expressed today in Bangkok by the EU Ambassador", Mr. Jordan
expressed the <br>
hope that the EU would "formally and forcefully express its
condemnation of <br>
the Thai authorities' decision."<br>
<br>
In a related development, the ICFTU today blasted the Burmese junta for
its <br>
announcement last week that it had allegedly scrapped colonial-era <br>
legislation which authorised forced labour, purportedly in order to
comply <br>
with demands formulated last year by the International Labour
Organisation. <br>
Last Saturday, the junta said it had scrapped provisions of the infamous
<br>
Villages and Towns Acts, inherited from British rule and allowing for the
<br>
imposition of forced labour on civilians. Describing the reported legal
<br>
changes as "not even qualifying for the term 'cosmetic'", the
ICFTU said <br>
"the SPDC's manoeuvre is nothing but one more crude and childish
attempt at <br>
deception of the international community, aimed at defusing rising anger
at <br>
Burma's poor labour rights' record amongst ILO constituents". The
<br>
organisation added that the new ILO report which was released today
totally <br>
confirms the ICFTU allegations.<br>
<br>
The ICFTU groups 213 national trade union centres in 143 countries <br>
representing 124 million workers world-wide. <br>
Contact: ICFTU-Press at: ++32-2 224.02.12 (Brussels). For more
information, <br>
visit our website at:
(<a href="http://www.icftu.org/"; eudora="autourl"><font color="#0000FF"><u>http://www.icftu.org</a></font></u>).<br>
<br>
<div>Internet ProLink PC User</div>
</html>
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