the employer handed over the burmese employees to the police for asking the pay raise

The 17 Burmese employees working at a clothing factory named Demar in Mae Sot were kicked out of the factory for asking for the pay raise. At the gate of the factory, the Thai police had arrested them and locked up in the jail. The employer came to the jail telling them that they could be free if the agree to work without the pay raise and apologised him for the forgiveness, and they could be sued by him for the long term imprisonment if they didn’t agree to it.

The 17 workers somehow managed to contact PVA for help by phone. PVA went to the jail and negotiated with the police force for their release firstly, and demanded the factory for their rights in accordance with the labor law and regulations. 

The 17 workers in the jail

However, they all were sent back to Myawaddy in Burma the next day. PVA managed them to bring the legal documents to come back to Mae Sot for further legal challenge. PVA joining force with the workers rights organizations had continued to fight for their rights.

The names of the workers were;

1. Al Two

2. Myint Zaw

3. Hetin Lin

4. Than Zaw Oo

5. Aung Ko Lin

6. Ko Latt

7. Kyaw Myo Thura

8. Bo Bo

9. Ma Tin Tin Mar

10. Ma Cho

11. Ma Zin Mar Myint

12. Khine Lin

13. New Lay

14. Ma Suu Suu

15. Ma Nguwar Khine

16. Ma Moe Khine

17. Ma Soe Soe