East Asia

HONG KONG: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY STILL MEANS SOMETHING TO THESE WOMEN

Women workers took to the streets of Hong Kong for International Women's Day and directed their anger at both government of Hong Kong and Indonesian government. "We are women, we are workers!" The women complained about recruitment agencies that illegally overcharge women migrants.

Another group of women went after the sexism in the mass media. An example of what they were talking about concerned the outrageous sexist attacks and sexual harassment against well-known youth activist Christina Chan Hau-man by various gossip sheets and others.

May 17 2009 Libcom.org

Police apprehended more than 450 labor activists Saturday after a violent protest in Daejeon which left about 150 injured. Labour unrest is set to escalate this month as truck drivers plan to strike and a major labour umbrella group pledged to join.

Libcom.org May 6 2009

There were 58,000 “mass incidents”, the Chinese state's euphemism for strikes, street protests, roadblocks and other forms of mass protests, in China in the first three months of this year.

Chinaworker.info reports the monitoring agencies in Hong Kong, and cites the pace of job losses and migrants being forced to return home as the main causes. The figure covers protests which involved 25 or more people.

By AMBIKA AHUJA and GRANT PECK, Associated Press Writer Ambika Ahuja And Grant Peck April 12, 2009

By GRANT PECK, Associated Press Apr 8, 2009

BANGKOK – About 100,000 protesters seeking to topple Thailand's government turned their wrath Wednesday on the 88-year-old top adviser to the country's revered king, accusing him of undermining democracy by orchestrating a pivotal 2006 coup.

Jan. 19, 2009

SEOUL (Reuters) – Five South Koreans were killed on Tuesday when a five-storey building was engulfed in flames during a standoff between police and residents protesting demolition work in central Seoul, YTN cable news channel reported.

Libcom.org Dec 13 2008

Wildcat strikers at a South Korean owned firm returned to work yesterday 11 December gaining promises of improved working conditions.

Thanhniennews.com reported that on Thursday last week, around 1,300 workers gathered in front of Doosan Vina Company office in the Dung Quat Economic Zone in the central Quang Ngai Province to demand proper treatment and payment of allowances.

Libcom.org Dec. 5, 2008

The wildcat strike of more than 200 workers from a company in the central Quang Ngai Province escalated on Thursday.

Since Thursday morning, around 1,300 South Korean-owned Doosan Vina Company employees, gathered in front of the company office in the Dung Quat Economic Zone to emphasize their demand for proper payment of allowances.

Workers first walked off the job on Monday, saying Doosan Vina had not honored its promise to pay a range of allowances and hand out pay rises to employees once they’d completed four months of service.

Dec. 2, 2008

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP)– Thailand's prime minister was ousted Tuesday after weeks of protests closed the capital's airports, stranding 300,000 travelers. Protesters promised to lift their siege, and international flights were expected to resume Friday.

Nov. 16, 2008

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP)– In a devastating week for Myanmar's democracy movement, dozens of its members have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms, as the military-ruled government locks away writers and Buddhist monks — as well as musicians, a poet and at least one journalist.

Libcom.org Nov. 6, 2008

Thousands of taxi drivers took to the streets in the city of Chongqing earlier this week for improved conditions.

The strike, which began on Monday, saw 9,000 of Chongqing's taxis taken out of service as drivers protested over conditions; including high fees charged by their companies, unfair
competition from unlicensed cabs, and a shortage of fuel.

The Associated Press September 28, 2008

YANGON, Myanmar: About 100 Buddhist monks in a western Myanmar city staged a peaceful protest march to mark the anniversary of the bloody crackdown last year on pro-democracy demonstrators.

Meanwhile, in the country's biggest city, Yangon, recently released political prisoners helped celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the party led by the detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The police and other security personnel kept a close watch Saturday on the headquarters of the party, the National League for Democracy.

Sept. 23, 2008 International Metalworkers Federation

Following a wave of strikes, the South Korean government has unleashed a massive attack against the Korean Metal Workers' Union targeting more than 75 of the union's key leaders for arrest or investigation.