Onus on Myanmar to protect foreign investments

Hundreds of local striking workers damaged a Chinese garment factory in Yangon, Myanmar, last week. They also took away the personal belongings of Chinese staff and detained seven Chinese staff members from leaving.

After the Chinese embassy in Myanmar lodged a protest with the Myanmar authorities, the detained staff were released the next day. According to Myanmar media reports, the incident was triggered by the sacking of a local employee.

Although enterprises funded by investors from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and the Republic of Korea, have often fallen victims of labor disputes in Myanmar in recent years, a dispute of last week's magnitude is rare.