The National League for Democracy
No 67/B, West Shwegondine Street
Bahan Township, Rangoon

Statement on World Labor Day

Today, 1 May 2005, marks the 105th anniversary of May Day, or World Labor Day.

Based on the occasion of this World Labor Day, nations all over the world led by superpowers founded the International Labor Organization (ILO) on the principle that universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon socioeconomic justice. The United States and the USSR also joined the organization. Members of the United Nations, including Burma, became members of the ILO.

The ILO has:

1. The ILO Constitution, and
2. Labor Conventions which were passed at ILO conferences. Out of these conventions, ILO members have to agree to abide by 19 conventions.

Although previous governments in the democracy era adhered to the conventions that had been signed, it is no longer the case today. Workers have lost security of tenure and socioeconomic justice has disappeared.

Hence, the situation in Burma today has deteriorated to its lowest level with regard to (a) ILO's Convention 29 which concerns forced labor, and (b) Convention 87 which deals with Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize. Burma, a signatory to both the conventions, also does not strictly abide by the other conventions it has signed.

In order to stop the practice of forced labor in Burma, the 87th conference of the ILO in 1999 passed a resolution urging Burma to abolish the Towns Act (108) and Village Act (107) and also decided to send ILO delegations to investigate the matter. Accordingly, ILO teams came to conduct some investigations and found that forced labor practices continued to exist in the country and that Order No 1/99 had been issued not to exercise the provisions of the Towns Act (108) and the Village Act (107) but that laws were in fact still in force. Not satisfied with the situation, the ILO's 88th Conference decided to take action against Burma under Article (33) [ Failure to carry out recommendations of Commission of Inquiry ] of its constitution. The recommendations passed were:

1. The Organization's constituents as a whole – governments, employers and workers – are to review the relations they may have with Burma and take appropriate measures to ensure that the country cannot take advantage of such relations to perpetuate or extend the system of forced or compulsory labor;
2. To invite the Director-General to inform international organizations to reconsider any cooperation they may be engaged in with Burma and to cease any activity that could have the effect of directly or indirectly abetting the practice of forced or compulsory labour; and
3. To invite the Director-General to request the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to place an item on the agenda of its July 2000 session concerning the failure of Burma to implement the recommendations contained in the report of the Commission of Inquiry, or by the General Assembly, or by both, to governments and to all other specialized UN agencies to cease any activity that could have the effect of directly or indirectly abetting the practice of forced or compulsory labour.

Subsequently, since the Burmese authorities said that they wanted to fully cooperate with the ILO, an ILO liason was opened in Rangoon in October in accordance with decision made by the ILO in May 2002. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights has also passed a resolution on the elimination of forced labor practices in Burma.

However, as forced labor continues to be practiced throughout the country by the military, township, ward, and village authorities, the ILO liaison office in Rangoon is said to have indirectly intervened in six cases and is in the process of working on 50 other cases.

Since, ILO's Convention 29 dealing with forced labor practices and Convention 87 which concerns Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize continue to be violated in Burma, we call on the ILO to take action against the Government of Burma under Article (33) of the ILO Constitution. We also urge the Burmese authorities to stop undermining the worthy labor traditions that were once in place in Burma and to halt the forced labor practices while endeavoring to strengthen the market economy through democratic means and without worsening the labor-employer relations.

Decision on the statement was made at the Central Executive Committee meeting on 21 April 2005.

Central Executive Committee
National League for Democracy
Rangoon
The eighth waning moon of Tagu, 1367
(1 May 2005)

Distributed by the Information Committee of the NCGUB (Unofficial Translation)