LOC15:39
12:39 GMT
GENEVA, Sept 19 (KUNA) -- The International Labour Office (ILO) called upon
the government of Myanmar to immediately release Burmese labor activist U Thet
Way, who was sentenced to a two-year hard labor.
The ILO Governing Body has been watching this case with interest and in
March of this year expressed the expectation that he would retain his freedom.
This expectation was reconfirmed by the 97th Session of the International
Labor Conference in June of this year.
The case has been the subject of direct discussion with the Government at a
senior level.
U Thet Way has facilitated the lodging of complaints on behalf of victims
of forced labor including underage recruitment to the army, many of which have
been successfully resolved.
This is fully in line with the Supplementary Understanding in force between
the ILO and the Government of Myanmar.
This conviction raises the question of honoring the Supplementary
Understanding between the Government of Myanmar and the ILO.
The Supplementary Understanding provides full protection from prosecution
and retaliation for persons making or supporting complaints of forced labour
including underage recruitment.
The charge on which he was sentenced may formally be unrelated to his
ILO-related activities; two further charges with direct links to the ILO were
withdrawn before final sentencing.
The sentence given is heavy and the maximum permissible under the law.
The ILO cannot but consider that the sentence imposed is related to U Thet
Way's role in complaining on forced labor practices. (end)
hn.mt
KUNA 191539 Sep 08NNNN