<p>We, the undersigned <u>69</u> organizations, groups and networks are shocked at how&nbsp;&nbsp; Asahi Kosei (M) Sdn Bhd has unjustly treated its workers, in particular the 31 Burmese Migrant Workers, working at the factory at Lot 3377, Jalan Perusahaan Utama, Taman Industri Selesa Jaya, 43300 Balakong, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.</p>

<p>We, the undersigned 53 organizations, groups and networks are appalled that the Malaysian Government is now asking about 1.5 million migrant workers themselves, and not their employers, to buy a new Foreign Workers Hospitalisation and Surgical Insurance. If these migrant workers do not do so, the Malaysian government is threatening not to renew their work permits. The Malaysian Health Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, also stated that the worker&rsquo;s work permits will not be renewed if there are outstanding hospital bills.</p>

<p>On International Migrant&rsquo;s Day (18th December 2010), the State Enterprises Workers&rsquo; Relations Confederation (SERC), the Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF) and the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee (TLSC) requests the Royal Thai Government (RTG) to re-open registration for all migrants in Thailand, review its deportation policy, cooperate with the United Nations in examination of violation of migrant rights, repeal discriminatory policies affecting migrants including wage deductions for a deportation fund and formulate long term migration policies in response to actual</p>

<p>Three rights groups in Thailand have today called on Ban Ki-moon, the United Nation&rsquo;s (UN) Secretary General, to intervene to prevent further abuse of Myanmar migrants deported from Thailand. The UN Secretary General will visit Bangkok on Tuesday as a guest of the Royal Thai Government (RTG).</p>

<p><em>Civil society organizations from various countries call for public attention to the plight of Burmese and Sri Lankan migrant workers in Malaysia.</em></p> <p class="rtecenter">000</p> <p>We, the undersigned 71 civil society organizations and groups, would like to express our serious concern that JVC has indicated that they will not re-new the employment contracts of Pa Pa Aye and 15 other Burmese women migrant workers, who lodged a claim at the Labour Department claiming worker rights that the JVC company had violated, amongst them the wrongful deduction of their wages to recover levy that employers have to pay when they employ foreign workers. The other 7 workers, who complained, whose contract was renewed in August, will also be terminated and repatriated. The information contained in this statement has been provided by the affected workers.</p>

<p>(11 Sept) The demands of the 1,000 striking workers at the Dechanpanich Fishing Net Factory in Khon Kaen continue to fall on deaf ears.</p>

<p>Holding a temporary passport has given no protection of the rights of Burmese workers at the Dechapanich Fishing Net Factory in Khon Kaen. The workers have to work one and a half hours free every day from 5.00pm to 6.30pm to pay off the cost of the passport and are not allowed to maintain possession of their passports.&nbsp; When six workers were fired for taking more than three days leave a month, they demanded the return of their personal documents, and found that the word &ldquo;cancel&rdquo; had been casually written next to their visa.</p>

<p>From two corners of the world, Thailand and Argentina, two groups of workers have joined to make their own common call to arms: <strong>no more chains</strong> in the garment industry! Dignity Returns in Bangkok and La Alameda in Buenos Aires jointly call upon consumers and activists alike to support decent work in the garment industry &ndash; by supporting their global sweat-free brand, No Chains.</p>

<p>Two more workers&rsquo; strikes are set to take place in Rangoon as calls for the legal formation of labour unions in Burma gather momentum.</p>

<p>In the latest escalation of labor tensions in Burma, around 4,000 factory workers at an industrial estate on the outskirts of Rangoon staged a sit-in on Saturday to demand better pay, according to sources in the area.</p>

<p>The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has strongly criticised the Royal Thai Government (RTG) for its treatment of migrant workers. Just a week after the United Nation&rsquo;s Special Rapportuer on the Human Rights of Migrants publically issued a statement of concern on RTG&rsquo;s migrant worker policies, Thailand&rsquo;s human rights reputation falls into question as it vies for membership of the UN&rsquo;s Human Rights Council.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Laid-off Triumph workers have decided to end their 8-month-long rally, but continue to produce their own Try Arm underwear with 250 sewing machines donated by the Ministry of Labour.</p>