VIETNAM VIEWS ON BURMA AND THE ILO

UNCLAS HANOI 001161 SIPDIS STATE FOR DRL/IL, IO/T, EAP/BCLTV DEPARTMENT OF LABOR FOR ILAB USMISSION GENEVA FOR HAGEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB PHUM BM VM ASEAN LABOR SUBJECT: VIETNAM VIEWS ON BURMA AND THE ILO REF: SECSTATE 94961 UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 01161 260940Z -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM (GOV) FAVORS RESOLUTION OF THE FORCED LABOR ISSUE IN BURMA THROUGH NEGOTIATION RATHER THAN IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS, AS THE LATTER WOULD ONLY SERVE TO ISOLATE BURMA, ACCORDING TO VIETNAM'S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MOFA). IF NEGOTIATION IS UNSUCCESSFUL AND A RESOLUTION AGAINST BURMA IS INTRODUCED AT THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR CONFERENCE, VIETNAM WOULD VOTE AGAINST IT. THE GOV ALSO HOPES THE OTHER ASEAN COUNTRIES WOULD JOIN IT IN A COMMMON POSITION AGAINST THE RESOLUTION. END SUMMARY. ¶2. ON MAY 26 ECONOFF AND POLOFF DISCUSSED THE ISSUE OF FORCED LABOR IN BURMA WITH VU VAN MIEN OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AT MOFA. WE ALSO REQUESTED A MEETING WITH RELEVANT OFFICES AT THE MINISTRY OF LABOR, INVALIDS, AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (MOLISA) BUT WERE REFERRED BY THEM TO MOFA. ¶3. AFTER LISTENING TO OUR PRESENTATION BASED ON REFTEL, MR. MIEN SAID VIETNAM OF COURSE WAS AGAINST FORCED LABOR. HE SAID THE BURMA ISSUE HAD BEEN BROUGHT TO THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION (ILO) IN 1999 BUT AT THAT TIME MANY COUNTRIES, INCLUDING VIETNAM, DID NOT SUPPORT THE ILO'S COURSE OF ACTION. BECAUSE IT DID NOT WANT TO `ISOLATE' BURMA, VIETNAM HAD VOTED AGAINST THE ILO RESOLUTION. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 01161 260940Z ¶4. MIEN SAID THE GOVERNMENT OF BURMA (GOB) WANTED TO RESOLVE THE FORCED LABOR ISSUE THROUGH COOPERATION WITH THE ILO. THE GOB THEREFORE HAD INVITED `WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS' A TECHNICAL COOPERATION MISSION HEADED BY THE SPECIAL ENVOY OF ILO DIRECTOR GENERAL SOMAVIA TO VISIT BURMA DURING THE WEEK OF MAY 23. ¶5. IF THE GOB AND ILO WERE UNABLE TO COME TO AGREEMENT ON A COURSE OF ACTION AND THE ISSUE WAS BROUGHT TO THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR CONFERENCE FOR A VOTE, VIETNAM `COULD NOT' VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE RESOLUTION. HE EMPHASIZED AGAIN THAT THE MATTER MUST BE CONCLUDED THROUGH NEGOTIATION SO AS NOT TO ISOLATE BURMA THROUGH IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS. FURTHERMORE, HE SAID THE GOV HOPED THE ASEAN COUNTRIES WOULD ADOPT A COMMON POSITION OPPOSING SUCH A RESOLUTION, AS THEY DID IN 1999. PETERSON UNCLASSIFIED