BWI condemns killing of Burmese youth leader

The Building and Wood Workers International (BWI) strongly condemns the murder of trade union and youth leader Chan Myae Kyaw at the hands of Myanmar’s brutal military regime. 

Chan, who was a member of the Confederation of Trade Unions in Myanmar (CTUM), was killed by elements of the military junta while peacefully participating in a democracy rally on 27 March. He joins the hundreds of Burmese people who were cowardly killed by the military junta for standing up for democracy. As of the latest, more than 500 Burmese citizens, many of whom were youth, workers and women, were killed by the military regime since it illegally grabbed power last February.  

BWI extends its deepest condolences to Chan’s family and friends, as well as his CTUM comrades. Chan’s death, alongside those others who were martyred in the fight against the military junta, will not be in vain. We call on trade unions worldwide to continue and intensify our collective campaign to return Myanmar to the path of democracy, put a stop to the killings and hold the military junta accountable. 

Workers are not unfamiliar with tyranny. From our workplaces to our communities, we have experienced oppression and exploitation. As such, whenever and wherever there is tyranny, trade unions must respond with solidarity. Only in a democracy can workers secure a future built on human rights and dignity.