On March 23, anti-dictatorship protest groups in the Letpadaung region conducted a public movement calling for immediate action against the violent military council under Article 33 of the International Labour Organization (ILO). This movement aims to pressure the international community to take action against the military council’s violations of workers’ rights. Workers and local residents in the Letpadaung region have been facing job losses, reduced wages, and violations of labor rights since the military coup. The region’s working population has been particularly affected by the deteriorating economic conditions and systematic suppression of worker rights under military rule.
Article 33 of the ILO Constitution is a crucial provision that enables effective action against member states that severely violate workers’ rights. The Letpadaung anti-dictatorship protest groups are utilizing this article to demand action against the military council. The council has been systematically violating workers’ rights through various means, including the suppression of labor unions, arrest of labor leaders, unfair wage reductions, and systematic violations of fundamental worker rights. The protest groups have documented these violations and plan to submit their findings to the ILO for review and action.
The participants in the Letpadaung public movement have been meticulously documenting the military council’s violations of worker rights and will present this evidence to the International Labour Organization. The protest groups are also coordinating with labor organizations from other regions and working to increase international pressure on the military council. They have pledged to continue their struggle until the military council’s violations of worker rights are stopped and fair employment opportunities are restored. The movement represents a unified effort to bring international attention to the severe labor rights violations occurring under military rule and seeks to leverage international mechanisms to protect workers’ rights in Myanmar.
