By Myo Thein - Oct 14, 2025

Myanmar migrant workers have reported to Myanmar Labour News that their rights are being seriously violated by the TIAN TAI Garment Factory located in Nano Village, Saysettha District, Vientiane, Laos.

"Our passports have been confiscated since we arrived at the factory. Now that they say they can’t continue employing us, they’re demanding a compensation of USD 300 or 500,000 Lao Kip from us for sending us back. We still have to pay even if it’s them who they don’t want us anymore and decide to send us back. And we’re being threatened that we’ll have to pay USD 550 if we want to change jobs. There’s no one to speak up for us, so we’re just enduring everything they do to us,” one worker explained.

Around 100 Myanmar workers are employed in the garment and weaving operations at the factory through a Myanmar agency called A Htan Company, according to the workers.

In addition, they said they are not receiving their full salaries, have to cover their own medical expenses, and are being forced to perform unrelated tasks.

“They deduct 13 USD every month saying it’s for tax. If we take a day off due to illness, they deduct 20 USD per day. We have to pay for treatment ourselves even if we get injured at work. And we’re forced to do non-factory jobs like digging and clearing land,” said a female worker.

Labour rights activists stated that the factory’s confiscation and withholding of all workers’ passports is a violation of international labour laws.

“This is a case of forced labour, indicators of human trafficking, and violations of recruitment fee policies,” said a labour rights advocate.

Myanmar workers have made an earnest appeal to international labour organizations, requesting TIAN TAI Factory to return their passports, to resolve the demanded compensations lawfully, to end forced relocation of workers, and to intervene and provide support.