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Statement
by His Excellency U Wunna Maung Lwin, Ambassador/Permanent Representative of
the Union of Myanmar on the report of the Committee on the Freedom of
Association at the 301st Session of the ILO Governing Body
(
Mr. Chairman,
I
thank you for giving me the floor.
Mr. Chairman,
My delegation is taking the floor to express our observation on the
Report of the Committee on the Freedom of Association which contains,
inter alia, the complaint against the Government of
the Union of Myanmar.
In
The
Government of Myanmar made two Announcements on 9th February 2008.
Announcement No. 1 / 2008 stipulates the holding of a National
Referendum in May 2008 to seek approval of the State Constitution.
Announcement No. 2 / 2008 provides the time
frame for holding of the multi-party democracy general elections in
2010 in accordance with State Constitution.
The State Constitution has been drafted based on the fundamental basic
principles and detailed basic principles adopted by the National Convention on
3 September 2007. The right of the
citizens to express freely their convictions and opinions, to assemble
peacefully and to form associations and unions
and to prohibit any form of
forced labour are enshrined in the newly drafted State Constitution.
It shows the prominent evidence of the Myanmar Government’s political
will for the application of the ratified Convention No. (29) and Convention
No.(87).
The necessary measures are being undertaken by the Government for
protection of the workers' right
and for establishing the workers' organization at the respective industrial
zones.
Mr. Chairman,
With regard to the six persons including
Thurein Aung, I would like to inform the house that according to the
information received from capital, the Supreme Court of the Union of Myanmar
will review their cases.
According to the Convention No. (87), we understand that the Committee
of the Freedom of Association has to deal with the specific issues of the
workers and employers. Since the
said six persons are neither workers nor work at any factory or workplace, I
wish to state that their cases should not be brought up to the Governing Body.
They
were arrested not for holding May Day event but for breaching of the existing
laws and for their involvement in unlawful activities and attempted terrorist
acts in the country.
There were many May Day events
held nationwide by various organizations but no one was arrested for holding
those events.
I would like to state that legal actions were taken against them
because they had violated the existing laws of
They
were taking instructions, training and financial assistance from the
Federation of Trade Union of Burma (FTUB) which is an exile terrorist group
notified as unlawful association by the Government, to incite the general
public to create instability in the country.
We
have firm evidence for bombings and terrorist acts in the country masterminded
and carried out by FTUB.
Mr. Chairman,
Myanmar Government is combating terrorism in accordance with the
International Convention for Suppression of Terrorism we have signed.
In accordance with the International Convention for the
Suppression of Terrorist Bombing and International Convention for the
Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, the Ministry of Home Affairs of the
Government of the Union of Myanmar issued the Notification No. 3 / 2005 on 28
August 2005 declared the FTUB as an unlawful association.
Based upon concrete evidence of terrorist acts in the country by this
group, further Notification No. 1 / 2006 of 12 April 2006 has been issued by
the Ministry of Home Affairs announcing FTUB as the terrorist group.
In
fact, FTUB does not represent any workers of
I
thank you Mr. Chairman.
