Hpakant residents call for international action against Myanmar junta at upcoming ILO conference

Mizzima

On 27 May, residents of Tarmahkan village in Hpakant Township, Kachin State, staged a public strike condemning the military dictatorship and rejecting the junta-led election as illegitimate and coercive.

Gathering under the slogan “Vote ILO Article 33 to Save Lives,” demonstrators voiced support for the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the People’s Defence Forces (PDFs), and the National Unity Government (NUG). They urged the international community to take concrete steps against Myanmar’s military junta during the upcoming International Labour Organization (ILO) Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, scheduled from 2 to 13 June 2025.

Protesters called on ILO member states to invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution, which allows for punitive measures against member countries that fail to comply with ILO standards. Activists argue that Myanmar’s junta has consistently violated international labour and human rights norms.