By Yoon Sat - Mar 25, 2025
Workers from Myanmar Shining Long garment factory, located at Plot No. (125-B), at the corner of Bo Taik Chun Road and Industrial Zone Road, in Zone (23) of Wathayar Industrial Zone, Shwe Pyi Thar Township, Yangon Region, were arrested by the military after filing complaints about violations of labour rights.
According to the workers, the factory has failed to provide EC contracts, failed to contribute to social security payments, and forced workers to do mandatory overtime on holidays without pay since it opened. Those who refused to do overtime faced demotions. These are serious violations of labour laws, and the workers had submitted complaints to the relevant labour authorities.
Following the complaints, one of the assisting individuals said that on March 24, around 10:30 p.m., a group consisting of local administrators, police from Hlawkar station, and township administrative officials came and arrested several workers.
“All eight workers who were detained were later released from the ward office. They told us that the authorities came holding CV forms with photos that had been submitted when they first joined the factory. A man in military uniform told them not to report any further complaints to outside organizations, and that the factory issues would be resolved the next day. He also warned that their names would be included in the list for forced military conscription if they continued reporting, and instructed the local administrator accordingly,” the assistant shared.
While the reason given for the arrest was suspicion of theft, during questioning the workers were pressured not to speak out about factory issues to outside organizations. They were also warned that their names had already been added to the conscription list.
The owner of the factory was reported for labour rights violations, but instead of resolving the problems through legal procedures, the employer used threats and had the workers detained. STUM (Solidarity Trade Union of Myanmar) strongly condemned the act of intimidation and unlawful arrest.
STUM also stated that they are deeply concerned about the safety and security of the whistleblower workers, due to the nature of the violations and intimidation, and that the factory owner must take full responsibility if anything happens.
They emphasized that labour violations in the workplace must be addressed through lawful means, and using threats and power in this way is unacceptable. STUM said they would continue monitoring how the Ministry of Labour handles this situation and what kind of protection and redress is provided for the affected workers.
