Triumph producing garments in Burma

January 19, 2001

The Clean Clothes Campaign has been informed that Triumph International, the Switzerland-based garment company, is operating a factory in Burma. The exiled trade union federation of Burma, the Federation of Trade Unions - Burma (FTUB) has called for support of a campaign to demand that Triumph pull out of Burma. This is also the demand of Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Burma's struggle for democracy. Aung San Suu Kyi, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 and still under house arrest for her ongoing efforts in defiance of the country's brutal military regime, supports this strategy, as does the National League for Democracy.

Triumph proudly features their Burma factor y, Myanmar Triumph International ltd. , on their website (see http://www.triumph-intl.com.hk/country/myanmar.html) ( took it off 28 jan 2002 )
The factory, located at No. 3, Trunk Road Pyin-Ma-Bin Industrial Estate, Htauk Kyant P.O., Mingaladon Township, Yangon, operates on an estate that is rented by UMRH from the Mingaladon military brigade, just north of Rangoon's airport.

As a European member of EURATEX they subscribe to the code negotiated between EURATEX and ETUC/TCL, which includes the ILO forced labour convention.

Contact Triumph today and demand that they withdraw from Burma!

Triumph overseas head office:

Gunther Spiesshofer
President
Triumph International
#133 Hoi Bun Road
7th Floor Piazza Building
Kwun Tong
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Fax: 00-852-23419487

On January 19th the CCC is organizing demonstrations in support of this demand-- Let Triumph and retailers that sell Triumph products in your country know that you support this campaign. Fax Triumph and Triumph retailers today!

Background on labour rights in Burma

The International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) repeatedly report widespread and systematic forced labour in Burma. More than a million Burmese people, toiling on construction sites for roads, railways , military installations and tourist infrastructure are still subjected to forced labor. This despite the fact that Burma has ratified the ILO's Forced labour convention No. 29, which means that the government will suppress the use of forced or compulsory labour in all its forms within the shortest possible period. On December 12th, Amnesty International released a report on the institutionalized use of torture in Burma (see www.amnesty.org)

Why are we demanding that Triumph leave Burma? As mentioned above, the demand that foreign companies withdraw from Burma is supported by the FTUB. This is also the demand of Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Burma's struggle for democracy. Aung San Suu Kyi, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 and still under house arrest for her ongoing efforts in defiance of the country's brutal military regime, supports this strategy, as does the National League for Democracy.

For a report on labor rights abuses in Burma, click here.