By Min Ni Kyaw - Mar 17, 2025

According to the workers some supervisors are physically abusing Myanmar female workers in Manxi, China, at the Honbo Garment Factory in Fati Industrial Zone.

"A Chinese woman named Wang Jie and the factory manager Mu Jie are physically assaulting workers in the sample department. Other Chinese staff in the factory also insult and beat the workers regularly. They hit us, slap us, and even pull our ears," said a female worker.

Not only are Chinese supervisors physically abusing workers, but Myanmar supervisors are also verbally harassing them, according to the workers. Although complaints have been made to the local Chinese authorities, investigations have not led to any resolution because there are no Myanmar interpreters present, making it difficult for workers to express their grievances.

"Every day at work, we feel like we are no longer treated as humans. We are forced to endure beatings, insults, and threats from supervisors and line leaders. When authorities come to inspect, there are no interpreters, and the factory’s own interpreters manipulate what is being reported. We feel helpless," said one worker.

The factory does not allow workers to leave until production targets are met, forcing them to work until 10 PM. The workers said they do not receive overtime pay even though they are working beyond standard hours.

"They demand high production targets. We are not allowed to go home if we don’t meet them. We are forced to work until 10 or 11 PM without receiving any overtime pay. We are required to work even on Sundays, yet we receive no overtime compensation. They say there are no Sundays off in China. We are not allowed to rest and dormitory supervisors are ordered to check rooms and send workers to the office," said one worker.

According to the workers, they were informed that regular working hours would be from 8 AM to 6 PM, and overtime pay would be given for any extra hours worked when they were hired.

"They told us our salary would be 15 lakh kyats when we were recruited. But once we started, they claimed we had a debt of 4,700 yuan (approximately 35 lakhs kyats). They only paid us 2,100 yuan, deducting 1,000 yuan for debt repayment. Initially, they said they would deduct only 200 yuan per month, but they increased it to 500 yuan after we started working. Now, they deduct up to 1,000 yuan. Not only are they not paying overtime, but they are also making these unreasonable deductions," the workers said.

Wages are being unfairly deducted, and for any defective garments, workers are forced to pay 1 to 2 yuan (approximately 600 kyats per defect), which they must immediately deposit into a collection box, the workers said.

"We are not asking to be treated the same as Chinese workers, but at least we should be treated like human beings. We came here because wages in our country are too low, and we have families to support. The working conditions here are extremely difficult. We get no rest, and workers are completely exhausted, yet they still expect us to work even harder," said the workers.

Myanmar Labour News found that workers are being served meals consisting of only chicken bones, coriander stems, and deep-fried split bamboo shoots at the Honbo factory. Additionally, the drinking water machine is placed near the restroom, in an unsanitary condition.