H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon
Secretary General
United Nations
No. 1 UN Plaza, N.Y., N.Y.
United States
By telefax: +1 212 963 4879
TUR/JW-JK
27 August 2007
Developments in Burma (Myanmar)
Secretary General
On behalf of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the 168 million working men and women whom it represents through its 305 affiliates in 153 countries and territories, I am writing to request your urgent and personal intervention to secure a United Nations Security Council meeting regarding the crisis instigated by the military regime in Burma (Myanmar). You may recall that, when the Security Council decided to place the situation in Burma (Myanmar) as a permanent item on its agenda, less than one year ago, this move was strongly supported by the International Trade Union Confederation and its affiliated organisations in many countries around the world, including several Permanent Members of the Council. The ITUC, which enjoys General Consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, strongly believes that the latest developments in the country warrant a responsible, coordinated international response. We therefore urge you to step forward and encourage the Council to meet and formulate such a response.
As an international trade union organisation, the ITUC is of course directly concerned with the situation of Burma’s working men and women. The Burmese military regime’s recent quintupling of fuel prices without any forewarning is a staggering blow to the Burmese economy and is crippling the lives of workers. Many cannot even afford the basic transportation they need to go to and from their workplaces, and the price of basic cooking fuel is now beyond reach for many. As you know, this was the primary reason for the recent protests on the streets of the capital, Rangoon (Yangon).
At the same time, however, it has not escaped our attention that these protests later developed into democracy marches, supported by various sectors of Burmese society, including the democracy activists’ group the “88 Generation Students”. The ITUC was appalled at the subsequent arrests of at least 13 members of this group, including Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi and many other democracy leaders and activists engaged in a peaceful demonstration. According to the latest reports, at least 65 people are being detained and interrogated. In addition to those already mentioned, several members of the National League for Democracy have been arrested, as well as U Myint Aye, the leader of the Human Rights Promoters and Defenders association. We are equally concerned at reports that the Burmese military has apparently deployed troops, supported by heavy, armoured equipment in various parts of the capital and other places in the country, in what can only be seen as a threat to use overwhelming military force in order to crush peaceful civilian protests.
In such a situation, the ITUC can only repeat its earlier calls on the United Nations Security Council to demonstrate its leadership by developing a firm, convincing and coordinated international response to the situation in Burma. A lack of leadership by the Council could only result in a further deterioration of the situation. We were encouraged when we saw the statement issued on your behalf on 23 August about the current situation. But developments on the ground clearly call for additional action. We strongly believe it is within your power and mandate, as Secretary General, to ask the Security Council to meet as a matter of urgency in order to discuss the situation in Burma. We urge you to exercise your authority without delay to this effect.
The ITUC itself will call on its affiliated organisations throughout the world, including in current Member countries of the Council, to request their respective Governments to relay to you the international union movement’s concerns regarding these matters.
Yours sincerely,
SHARAN BURROW
PRESIDENT
PRÉSIDENTE
PRÄSIDENTIN
PRESIDENTA
GUY RYDER
GENERAL SECRETARY
SECRÉTAIRE GÉNÉRAL
GENERALSEKRETÄR
SECRETARIO GENERAL
September 2nd, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Kindly allow me to add the US lawmakers’ request for UNSC action_
WASHINGTON (AFP) —UN Security Council action sought over Myanmar crackdown
US lawmakers on Wednesday called on President George W. Bush’s administration to demand an urgent UN Security Council meeting on the Myanmar military junta’s crackdown on dissent.
Senior lawmakers from the House of Representatives and the Senate wrote to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking her to press for such a meeting.
“We strongly urge you to send a letter to the President of the Security Council requesting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to expeditiously provide a complete briefing to the Security Council,” Tom Lantos, the Democratic head of the House’s foreign relations committee, and four other lawmakers from the chamber wrote.
A similar call was made in a separate letter to the chief US diplomat by the Senate’s Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and senior Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein.
“The current situation in Burma merits a strong and meaningful response by our government,” they said.
The lawmakers welcomed the Bush administration’s swift condemnation of the Myanmar junta’s “brutal behavior” as well as similar condemnations from France and Britain — two other permanent members of the Security Council — along with Canada, Sweden, Ireland, Denmark, the European Union, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“However, at this critical juncture, words of support from the world’s democracies are not enough,” McConnell and Feinstein said. “The matter needs to be addressed by the UN Security Council.”
Tom Casey, a State Department spokesman, said earlier Wednesday that Washington expected discussions on Myanmar in the Security Council as well as during the upcoming meetings of the General Assembly.
With full bipartisan support from Congress, the United States has led a diplomatic drive to place the Myanmar issue on the permanent agenda of the UN Security Council.
“We must avail ourselves of this diplomatic forum; the brave people of Burma deserve no less,” Lantos and the other House legislators said.
Read more http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gf1qrrZTE1NYuRLuCNTZRUmqvNRw