Myanmar junta says UN labour resolution ‘politically motivated’

BANGKOK – Myanmar’s ruling military on June 7 hit back at a United Nations resolution aimed at curbing labour violations in the war-torn nation, calling it “politically motivated”.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) on June 5 invoked Article 33 of its Constitution, which could see sanctions imposed against the military authorities, which seized power in a 2021 coup.

The United Nations’ labour agency said countries should ensure their relations with Myanmar “in no way enable, facilitate or prolong the violations of workers’ rights in respect of freedom of association and forced labour”.

It called on international bodies to “report any activities... directly or indirectly enabling or abetting” labour violations under Myanmar’s junta government.

On June 7, Myanmar’s Labour Ministry released a statement saying the resolution had been adopted “without due partiality and fairness” and was based on “politically motivated approaches”.

A UN investigation into Myanmar in October 2023 urged the country’s military rulers to end forced labour in the army and to halt all violence against trade unionists.

It found far-reaching violations of international forced labour and freedom of association conventions in the South-east Asian nation.

The resolution adopted on June 5 at the ILO’s 113th International Labour Conference in Geneva said Myanmar’s military authorities had not indicated “any sign of meaningful acknowledgement” of the 2023 report’s recommendations.

Myanmar said it had been “actively implementing” the recommendations and had made “continuous progress”, and accused the ILO of “turning a blind eye” to its efforts.

The International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific said it was the third time in the ILO’s century-long history that Article 33 had been invoked.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the

military ousted democratically elected civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi

in a February 2021 coup. AFP