More Myanmar garment workers detained in China after resigning over labour complaints

About 80 Myanmar migrant workers have been detained in southwestern China after resigning from a garment factory over alleged unpaid overtime and poor working conditions, according to workers and labour rights activists. The latest arrests occurred on June 16, when 30 Myanmar employees resigned from Xinqiang Garment Co. Ltd. in Wanding, a town near the Chinese border city of Ruili, citing unpaid overtime and irregular working hours. Although factory management accepted their resignations, the workers said Chinese police arrested them shortly after they left the factory and took them to a police station. “They decided to resign because their overtime pay was missing,” said a former employee who previously left the factory due to illness and returned to Myanmar. “The employer allowed them to leave, but they were arrested after departing. I haven’t heard any news since.” The latest detentions follow a similar incident earlier this month involving 50 Myanmar workers from the same factory. On June 3, 55 workers resigned after factory security guards allegedly beat three colleagues who were attempting to flee what workers described as harsh conditions. According to workers and labour activists, factory management handed the group over to Chinese authorities after reaching an agreement with local officials. Five workers who were pregnant or in poor health were returned to Myanmar through a border crossing, while the remaining 50 were transferred to a prison in Ruili. Combined with the June 16 arrests, labour groups estimate that about 80 Myanmar workers remain in detention. The factory, located near Myanmar’s northern Shan State border, employs an estimated 300 to 400 Myanmar migrants, most recruited from Yangon and Magway regions. Workers said many paid brokers about 5,800 yuan (about $860) for jobs at the factory, with the cost later deducted from their wages. Workers alleged that employers exploit China’s immigration rules to discourage resignations. Myanmar migrants working under cross-border permits can remain in China only if their employment is sponsored by their employer, making workers vulnerable if they quit. “They are sending the message that if you resign, you can be sent to jail,” said another Myanmar worker in Ruili. Labour rights organisations in Myanmar said they are working with recruitment brokers and the country’s Anti-Human Trafficking Police Force to seek the workers’ release. Myanmar Now emailed the Chinese Embassy in Yangon for comment, but received no response by publication. Efforts to contact factory management were unsuccessful. More than 100,000 Myanmar nationals are estimated to work each year in factories and farms in the Ruili and Jiegao border areas. Workers and activists say recent crackdowns on undocumented migrants have intensified, with arrests reportedly increasing after Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing visited China earlier this month.

More Myanmar garment workers detained in China after resigning over labour complaints

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