Ministers defend Myanmar, reject trade link to labor standards<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Southeast Asian labor ministers urged
\nthe International Labor Organization (ILO) on Friday not to
\npunish Myanmar over forced labor, saying it is doing all it can
\nto stamp out the practice.<\/p>\n
Ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
\n(ASEAN), winding up a two-day meeting, also reiterated opposition
\nto any linkage between trade and labor standards.<\/p>\n
They said the global economic slowdown threatens to undermine
\nthe region's recovery from the 1997\/98 financial crisis and
\ncalled for their countries' workforces to move up-market to
\nreduce vulnerability to downturns.<\/p>\n
The labor ministers' meeting was the first since the ILO voted
\nin November for sanctions against Myanmar, citing evidence of
\nforced labor, including the military forcing civilians to work as
\nporters in mine-strewn insurgency zones.<\/p>\n
The Geneva-based ILO has urged all 175 member nations to
\nimpose sanctions and review their dealings with Myanmar to ensure
\nthey are not abetting forced labor. But the body left it up to
\nindividual governments, organizations and labor unions to
\ndetermine what they will do.<\/p>\n
\"The ASEAN position is that the Myanmar government has
\nimplemented various steps both in terms of issuing directives and
\nlegislative action to resolve the problem,\" said Malaysian Human
\nResources Minister Fong Chan Onn.<\/p>\n
\"They have assured other members they are working as hard as
\nthey could (to resolve the problem).<\/p>\n
\"So we hope the ILO will view these actions positively and
\nsupport the Myanmar government in resolving this problem and will
\nnot subject its people to any punitive action,\" Fong told a press
\nconference.<\/p>\n
Myanmar's government last year issued a decree making forced
\nlabor illegal.<\/p>\n
But the New York-based Human Rights Watch alleged that the
\ndecree was issued only to avoid international criticism and cited
\nrefugees who claimed the practice still existed.<\/p>\n
Myanmar has long been assailed by the United Nations and
\nWestern nations for suppression of democracy and its human rights
\nrecord, which includes the use of unpaid civilian labor on
\ninfrastructure projects.<\/p>\n
Ministers from the 10-member ASEAN on Friday met their
\ncounterparts or senior officials from Japan, China and South
\nKorea.<\/p>\n
The ASEAN ministers asked the East Asians \"to give their
\nsupport in seeking the understanding of the ILO\" on the forced
\nlabor issue when the labor body meets next month.<\/p>\n
Asked how improvements in Myanmar can be verified, Fong said
\nthe ILO had sent two missions and he felt it could send more if
\nnecessary.<\/p>\n
Fong also said ministers noted an \"increasing tendency\" by
\ninternational organizations to link labor standards to trade. He
\nsaid ministers accepted that labor conditions should be improved.<\/p>\n
\"But linking the two together would impose a burden on some of
\nthe other (ASEAN) countries who are still not in a position to
\ncomply.\"<\/p>\n
Ministers noted that Southeast Asia's traditional cheap labor
\nadvantage is being eroded in the era of new economies and said
\nthe region must now work on upgrading skills.<\/p>\n
This should also become part of a strategy to cope with
\neconomic downturns, they said.<\/p>\n
Efforts to narrow the digital divide, expand education in
\ninformation and communications technologies and continuously
\nupgrade workforce skills \"would enhance the long-term
\ncompetitiveness of the region and reduce its vulnerability to
\neconomic downturns.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ministers-defend-myanmar-reject-trade-link-to-labor-standards-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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