A labor leader uses a loudspeaker to address workers outside the Master Sports footwear factory that has been shut down without informing the workers four-weeks ago, outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar, Thursday, July 17, 2014. About 700 workers who lost their jobs as the South Korean owner shut the factory, marched to the South Korean embassy in Yangon shouting slogans, demanding wages and compensation. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)The Associated Press
Myanmar blue-collar workers direct vehicles as they prepare to march outside a South Korean owned Master Sports footwear factory that has been shut down abruptly four-weeks ago, outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar, Thursday, July 17, 2014. About 700 workers who lost their jobs as the Korean owner shut the factory, marched to the South Korean embassy in Yangon shouting slogans, demanding wages and compensation. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)The Associated Press
Myanmar blue-collar workers shout slogans as they march to protest near the South Korean Embassy Thursday, July 17, 2014, in Yangon, Myanmar. About 700 workers who lost their jobs as a South Korean owner of a footwear factory abruptly shut the factory down four-weeks ago, marched to the embassy in Yangon shouting slogans, demanding wages and compensation. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)The Associated Press
Myanmar police provide security while Myanmar blue collar workers shout slogans as they march to protest near the South Korean Embassy of Korea Thursday, July 17, 2014, in Yangon, Myanmar. About 700 workers who lost their jobs as a South Korean owner of a footwear factory abruptly shut the factory down four-weeks ago, marched to the South Korean embassy in Yangon shouting slogans, demanding wages and compensation. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)The Associated Press
Myanmar blue-collar workers march to protest near the South Korean Embassy Thursday, July 17, 2014, in Yangon, Myanmar. About 700 workers who lost their jobs as a South Korean owner of a footwear factory abruptly shut the factory down four-weeks ago, marched to the South Korean embassy in Yangon shouting slogans, demanding wages and compensation. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)The Associated Press
YANGON, Myanmar – More than 700 workers protested Thursday in front of the South Korean Embassy in Myanmar to demand officials help them after a Korean-owned factory closed without paying their wages.
The workers from the Master Sports Footwear Factory in Yangon said the owner closed the plant illegally and without notice in May and has left the country. They are demanding that the Korean ambassador help them. They said they were having trouble paying their rent and wanted assistance in finding new jobs.
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After an elected government took office in 2011 in Myanmar, industry has grown and foreign investment poured in in the wake of Western nations dropping most of the sanctions they had maintained against the previous repressive army regime.
Factory workers' strikes and protests have increased markedly. The new government instituted economic reforms, including the legalization of labor unions.
The workers said they have contacted not only the embassy, but also the Labor and Social Security ministries, parliament and the opposition National League for Democracy for assistance but had received no help.
"This is because the government never stands for the grassroots people," said U Htay, a lawyer for the workers. "They never stand for the protection of the grassroots people or workers. It's all because they cannot handle the rule of law and there is even more corruption and bias on the part of government officials and the businessmen. The only victims are the workers and grassroots people."
http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/700-workers-protesting-in-myanmar-say-south-korean-factory-closed-without-paying-them/
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