[RE: UA-112-2004: BURMA: Complaints against forced labour blocked and victims punished issued on 3 September 2004]
Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is happy to inform you that on 31 January 2005 the Kawmhu Township court sentenced four local officials to prison terms of 8–16 months for using forced labour in public development projects. This is an unprecedented breakthrough in forced labour cases in Burma, as it is the first instance of government officials being found guilty of imposing forced labour.
According to the information received, the Kawmhu Township court sentenced Sein Paw to 16 months in jail, while Kyaw Thin, Myint Thein and Aung Khin were given 8-month sentences in two separate cases filed by villagers in the township in mid 2004.
The AHRC previously issued an urgent appeal regarding Sein Paw–Chairman of the Tanmanaing Village Tract Peace and Development Council–and Kyaw Thin–the Officer in Charge of 10-house section, Tanmanaing village: a woman attempting to take a complaint of forced labour to the court against these two officials, in accordance with national law, was facing obstacles and accused of defaming the authorities. (See further: UA-112-2004)
Aung Khin is the head of a village council and Myint Thein a council member of another village in the Kawmhu Township, where villagers complained of being forced to work on a road construction project under threat of punishment. Kawmhu is in the Yangon Division, about 50 kilometers south of the capital.
An earlier success in a forced labour case in Burma was that two villagers jailed for criminal defamation after attempting to take complaints of forced labour to the courts, were released. (Reference: UP-64-2004) These recent developments emphasize that consistent actions will eventually build a movement that can bring about change. The AHRC thanks you for your support in these cases and urges you to continue writing and raising awareness of the relevant issues in your local forums.
Burma has been accused by many governments and human rights groups of its widespread use of forced labor, especially for public work projects such as road building. Concerning this, in 2000, the governing body of the International Labor Organization (ILO) took the step of recommending its member countries to impose trade and other sanctions on Burma because of the lack of cooperation by its authorities in tackling rampant forced labor and removing the impunity granted to those who are involved in the practice.
Please continue to send letters regarding the case of Ma San San Aye and Ma Aye Mi San, about whom nothing has been heard since they were sentenced to four years’ hard labour for making a complaint of being raped by a local official (UA-40-2004).
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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