Factory fires point to tensions in China as violence escalates in Myanmar

Sunday’s violence culminated in the deadliest weekend since Myanmar’s military seized power on Feb. 1, detained civilian leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi, and abruptly ended the country’s ten-year transition to democracy. Factories in the Yangon suburbs of Hlaing Tharyar and Shwe Pyithar burned down, rattling one of the country’s major export industries and ending up in China.

The Chinese Embassy in Yangon condemned the attacks as “particularly mean” and urged the Myanmar authorities to stop the violence, punish perpetrators and protect Chinese companies and personnel in the country. The embassy said several China-backed factories were destroyed and set on fire, while many Chinese nationals were injured. Most of the businesses affected were textile and clothing factories, he said.

“We urge the people of Myanmar to make their demands legally known and not be incited and exploited into harmful friendly cooperation between China and Myanmar,” the embassy said, adding that Chinese investments in the textile and clothing sector have created nearly 400,000 jobs. in Myanmar and some actions by civilians hurt the economy.

Many opponents of the coup see China as a supporter of the military and have criticized Beijing for refusing to condemn the takeover or violence against protesters.

China’s response to the crisis contrasted with that of the US and other democracies. In the aftermath of the coup, many governments condemned the military’s seizure of power and called for the immediate restoration of Myanmar’s elected civilian government. Beijing viewed it as an internal affair, and the State Department said any action by the international community should “avoid worsening conflicts and further complications of the situation.” Other Asian countries that invest heavily in Myanmar, such as Singapore and South Korea, are openly more critical of the junta.

The United Nations Security Council has unanimously condemned recent violence but needs to take even more vigorous action, such as an arms embargo, in part due to opposition from permanent members China and Russia, both of which have veto power over the council and maintain significant strategic and economic interests. in Myanmar.

Anti-Chinese sentiments were not a mainstream focus of the protests, but some in Myanmar have questioned China’s relationship with the junta and silence on human rights violations. Social media users have shared lists of Chinese-owned companies calling for boycotts. A widespread image shows the words “China get out of Burma,” referring to Myanmar by its former name, above the Chinese flag.

It could not be determined who started the fires in the factories. After Sunday’s violence, some in Myanmar welcomed the target of Chinese properties. Others said the protesters were not involved, claiming that the authorities had lit fires and blamed the protesters in an effort to bolster Beijing’s support for a tougher response.

Witnesses and medics said authorities started shooting at protesters around 1:00 PM. A fire officer in one of the outskirts of Yangon, Shwe Pyithar, said the department first received reports of the fires at about 3 p.m. factories told firefighters that workers and others threatened guards with knives before setting fire to the facility where they worked.

In interviews, residents of the affected Yangon suburbs said they are becoming increasingly frustrated with Beijing.

Moe Sandar Myint, president of the Federation of General Workers Myanmar, said many of the garment workers her group represents have been threatened by Chinese employers for participating in protests and civil disobedience campaigns. She said the Chinese embassy’s statement denied Beijing’s hostility to the protesters and called for a vigorous response to the attack on Chinese property and workers, but showed no sympathy for the killed Myanmar citizens.

“They don’t care about the people of Myanmar, they just care about their own interests in the country,” said Ms Moe Sandar Myint.

A Buddhist monk who took part in a protest in Hlaing Tharyar on Sunday said many people in Myanmar feel that China, as a superpower with close ties to Myanmar, has a duty to protect them. “They are a great neighbor and they see what is going on, but they never intervene,” said the monk. “Instead, they support the military without doing anything.”

The destruction of Chinese garment factories underscored the precarious state of the country’s garment sector. In recent years, Chinese factory owners have made major investments in Myanmar’s garment industry, accelerating growth to a $ 5 billion export industry employing about 700,000 people.

According to Myanmar’s National Clothing Association, about 40% of the country’s garment factories have Chinese owners. The factories have helped meet Western demand for Myanmar clothing, where low wages contribute to low production costs.

Hennes and Mauritz AB, a major consumer of Myanmar clothing, said five of its suppliers’ factories were affected by the violence on Sunday, but declined to provide further details. “The situation is critical and our team in Yangon is working hard to best manage the situation,” said an H&M spokeswoman.

The burning down of Chinese factories is likely to contribute to brands’ reluctance to source from Myanmar.

H&M had said earlier this month that it had interrupted new orders from Myanmar, citing the practical difficulties and unpredictable situation. On Friday, Benetton Group, an Italian retailer, said it was following suit. The company cited security issues and “violations of rights and liberty” before its decision.

Manufacturing has faced major challenges since the coup, with work in some factories halting as garment workers abandon their sewing machines to join anti-military protests. Logistics networks are throttled. Shipping company AP Moeller-Maersk suspended operations at its warehouse and depots in Myanmar last week, citing the safety and security of workers. This week, the company said it is conducting daily evaluations for warehouses and trucks.

“Yesterday’s situation was very bad, so I expect the worst for the garment industry,” said Aung Myo Hein, a Myanmar factory owner and member of the executive committee of the national clothing federation.

—Chun Han Wong in Hong Kong contributed to this article.

Write to Feliz Solomon at [email protected] and Jon Emont at [email protected]