World

Myanmar junta gives 2 year hard labour to activist

by Amitjha | September 19, 2008 at 04:39 am

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Thet Way , a labour activist in Myanmar, is known for work in the field of child labour, child soldier and forced labour.Thet Way is prosecuted for complaining to ILO regarding the role of Junta in forced labour.This is one other incident of high handedness of junta in dealing with human rights issue.Myanmar is under military rule since 1962. Nobel prize winner Aang sang su ki is languishing in jail. All international effort to release her failed.

The Geneva-based ILO said it was "concerned and disappointed" at the sentence, the maximum permissible under the law. It added that it had been in contact with the military government about the case "at a senior level".

"The ILO cannot but consider that the sentence imposed is related to Thet Way's role in complaining on forced labour practices," the United Nations agency said in a statement.

Under a deal reached between the ILO and Myanmar last year, anybody making or supporting those making complaints about forced labour should be immune from prosecution.