April 16, 2003 Wednesday

SECTION: Financial Pages

Dissidents celebrate victory in anti-Myanmar campaign

DATELINE: WASHINGTON, April 15

Activists celebrated Tuesday after a major US industry association called on the US government to ban clothing and footwear imports from military-ruled Myanmar over human rights concerns.

The American Association of Apparel and Footwear Manufacturers asked the government to "maintain this ban until Burma demonstrates that it recognizes, respects, and enforces basic human and labor rights for its own citizens." The association counts nearly 1,000 firms on its membership lists, including giants such as Levi Strauss and Company, Sara Lee Branded Apparel, Liz Claiborne and Perry Ellis.

"This will strengthen our coalition's grassroots effort to boycott 'Made in
Burma' products," said Aung Din, Policy Director for the Free Burma
Coalition, a dissident group.

"No companies, US or otherwise -- should profit from forced labor in Burma," he said using a name for the country outlawed by the junta.

Myanmar's clothing exports, one of its few profitable areas of trade, has
been a key target of supporters of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has battled the military for more than a decade after it annulled her 1990 election victory.

More than 40 companies, including Wal-Mart and Adidas have pledged to steer clear of products made in Myanmar, where activists say rights violations and forced labor are rampant.

The United States is a frequent critic of the Yangon junta, and supporter of Aung San Suu Kyi. Last month it warned that a reform drive in Myanmar had ground to a halt, and that it was considering imposing further sanctions on the country.

col/mdl

Myanmar-US-trade
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