Forced Labor Conviction Sends “Important Signal,” Says ILO

The recent conviction of two Burmese government officials o­n forced labor charges sent out an “important signal,” according to the representative in Burma of the International Labour Organization.

“This can, I hope, send an important signal to those individuals who continue to impose forced labor, that forced labor is illegal and they can be held accountable,” Richard Horsey, the UN agency’s liaison officer in Rangoon, told The Irrawaddy. He was commenting o­n the conviction and imprisonment of two officials who had forced villagers to repair a road.

The court’s judgment, sentencing the two men each to six months’ imprisonment, follows an agreement in February between the ILO and the Burmese junta allowing victims of forced labor to lodge complaints with the organization with no fear of reprisals.

“It is certainly a welcome and positive development that such a mechanism has now been established,” Horsey said.

The state-run daily The New Light of Myanmar reported that villagers had filed a complaint o­n February 26 alleging that Nyo Toke, chairman of the local Peace and Development Council in Aunglan Township, and another official, Mya Hlaing, had forced villagers to repair a road. A court in Aunglan convicted the two o­n February 28.

The government also announced that it had fired o­ne of its officials, two foresters and two forest rangers who had also forced villagers to build a road and cut firewood.

“Myanmar [Burma] is cooperating with international organizations to exercise international norms o­n forced labor,” said The New Light of Myanmar, adding that the “The Ministry of Home Affairs has released orders and directives to prohibit forced labor.”

The ILO has long accused Burma of violating the organizations’ Convention 29 o­n forced labor. Late last year, the Geneva-based organization hardened its stance, warning the government that it might take Burma before the International Court of Justice if the regime refused to abolish the practice. The ILO last week postponed referring Burma to the ICJ in response to the junta’s recent decision to cooperate in tackling the forced labor issue.

Meanwhile, a relief group that assists displaced Burmese people, the Free Burma Rangers, recently released a report charging that the Burmese Army had forced more than 200 people from 12 villages in February to provide trucks and move supplies from Mawchi camp to Busakee camp, in the Bawgali Gyi area of Pegu Division. The ILO office in Rangoon had no comment to make o­n the report.