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Opposition radio reports Rangoon pa



BBC Summary of World Broadcasts
March 26, 2001
SECTION: Part 3 Asia-Pacific; SOUTHEAST ASIA; INDONESIA; FE/D4104/S1

Opposition radio reports Rangoon paper on measures to resist sanctions

SOURCE: Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese 1245 gmt 22 Mar 01

Text of report by Burmese opposition radio on 22 March

The SPDC [State Peace and Development Council] Foreign Ministry
has issued a secret White Paper to defend the action by the International
Labour Organization, ILO, over the SPDC's use of forced labour and its
ramifications. The White Paper includes detailed plans to entice and
organize the domestic workforce and to export Burmese products through
Malaysia and Singapore when international sanctions come into effect.
The White Paper was submitted to top SPDC leaders at the end of
last year and DVB [Democratic Voice of Burma] has obtained a copy
of the White Paper.

The White Paper forewarned the SPDC leaders that Western nations
and private organizations fully exploiting the ILO's resolution will
categorically impose sanctions against Burma. The Foreign Ministry
also recommended that Burma should take appropriate measures
domestically to withstand and retaliate such actions.

The first recommendation is that although the Burmese government
has tuned down relations with the ILO, the Burmese government
delegation should continue attending the ILO meetings otherwise the
exiled Burmese group FTUB [Federation of Trade Unions, Burma]
will take its place.

According to the second recommendation, if international economic
sanctions are imposed Burmese produce should be exported to third
countries via Singapore and Malaysia. At the same time, it is
recommended that border trade should be extended from now as
international port workers could call a strike anytime and refuse to
handle any freight concerning Burmese exports. Therefore Burmese
export products should be properly packed into containers so that
stevedore independent mechanized freight handling systems could be
utilized. It is also recommended that the trading companies should be
given the responsibility to pack the produce into containers by including
it in the trade agreement.

Last year, the Indian Workers Union members staged a strike and
refused  to unload the cargo from the SPDC's Burma Five Star Line
freighter so the ship was held up at the Indian port for more than 24
hours. To avoid such incidents in the future the paper suggested that
Burma should woo port workers from India, Japan, Bangladesh and
South Korea where Burmese products are regularly exported.

The ILO passed a resolution condemning Burma's use of forced
labour and urged member countries to review its policy towards
Burma. The UN Economic and Social Council will discuss the ILO
sanction at its July Conference. If the case is discussed at the meeting
then the SPDC's forced labour issue will become a focal point not only
of ILO but the UN as well. Thus, in its fourth recommendation the paper
suggested that Burma should approach the 54 member nations of the
UN Economic and Social Council.

In its recommendation to entice and organize the domestic workforce,
the paper cited that the ILO sanctions against Burma was because of
anti-government organizations' propaganda. It said if international
sanctions are imposed the workers will become jobless and the people
will suffer and the blame should fall on anti-government groups. Moreover,
workers should be persuaded to sign protest letters against the ILO
sanctions and the letters should be forwarded to the ILO Headquarters in
Geneva.

The SPDC government did not mention that the ILO sanction was
because of its use of forced labour but cited it as an attempt by the ILO
to exert political pressure on Burma by not following the meeting
procedures. The White Paper finally urged the need for Burma to
stop the use of forced labour in accord with the ILO's resolution.