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19 November, 2000As the widespread use of forced labour continues, the ILO takes unprecedented action by invoking Article 33 of its Constitution.
BURMA: The International Labour Organisation's 56-member Governing Body, made up of 28 governments, 14 trade unions and 14 employers, overwhelmingly voted on November 16, 2000, to take action to compel the ruling military regime of Burma (Myanmar) to abolish the use of forced labour. Voting against the ILO decision were Russia, China, Malaysia and India. The ILO Forced Labour Convention, No. 29, dating from 1930, was ratified by Burma in 1955.
In 1998, an ILO Commission of Inquiry made formal Recommendations after finding that forced labour was "wipespread and systematic" in this Southeast Asian nation. Then, in June this year, the International Labour Conference adopted a resolution aimed at obliging the Burmese regime to comply with Convention No. 29, allowing it a grace period til the end of November to take the necessary action to stop this practice.
As there was no evidence that Burma had complied with the Commission of Inquiry's Recommendations, the resolution under the never-before invoked Article 33 of the ILO Constitution, providing for a series of measures to be taken, will go into effect on November 30. The ILO will urge other international organisations as well as governments and private companies - including oil companies and tour operators - to review their relations with Burma to ensure they do not support or condone forced labour.
Questioned if Burma's national media and citizens were being informed of supposed government directives against the use of forced labour, the astounding reply of the military junta was that there was no point in providing the information to the media "since many Burmese people are illiterate and too poor to own radios."
According to a report of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, despite the ILO Resolution, over one million Burmese citizens today are still subjected to forced labour, mainly on construction sites, railways, military installations and construction of tourist infrastructure.
In 1998, an ILO Commission of Inquiry made formal Recommendations after finding that forced labour was "wipespread and systematic" in this Southeast Asian nation. Then, in June this year, the International Labour Conference adopted a resolution aimed at obliging the Burmese regime to comply with Convention No. 29, allowing it a grace period til the end of November to take the necessary action to stop this practice.
As there was no evidence that Burma had complied with the Commission of Inquiry's Recommendations, the resolution under the never-before invoked Article 33 of the ILO Constitution, providing for a series of measures to be taken, will go into effect on November 30. The ILO will urge other international organisations as well as governments and private companies - including oil companies and tour operators - to review their relations with Burma to ensure they do not support or condone forced labour.
Questioned if Burma's national media and citizens were being informed of supposed government directives against the use of forced labour, the astounding reply of the military junta was that there was no point in providing the information to the media "since many Burmese people are illiterate and too poor to own radios."
According to a report of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, despite the ILO Resolution, over one million Burmese citizens today are still subjected to forced labour, mainly on construction sites, railways, military installations and construction of tourist infrastructure.