Mizzima News

Chiang Mai – Burmese workers joined May Day celebrations today. They joined marches and staged protests against human rights violations in Bangkok this morning along with hundreds of Thai workers.

The May Day celebrations were organized and led by the Thai Trade Union and about 50 Burmese workers from Burmese Trade Unions namely 'Yaungchioo Trade Union', 'Karen Trade Union' and 'Rakhine Trade Union' participated.

The workers assembled at the Democracy monument in Bangkok at 8 a.m. and marched in a procession to the Thai Labour Ministry Office. 

There was no one to receive the memorandum being submitted by the protesters to Thai Labour Minister. Then the workers folded their memorandum and statements into paper airplanes and threw them into the office premises. 

The memorandum demanded that the authorities check soaring commodity prices, so that income meets the ends, abolish privatization of water and electricity among others. 

Moreover the workers also demanded the scrapping of the 10 per cent rewards to informants for information leading to the arrest of alien illegal workers from the fine paid by the illegal migrant worker, to issue legal work permits to the illegal migrant workers and to allow free movement from one place to another.

Despite the heavy security along the procession route there were no problems  and the march concluded successfully at about 1 p.m. 

Similarly the 'Federation of Trade Unions of Burma (FTUB)' 'Yaungchioo, 'Burma Labour Solidarity Organization' (BSLO), 'Joint Action Committee' (JAC), other labour organizations and border based 'Burma Lawyers' Council' (BLC) celebrated May Day separately and hundreds of Burmese migrant workers attended. 

In a significant move during today's celebrations, BSLO conducted a mock referendum along with the usual May Day ceremony. This mock referendum generated 251 'No' votes and 3 invalid votes, organization leader Ko Than Doke said. 

"Migrant workers feel that there will be a significant turning point soon in Burma and they discussed the topic actively. They realized that they must cast the 'No' vote in the ensuing referendum though they cannot vote personally," he added. 

Moreover they said that they would convey this strong message to their family members and urge them to vote 'No' in the referendum. It is encouraging and sensational, " Ko Than Doke added.

Similarly India based democracy activists celebrated May Day today.

In his May Day message, Snr. Gen. Than Shwe urged workers today to perform their duty to implement the seven-step roadmap.