Maung Maung
2006
oil on canvas
36" x 24"
$1,875

(Purchasing Information)

Burma

U Maung Maung, a geologist by trade, was fired from his job, along with other union leaders, following participation in the 1988 nationwide protests against Burma's military regime. Forced to flee his home and family in Burma, Maung Maung organized other exiled workers to form the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma (FTUB), which functions to protect basic worker rights, while simultaneously acting to restore democracy in Burma. Based in Bangkok, the FTUB serves as a voice for the over 1.5 million Burmese migrants working in Thailand, and has successfully organized underground unions inside Burma, often at great peril and sacrifice of its leaders. Perhaps most importantly, the FTUB has helped to bring the plight of Burmese workers to the attention of the world. Forced labor in Burma is systematic and widespread, with rape, torture, and murder common. Freedom of association is nonexistent and any attempt to organize an independent trade union is repressed with violence. In 2000, the International Labor Organization implemented measures to compel the military regime to end its widespread use of forced labor, a step that it had never taken against a member state in its 80-year history. U Maung Maung has not seen his wife or son since he fled Burma, and avoids communication in order to assure their safety. Yet he remains optimistic that he will one day be reunited with his family and friends in a free and democratic Burma. For his inspiration, leadership, and personal sacrifice, the AFL-CIO awarded Maung Maung its 2001 George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award.

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