APHEDA, the Union Movement and Civil Society Groups Respond to the Myanmar Crisis

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA has joined with the Australian and international trade union movement, the international and Australian human rights networks, and the Myanmar diaspora groups globally in condemning the military junta’s takeover of the country on February 1. 466 people have been murdered so far and nearly 4,000 people arrested.

In broad terms the international social movements share the following goals:

1. Support, maintain and strengthen the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM);
2. Cut the financial lifeline of the junta – primarily through its international business dealings with multi-national corporations and governments working through the military and state-owned corporations such as Myanmar Economic Corporation and Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd;
3. Achieve international recognition of the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw CRPH (the body of elected MPs who were scheduled to assume government on February 1), with ‘full federal democracy’, that is, ethnic group recognition;
4. Release all political prisoners.

 Australian civil society coordinate on business withdrawal

APHEDA has joined with the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), Publish What You Pay Australia, the Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ), Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International Australia and other groups to coordinate our action on the financial links between the military and Australian and international businesses.

Since 1 February 2021, APHEDA has joined the call for Australian and international businesses to suspend all operations in Myanmar. This included Australian oil, gas and mining businesses, Woodside  Energy, Myanmar Metals, Bawdwin Joint Venture as well as international energy businesses, Chevron and Total.

International union action

• In Australia, the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and the Australian Worker’s Union (AWU) wrote to Woodside immediately after the coup asking for Woodside to immediately suspend operations.
• The ACTU in coordination with others helped force the end of the military cooperation between Australia and Myanmar defence forces.
• In France, unions of the French-based energy giant, Total, are demanding its employer suspend its Myanmar operations on the Yadana gas pipeline.
• Unions in the US helped pressure US Congress on sanctions. The ACTU in coordination with others helped force the end of the military cooperation between Australia and Myanmar defence forces.
• The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is intervening to involve the International Labour Organization (ILO) on the issues related gross labour rights violations, including the murder and arrest of trade unionists. The ITUC has issued a list of proxies for senior military leaders for whom it believes all countries should sanction immediately.
• Global unions and the ITUC have established solidarity fund to support the Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar (CTUM), an ITUC affiliate.
• Global unions, trade union solidarity organisations and national unions are coordinating together and in collaboration with Myanmar unions to support the Myanmar labour movement and for urgent government action globally to withdraw financial avenues for the junta.