Four years after the military coup in Myanmar, the country remains in crisis as its people continue to endure severe repression, human rights violations, and economic hardship under the oppressive military regime. On this anniversary, the ITUC-Asia Pacific has renewed its call for global solidarity and concrete action to hold the junta accountable and restore democracy.

On 14 December, South Korea’s National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol with more than a two-thirds majority. Consequently, Yoon’s duties have been suspended, and the Constitutional Court now has up to 180 days to decide whether to remove him from office. Considering the gravity of his act of rebellion to subvert constitutional orders—by criticizing opposition parties for not aligning with his views and using the military and police to storm the legislature, as well as to suppress the rights and freedoms of the people—the National Assembly’s decision should be seen as entirely justified.

The ITUC-Asia Pacific strongly condemns the declaration of emergency martial law in South Korea by President Yoon Suk-yeol. This anti-democratic action is a blatant attack on the constitutional order and a dangerous step towards dictatorship.

The ITUC-Asia Pacific strongly condemns the unjust sentencing of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, including trade union leaders, Carol Ng, former Chairperson of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), and Winnie Yu, former President of the Hospital Authority Employees' Association (HAEA).

Young trade unionists from across the Asia-Pacific region gathered in Singapore from 15-19 September 2024 for the 17th Youth Leadership Course titled ‘A New Social Contract – For Democracy: Empowering Youth in the Asia Pacific’. Organised by ITUC-Asia Pacific, Japan International Labour Foundation (JILAF) and Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute (OTCi), this five-day intensive programme brought together 29 participants from 18 countries, providing a platform for youth to explore pressing issues within the labour movement and promote democratic principles.

Three years since the military junta seized political power in Myanmar, the international trade union movement continues to stand in solidarity with the people in Myanmar and campaign for the restoration of their democracy.

“We are one with the workers and people of Myanmar who, in the past one year, did not budge in the face of the military regime’s atrocious attacks."

Today, we celebrate the historic values and achievements of the international trade union movement and reaffirm our commitment to organise workers everywhere and support their fights for democratic rights.