PSA CPSU NSW Assistant General Secretary Troy Wright said the union will continue its support for APHEDA Union Aid Abroad’s campaign in support of the people of Myanmar. APHEDA is a body that for 40 years has mobilised Australian union members to support campaigns overseas, particularly nations in the Asia-Pacific region. It campaigns for workers’ rights and for improvements in occupational health and safety, including a ban on the use of asbestos in developing countries.

The organisation has been instrumental in opposing the military regime in Myanmar and last year invited Mr Wright to inspect its operations across the border in Thailand.

“I saw first hand the efforts this vital organisation does in support of human rights and, by extension, workers’ rights in a country run by people who stubbornly hold out against democratic reform and the rights of minorities within the country’s borders,” said Mr Wright.

A new report compiled with the assistance of local unions and partner organisations sheds light on the military junta’s continued assault on workers, civilians, and democratic institutions.

APHEDA’s report highlights how the junta is bypassing sanctions on jet fuel so its air force can continue to bombard opposition forces and civilians.

According to APHEDA, more than 4000 civilians have been killed and more than 20,000 detained, including trade union leaders.

The report documents the continued flow of Jet A-1 fuel from Thilawa Port to key airbases, the transport of air-to-surface rockets, and the dual-use fuels enabling the regime’s military logistics. It also maps the role of regional maritime hubs, particularly Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and the involvement of sanctioned military conglomerates and banks that anchor the junta’s financial system.

APHEDA has also condemned what it describes as sham elections, where people are forced to vote in military-run polling booths to legitimise the ruling junta.

Mr Wright joined representative of the Myanmar Campaign Network and the Australian Council of Trade Unions to brief the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade to push for continued sanctions against the Government of Myanmar. The delegation also met high-level figures including, Senator Lisa Darmanin, staff from Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s office and senior officials at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. APHEDA has also written an open letter to Ms Wong urging her government to keep up its campaign against the rogue state. 

“The junta controls less than a third of Myanmar’s territory yet seeks to manufacture legitimacy to govern the whole country even as they continue airstrikes on areas outside their control,” said APHEDA in the letter. “Since the February 2021 coup, Myanmar has been plunged into civil war, with the junta intensifying violence against civilians, trade unionists, and democratic leaders. Over 21.9 million people now require humanitarian assistance, and 3.5 million are internally displaced. The regime has ramped up airstrikes, arbitrary arrests, and the destruction of communities in the lead-up to the elections.”

Mr Wright thanked all PSA CPSU NSW members who continue to support APHEDA.

“Union members stand together,” he said. “Your efforts, and your money, will help create a better world for those living under oppressive regimes such as Myanmar.”

For more information on APHEDA’s work, go to www.apheda.org.au