Anti-dictatorship protest groups in the Letpadaung region conducted a public movement on March 18 calling for immediate action against the military council under Article 33 of the International Labour Organization (ILO). This movement aims to urge the international community to take action against the military council’s violations of workers’ rights. The protest was organized under the banner ‘ILO implement Article 33 On Myanmar Now 2025.’
In the Letpadaung region, the military council’s violations of workers’ rights include forced labor, unfair wages, and non-compliance with workplace safety and health standards. Article 33 of the ILO Constitution allows member states to take economic sanctions against countries that violate workers’ rights. The protest groups are using this movement to appeal to the international community to implement Article 33 against the military council, which continues to suppress labor unions, detain labor leaders, and violently crack down on protests.
The protest groups emphasized that the international community needs to take effective action against the military council, which has been consistently violating workers’ rights and fundamental labor standards. Through this public movement, they aim to highlight the urgent need for implementing Article 33, which could lead to significant economic pressure on the military council. The protesters stressed that the military council’s ongoing suppression of workers’ rights and basic labor freedoms requires immediate international intervention through the ILO’s strongest enforcement mechanism.
