President Yudhoyono urged to cancel visit to Iran

Ridwan Max Sijabat ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 02/06/2008 2:16 PM  |  World

A labor union on Tuesday asked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to cancel a planned visit to Iran because of what it said was Tehran's suppression of labor unions and human rights.

Yudhoyono is planning to visit Iran this year but the exact dates of the visit have not yet been finalized.

The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) warned Yudhoyono he would pay a heavy price both at home and overseas if he went through with the visit.

"The international community will certainly question the current government's credibility and commitment to democracy, and he (Yudhoyono) himself will pay an expensive price in the 2009 presidential election if he turns a blind eye to the ongoing labor oppression in Iran," ITF Indonesia coordinator Hanafi Rustandi told The Jakarta Post and Rakyat Merdeka dailies here on Tuesday.

Hanafi, also president of the Indonesian Seafarers Association (KPI), said he saw no reason for the President to visit Iran in the near future.

He said that in addition to the controversy over Tehran's nuclear program, Iran had yet to show its commitment to respecting human rights or workers' rights, including freedom of association and collective bargaining.

These rights are guaranteed by International Labor Organization conventions No. 97 and No. 98, which have been ratified by Indonesia.

"With various political tricks, the Iranian government has refused to release Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi who have been jailed without trial for their struggle for Iranian workers' basic rights and social welfare," Hanafi said.

The ITF and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) have declared March 6 as International Action Day and are calling upon all affiliates in 156 countries to show their solidarity with Iranian workers.

"Following the discussion with the ITUC, we feel a worldwide action prior to the parliamentary elections and the Iranian new year will send a strong message and put pressure on those blocking the genuine workers' movement in Iran and help win the release of Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi," ITF secretary-general David Cockroft said in a press release made available to the Post on Monday.

Mansour, chairman of the Tehran and Suburbs Transport Syndicate (Sandikaye Kargarane Sherkate Vahed), was arrested and sent to Evin prison in Tehran in June, 2007. Mahmoud, a prominent trade union leader in Kurdistan was jailed without trial in March, 2007.

ITF organized a worldwide protest in October 2007 for the release of the two Iranian unionists.

"Both Mahmoud and Mansour have health problems which need immediate medical treatment outside the prison, which the Iranian authorities continually deny," said David.

The ITF has condemned the latest tactic in what it described as a cynical catalog of dirty tricks by the Iranian government on the two unionists.

Hanafi criticized a senior Indonesian minister who he said was behind Yudhoyono's planned Iran visit for his business interests, and warned the government it was taking a major political risk with the mission.

"The President plans the visit only to attract Iranian investors to invest in a oil and gas refinery in Banten in cooperation with the senior minister's business interests," he alleged.

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