AK
February 6, 2026
Workers in Myanmar have faced widespread economic decline, job scarcity, labour rights violations, and incomes that no longer cover basic living costs during more than five years under military rule. While workers struggle under these crises, criminal networks and traffickers have found growing opportunities.
Beyond forced labour in online scam operations, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking into prostitution, recruitment of Myanmar women to become so-called “rental wives” for Chinese men lured by promises of large sums of money has become increasingly visible and widespread.
Previously, traffickers primarily targeted young women from ethnic areas near the China–Myanmar border, using social media platforms such as TikTok to persuade them to become paid “Chinese rental wives,” described misleadingly as receiving bride prices.
Now, however, some Chinese nationals and human traffickers have escalated their actions to the point of entering garment factories and treating women workers as sexual commodities selecting and approaching them directly inside workplaces.
“They sit right in front of the female worker they like and watch her all day while she is working, until she agrees to their proposal,” a female worker from Jafon factory who personally witnessed the situation told Myanmar Labour News.
Jafon (Jetphone Handbag Company Limited) is a Chinese-owned factory located at near Great Number Compound, Plot No. (3), Bago Industrial Zone, Nagawon Road, in Bago Region. The factory employs around 400 workers.
It is reported that the factory manufacture globally known handbags brands, including the Italian luxury brand Gucci, as well as IPSY and GLAM BAG.
The factory has been officially registered with the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) since 2019 under the name Jafon Beauty Company Limited and continues operations to date.
Access to company ownership information through DICA has been restricted following the military coup. As a result, the company is only identifiable as a foreign-owned enterprise, and the identities of its responsible persons remain unclear.
However, according to trade data published by the Trademo website, the company’s products are mainly exported to the United States. From January 2022 to September 2025, it reportedly conducted 91 export shipments with a total value exceeding USD 6.89 million.
According to a female worker, factory management allows their friends and acquaintances to enter the workplace and openly select female workers to propose these “rental wife” arrangements.
She said this has not happened just once or twice, but at least four times during January and February alone.
“The factory’s behavior makes us female workers feel fear and shame,” she said, describing her sense of insecurity.
She added that factory management treats women workers like goods displayed in a market.
In addition to allowing such practices, supervisors reportedly receive matchmaking or brokerage fees and actively persuade young women using false promises. They reportedly tell women things such as: “The bride price is not small,” “You don’t need to care about others,” and “No one feeds you when you’re starving,” in order to pressure them into accepting the proposals.
Due to job security concerns and other pressures, female workers are unable to speak out openly about these abuses.
Labour rights organizations assisting victims say this situation constitutes not only labour rights violations but also criminal acts. They noted that since the coup, workers have lost both legal protections and access to justice, while employers and authorities prioritize production output above all else.
Daw Myo Myo Aye, a leader of the Solidarity Trade Union of Myanmar (STUM), said these acts clearly amount to human trafficking.
“This is something we can never accept. Workers should not remain silent and must speak out,” she said, adding that the case requires criminal prosecution, not just labour law remedies.
“Factory managers and owners must also be held accountable. This happens with their consent,” she emphasized.
She further urged female workers at the factory to file formal complaints, stating that STUM would provide full assistance if needed.
Myanmar Labour News attempted to contact Jafon Beauty Company by phone regarding this report but was unable to reach them.
According to the Federation of General Workers Myanmar (FGWM), similar incidents were also reported in some Hlaingtharyar Industrial Zone factories in Yangon in 2022, following the coup. FGWM said traffickers deliberately target women from poor working-class families.
“They give a small bride price, promise marriage, then take the women to China and cut off all contact,” a representative said.
Myanmar’s military commission announced late last year that around nine individuals involved in recruiting and trafficking young Myanmar women as Chinese rental wives were arrested and sentenced to between 10 and 20 years in prison for human trafficking.
Victims reportedly came from Yangon, Mandalay, Taunggyi, Kutkai, and conflict-affected areas such as Sagaing and Magway Regions.
According to case information, traffickers promised payments of 10,000 Chinese yuan (over 6 million kyats at current rates) for one year as a rental wife, with some offering up to 50,000 yuan (nearly 28 million kyats) as an incentive.
These developments are seen as direct consequences of post-coup economic collapse, corruption, and weakened rule of law. Ongoing political instability, delays in judicial processes, and lack of accountability have left victims afraid to speak out while emboldening perpetrators.
The incidents highlight serious risks not only to vulnerable, low-income female workers who should be protected under existing labour laws, but also to workplace safety and the personal security of women across Myanmar.
