Forced Labour Continues in Myanmar

Celebrating its fortieth anniversary, ASEAN recently signed a landmark charter, which will turn the regional grouping into a legal entity.

But to the dismay of many observers, the ASEAN leaders threw a protective shield around Myanmar's junta by omitting to provide an official mechanism for enforcing human rights in the new charter.

The charter does, however, commit signatories to the "promotion and protection of human rights".

Little pressure

Ever since its brutal crackdown on protesting monks and dissidents in September, the regime has been under pressure to introduce democratic reforms. ASEAN, however, has failed to advocate harsh punitive measures.

Hosting the ASEAN meeting, Singapore's president Lee Hsien Long implied the junta could take its time.

"National reconciliation means opening a meaningful dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD (National League for Democracy). It means releasing political detainees, including Aung San Suu Kyi. It means moving forward to achieving a peaceful transition to democracy and to addressing the economic hardships of the population of Myanmar," he said.

"So there's no ambiguity as to what needs to be done in the view of most of the ASEAN leaders. But Myanmar has explained that their approach is a seven step roadmap and that is the way their government sees it."

Minimum labour rights

So it's business as usual at ASEAN. But what about the "economic hardships" of Myanmar's people and their labour rights?

The Geneva-based International Labour Organisation (ILO) says there is a systematic violation of fundamental labour rights in Myanmar. It deplores the widespread use of forced labour and the denial of freedom of association.

Kami Papiola an executive director at the ILO says Myanmar is treated as a special case: "What we have focused on is the use of forced labour. Forced labour is systematically used by the state. It is used by the military and the civilian authorities, which are all under the control of the military anyway, for infrastructure projects."

Men, women and even children in rural and ethnic areas in particular have been forced over the years to work on farms and building sites, even though Myanmar is a signatory of the 1930 Forced Labour Convention, which obliges it to eliminate all forms of forced labour.

No trade unionism

Activists who complain are usually harshly punished and there is no legally-functioning trade union organisation in Myanmar at the moment.

"There are trade union organisations in exile," explained Mr Papiola. "There have been attempts to organise or to discuss trade union matters. Young people who have been involved have been given long prison sentences."

The ILO has asked for a review of the sentences and for the release of activists, as well as for a clear statement by the junta that forced labour is prohibited in Myanmar. However, Mr Papiola said that so far there had been little significant progress.

ASEAN encompasses 550 million people in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar.