An international labor organization has called on Burma's military government to immediately release nine people sentenced to die for treason.
The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions says several of the defendants were charged and convicted only for making contact with the U.N. International Labor Organization. It says that another defendant was sentenced to die for having a copy of an ILO report on forced labor in Burma.
In a letter to Burmese Senior General Than Shwe, the group called for all charges to be dropped, saying Burma's treatment of the nine defendants is outrageous. The group also asked that ILO officials be allowed to visit the nine in prison.