"Forum for Strategic Consultation of the Exiled Burmese Government and Democratic Organizations"

"It is time that the UN take effective decisions on Burma" said Dr. Sein Win, Prime Minister of National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, the Government in exile in an interview with La Stampa in Turin today.

"We also hope that on the occasion of his visit to Rome, the UN Secretary General can discuss with the Italian Government the best strategy for positive conclusions of the next 26th July Ecosoc discussion on forced labour in Burma and for creating the conditions for the Security Council to put Burma on its agenda".

The Prime minister in exile with over 50 parliamentarians and democratic organization leaders from Burma are currently hosted by CISL the Italian trade Union Confederation, for a week in Turin for the “Forum for Strategic Consultation of the Exiled Burmese Government and Democratic Organizations” at the ILO Training Centre in Turin.

The aim of the Forum is to update the political strategy to promote democracy in Burma, respect for human and labour rights, and for the liberation of political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, under house arrest since ten years.

Burma is unfortunately a country governed by a military dictatorship which uses widespread forced labour, violence, arbitrary detentions, forced relocation, child soldiers to maintain its power.

Hundreds of thousands of people of all ages are still being seized today and forced to work without payment under the threat of weapons, rape, and deportation. Whole villages are burned, and harvested crops are confiscated. Burma continues to be the world's primary exporter of methamphetamines, second producer of opium, first-ranking country for child soldiers, and third-to-last country for freedom of the press. The Forum of parliamentarians opened with the renewed commitment to request that the UN Security Council put the Burmese question on the agenda, because the military dictatorship is placing the regional and international stability at risk. All the required criteria for an analysis by the UN Security Council are, unfortunately, present in Burma : the denial of the democratic election results, the violation of human rights, conflict with ethnic nationalities, the flight of millions of persons to neighbouring countries and their request for refugee status, a widespread presence of HIV-AIDS, and environmental disasters.

The democratic organizations, are also asking for a pronouncement by the International Court of Justice on the violation of the Forced Labour Convention, for governments and businesses to revise their economic and commercial relations with Burmese government and military-owned enterprises. These enterprises, are design by the junta to draw considerable economic resources, and to launder drug traffic profits.

The Forum was opened by Sen. Giorgio Tonini, Deputy Chairman of the Italian Senate's Foreign Commission.

On 13 July there will be an open day of discussion with the institutions, political forces, and UN organizations present in Turin:

ILO, UN Staff College, UNICRI. Participating in the proceedings will be the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs Sen. Vernetti, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Commission Sen. Dini, CISL General Secretary Raffaele Bonanni, UN Staff College Director Staffan De Mistura, UNICRI Director Gioacchino Polimeni, ILO, Vice President of the European Parliament Luigi Cocilovo, and a representative of the Community of Sant'Egidio.