There has been several serious protests going on in Phnon Penh, Cambodia. Phnon Penh of Cambodia is where many garment manufacturing companies are located. Most of these companies are owned by Chinese, Korean and Indian clothing companies. Military police officers fired on protesters who demand higher wages. Last Friday, they killed three people. Most of those workers work in garment factories and their average wages are around 140 USD per month. But recently, they were underpaid. (The garment workers currently receive a monthly minimum of $80.) The garment workers are demanding a doubling of their monthly wages, (“We condemn the act of violence against the monks, against the workers who are demanding the minimum wage of $160,”) and they have been at the forefront of growing protests against Mr. Hun Sen’s authoritarian government. On Sunday, tens of thousands of people rallied to demand that he step down.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/04/world/asia/cambodia-protests.html?_r=0
3 comments:
It is interesting that the workers turned to violence, when they are protesting against mistreatment. It does not surprise me that the party canceled their attempts to talk to the government to resolve the issues the workers are protesting against. it will be interesting to see if the violence continues because no resolutions have been made. I believe the violence will continue and spin out of control. How will the world react? Will it be national crisis? How will the protests affect American companies? The world will see these answers soon enough.
It is very disturbing that the issue of raising the minimum wage in Cambodia is resulting in so much violence. I do not know much about the economic system in Cambodia (my knowledge of Cambodia revolves around the genocide carried out by the Khumer Rouge) so it would be interesting to analyze the effects of raising wages would do on their economy. In the US we are experiencing changes in minimum wage rates, such as California, which is also very controversial here (although for different reasons). The debate of minimum wage is fascinating because it is determined by the state, whereas actual wages are determined by firms themselves.
Cambodia is known for its brutality to its own civilians. It is not surprising that the protests turned deadly. It is hard to go up against an authoritarian government. Sometimes the only way to get attention is to sadly get violent. Just like the ELF (Earth Liberation Front). Maybe this is what will push the government to make amends and change. If this gets worldwide attention other countries could pressure Cambodia to change.
If people are protesting to work, then isn't there an incentive for the government to change wages so that people can live properly and be sustainable? The garment industry plays a big role in their economy and thus shouldn't the government be promoting it? This could be one way the country could grow, why is the government not taking advantage of it?
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