By Min Ni Kyaw - Oct 30, 2024
A group of Myanmar garment workers employed at the AOHE garment factory in Ruili, China, were handed over to Chinese security forces without receiving their wages, according to one of the female workers who was detained.
“The incident occurred on the night of Monday, October 27, when two Chinese police officers were called by the factory to detain the workers, totaling 24 individuals. They spent a night in jail in Ruili, and at around 10 a.m. the next day, the authorities summoned three men and seven women, took them out of detention with handcuffs, and transported them to an unknown location. On the evening of October 29, 14 of the remaining workers, including the female worker who spoke out, were transferred via JieGao to Muse. They did not receive their wages,” said a female worker
Currently, they have no contact with the 10 detained workers, and the AOHE factory management has not provided any wage payments or communication regarding the workers’ demands. According to the workers, they are owed a minimum monthly wage ranging from 1,600 to 2,000 yuan.
“They promised to pay the wages upon our arrival when they were transporting us via JieGao to Muse. However, some of the 14 workers were given only 200 yuan upon reaching Myanmar claimed to be out of sympathy. We don’t even know where to seek the rest of our wages. 10 detainees from our group can’t be contacted. Our requests were legitimate, asking for factory-wide improvements, but they chose only eight people to detain,” one worker reported.
The detained workers are identified as Sandar Htun, Popo Aung, Zin Mar Nwet, Sandar Soe, Zin Mar Nyein, Kyi Pyar Win Ko, Ma Lin Lin Soe, Myo Aung, Hein Nyi Nyi and Htun Lin Aung. The factory workers had been demanding fair wages, overtime payments for the hours worked, day off on official holidays, and an increase in base and regular attendance pay.
The 24 workers arrived to AOHE factory in Ruili since May with the connection of interpreter, secretary, and Chinese technical expert from Joy Myanmar garment factory from Watayar Industrial Zone, Yangon.
