ACV-CSCIASIA.ORG, JAKARTA – Commemorating the third anniversary of the military takeover of Myanmar, the International Labor Organization calls for the release of trade union leaders and all those unjustly detained. Deep concern was expressed over the increasing erosion of civic space and trade union rights in the country.
On the third anniversary of the military takeover in Myanmar, ILO Director General Gilbert F. Houngbo repeated his call for the immediate release of all people detained for exercising civil liberties and committing acts of violence. prohibit legitimate trade union activities.
“Myanmar’s future prosperity depends on a peaceful transition to fully democratic rule, starting with the release of all unjustly imprisoned people. There will be no future for the Myanmar people if they are not firmly embedded in the social order. the justice they so richly deserve,” he said.
The Director General highlighted the case of Thet Hnin Aung, Secretary General of the Myanmar Crafts & Industrial Services Workers’ Union Federation (MICS-TUsF) who was reportedly sentenced to seven years in prison at the end of 2023 after completing his previous sentence.
“The sentence against Thet Hnin Aung is a very concerning case. The ongoing erosion of civic space and trade union rights in Myanmar, as highlighted in the recent ILO Commission of Inquiry report, is unacceptable. Hnin Aung and all those detained for carrying out legitimate trade union activities will not be forgotten,” Houngbo added.
The Thet Hnin Aung case was specifically discussed in the ILO Commission of Inquiry (CoI) report on Myanmar. This CoI was established by the ILO Governing Body in March 2022 tasked with assessing reports of violence against trade union leaders, serious and repeated violations of basic civil liberties, and the rise in forced labor again.
The detention of Thet Hnin Aung, as well as ongoing actions that undermine the civil liberties of trade union leaders and members, and weaken the labor movement, will inform the CoI’s follow-up report at the ILO Governing Body session in March 2024.