Workers at a Chinese-owned garment factory in Myanmar have reportedly been offered money for sexual services by Chinese technicians and buyers, according to a former employee of Dongxin Garment Co. Ltd. The worker, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons, said that some female workers were offered up to 300,000 kyat (US$143) for a night, exploiting the dire economic situation many face.

A company official has denied the allegations, insisting that no such exploitation takes place. However, labor activists argue that sexual abuse and exploitation are common in Myanmar’s garment industry, where a collapsing economy has left women increasingly vulnerable. A recent report by the Business and Human Rights Resource Center (BHRRC) highlighted “repressive working conditions” for women, documenting 155 cases of abuse, with over a third being gender-based incidents.

The garment sector in Myanmar has been under pressure since the military ousted the civilian government in 2021. The economic freefall has worsened conditions for workers, with factory owners and supervisors reportedly taking advantage of their growing desperation. “It’s easy to exploit garment workers—they use poverty,” said a labor activist speaking to Radio Free Asia.

The BHRRC report includes allegations of sexual harassment and assault at the Dongxin factory, where some supervisors have been accused of facilitating sexual exploitation. One worker described how peer pressure and pay-offs allowed the abuse to continue, with supervisors receiving payments for persuading others to engage in sexual activities.

While Dongxin’s HR manager, Tin Ni Lar Htun, denied any such issues, workers and activists point to a lack of recourse for complaints. The departure of larger brands and the influx of smaller companies have left workers with little leverage. Myanmar’s legal system, weakened further by the military regime, offers limited protection.

Since the 2021 coup, 16 major labor unions have been banned, and dissent among workers has been increasingly suppressed by both factory management and junta authorities. The International Labor Organization has noted severe restrictions on civil liberties and trade union rights in Myanmar, leaving many women with little choice but to suffer in silence.

Despite these conditions, activists continue to call for brands and companies to take responsibility for the abuses occurring in their supply chains. “The companies should take these problems seriously,” urged one activist. “They have a duty to protect these workers.”
 

BOB Post