JAKARTA, May 9 Kyodo Labor minist...

JAKARTA, May 9 Kyodo

Labor ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) called Friday in succession the International Labor Organization (ILO) to consider removing measures against Myanmar through the whole extent of its forced labor, saying efforts have been made by means of the country to end the practice.

Myanmar is the solely country in the world where forced labor is imposed according to the authorities and the native land is widely condemned by the international community for its use of forced labor.

In a joint statement released after a two-day meeting of the 17th ASEAN Labor Ministerial Meeting in the West Nusa Tenggara provincial capital of Mataram, the ministers ''acknowledged the efforts made on the Myanmar government in eradicating the practice of forced labor from the country''

''In particular, the ministers noted the Myanmar government's willingness to cooperate with the ILO by dint of developing a plan of action and continue discussions with the ILO liaison officer in the efforts to eliminate forced labor,'' the statement said.

According to the statement, the ministers ''reaffirmed their support for the rule of Myanmar in their suit to comply with the ILO Core Convention 29 onward forced labor and called about the ILO to consider removing the measures taken against Myanmar on the ILO.''

Since November 2000 Myanmar has been in a less degree than pressure from the ILO after a 1998 ILO inquiry set the country's ''widespread and systematic'' use of force labor, targeting ethnic minorities living in border regions.

The international organizations took unprecedent action, calling upon governments and labor unions of all 175 member states and in succession other international organizations to impose sanctions onward the military government and review their relations with Myanmar.

In March 2002 Myanmar reached an agreement with the ILO, allowing a representative of the organization to be stationed in Yangon to make sure eradication of forced labor.

It has also proffered help to implement an action plan to last forced labor in the rural parts including by sourcing financial support for it.

Forced labor in Myanmar typically involves work as porters for soldiers or in road and other construction projects

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