ILO revives sanctions threat against Myanmar

Nov 19 (AFP) - The International Labour Organisation on Friday warned Myanmar's government that it was ready to revive sanctions, after the agency concluded that the military junta had shown little political will to stop forced labour.

The ILO's governing body decided late Thursday to send a high-level delegation to evaluate the military junta's commitment to work with the international community on the issue, officials said.

The mission will report back to the governing body's next meeting in March 2005, which will then "draw the appropriate consequences," the ILO's Myanmar liaison officer, Richard Horsey, said.

It will "either return to special measures which were taken against Myanmar in 2000, or on the other hand go ahead with the plan of action against forced labour," he added.

Horsey said the recent ousting of premier Khin Nyunt last month had "left a certain number of questions about the continued willingness of the Myanmar government to tackle this very serious problem".

The ILO's governing body took the unprecedented step of recommending the measures -- trade and other sanctions -- in 2000 because of a lack of cooperation by Myanmar authorities in tackling rampant forced labour.

Although the sanctions remain legally in force, the UN's labour agency adopted a wait-and-see approach after Myanmar agreed to discuss a plan of action against forced labour and to allow an ILO official into the country.

"Now the question is to send a signal that this process of dialogue and cooperation has not produced the required impact," Horsey said.

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