Workers' struggles in East Asia (March 2012)

This month there has been news from Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, North Korea, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Most notable has been to continuing strike wave in China and massive, widespread, militant protests against a proposed increase in fuel prices in Indonesia which appear to have been successful.

The most important stories:

-WSWS Asia 10: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
-WSWS Asia 17: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
-WSWS Asia 31: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
Burma/Myanmar 2: Tai Yi Strikers Win Wage Hike (link 1) (link 2)
Cambodia 8: Protest against water prices ends in success (link 1)
Cambodia 16: Strike at garment factory over firing of unionist, and successful strike at another (link 1)
Cambodia 17: Strike at garment factory continues (link 1)
Cambodia 20: Strike at Han Sung garment factory continues (link 1)
Cambodia 21: Protest over land seizure blocks road (link 1)
Cambodia 22: Strike at Evergreen garment factory - conflict between unions (link 1)
Cambodia 23: Strike at garment factory - Win Shing-tex Cambodia Co Ltd (link 1)
Cambodia 28: Strike by garment workers attacked by police (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
China 3: Thousands protest against Hong Kong's outgoing leader (link 1) (link 2)
China 3: Strike at Foxconn factory in Taiyuan, Shanxi (link 1)
China 5: Strikes and worker protests continue throughout February (link 1)
China 13: Thousands Protest Coal-Plant Project in Hainan (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
China 22: Transport workers stage two days of strikes in six cities after fuel price hike (link 1)
China 25: Protest against new Hong Kong executive (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
China 26: Protest against Police for 'Abusive' Behavior in Two Cities (link 1)
China 28: A Decade of Change: The Workers� Movement in China 2000-2010 (link 1) (link 2)
Indonesia 1: Strike by plantation workers for salary bonus (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
Indonesia 6: Strike by power plant workers against manager (link 1)
Indonesia 8: Workers attack office of Department of Work in action against casualisation (link 1)
Indonesia 12: Protestors block entrance to Exxon's Cepu oilfield (link 1)
Indonesia 14: Protest over fuel price rise (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
Indonesia 21: Protests against increase in fuel price nationwide (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9) (link 10) (link 11) (link 12) (link 13) (link 14) (link 15) (link 16) (link 17)
Indonesia 27: Protests against fuel price hike continue (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9) (link 10) (link 11) (link 12) (link 13) (link 14) (link 15) (link 16) (link 17) (link 18) (link 19) (link 20) (link 21) (link 22) (link 23) (link 24) (link 25) (link 26) (link 27) (link 28) (link 29) (link 30) (link 31) (link 32) (link 33) (link 34) (link 35) (link 36) (link 37) (link 38)
Indonesia 31: After massive protests parliament blocks fuel prices hike (link 1)
Philippines 6: Cleaning workers strike for reinstatement (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
Philippines 12: Labor department agrees with demand of striking PUP janitors (link 1)
Philippines 14: Protest against fuel price rise (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8)
South Korea 6: Strike in media spreads (link 1) (link 2)
South Korea 21: Strike and protest by journalists in Seoul against politically biased censorship of news (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
Thailand 13: 300 Seiko Instruments workers protest (link 1)
Thailand 15: Protest by workers to guarantee their jobs (link 1)
Vietnam 21: Farmers protest at the head office of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in Hanoi (link 1) (link 2)
Vietnam 22: Protest against land seizure (link 1)

All reports ordered by country and date:

-WSWS Asia

3: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
10: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
17: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
31: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)

Burma/Myanmar

2: Tai Yi Strikers Win Wage Hike (link 1) (link 2)
6: Tai Yi footwear workers form unofficial union (link 1)
12: Lawyer for Thai Yi workers applauds tribunal decision (link 1)
15: Protest against Dam (link 1)
15: Residents protest toxic mine in Shan state's Muse township (link 1)
22: Protest to free political prisoners (link 1)
26: Federations to oversee labour strikes (link 1)

Cambodia

8: Protest against water prices ends in success (link 1)
16: Strike at garment factory over firing of unionist, and successful strike at another (link 1)
17: Strike at garment factory continues (link 1)
20: Strike at Han Sung garment factory continues (link 1)
21: Protest over land seizure blocks road (link 1)
22: Protest over Boeung Kak Lake land seizures in Phnom Penh (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
22: Strike at Evergreen garment factory - conflict between unions (link 1)
23: Strike at garment factory - Win Shing-tex Cambodia Co Ltd (link 1)
28: Protest against illegal logging at sawmill (link 1)
28: Strike by garment workers attacked by police (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)

China

1: China grapples with its own 'Kudankulam' protests (link 1)
3: Thousands protest against Hong Kong's outgoing leader (link 1) (link 2)
3: Strike at Foxconn factory in Taiyuan, Shanxi (link 1)
5: Wukan Votes in Protest Leaders (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5)
5: Strikes and worker protests continue throughout February (link 1)
6: Gvt taxi reforms unlikely to reduce strikes and protests -just yet (link 1)
13: Wielding the Law to Defend Black Lung Victims (link 1)
13: Thousands Protest Coal-Plant Project in Hainan (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
19: Please call: Shanxi trade union officials �reach out� to workers (link 1)
22: Transport workers stage two days of strikes in six cities after fuel price hike (link 1)
25: Protest by migrant workers in Hong Kong against visit by Indonesian prime minister (link 1)
25: Protest against new Hong Kong executive (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
26: Protest against Police for 'Abusive' Behavior in Two Cities (link 1)
28: Behind the Scenes of a Rebellion (link 1) (link 2)
28: A Decade of Change: The Workers� Movement in China 2000-2010 (link 1) (link 2)

Indonesia

1: Protest against workers' dismissal (link 1)
1: Protest by workers at sauce factory wins wage rise (link 1)
1: strike by bus drivers for wage increase (link 1)
1: Strike by plantation workers for salary bonus (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
5: Protest against increase in fuel prices (link 1)
6: Strike by power plant workers against manager (link 1)
8: Workers attack office of Department of Work in action against casualisation (link 1)
12: Tensions Rise Over Indonesian Fuel Prices (link 1)
12: Indonesia Freeport mine resumes work after violent strike (link 1)
12: Protestors block entrance to Exxon's Cepu oilfield (link 1)
13: Workers rally across Indonesia on IWD to say Stop Nespressure (link 1)
14: Protest over fuel price rise (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
19: Strike at PT. NBC (link 1)
21: Around 10 Ribu Workers to Hold Protest (link 1)
21: Protests against increase in fuel price nationwide (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9) (link 10) (link 11) (link 12) (link 13) (link 14) (link 15) (link 16) (link 17)
22: Protest against land grab (link 1) (link 2)
27: Protests against fuel price hike continue (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9) (link 10) (link 11) (link 12) (link 13) (link 14) (link 15) (link 16) (link 17) (link 18) (link 19) (link 20) (link 21) (link 22) (link 23) (link 24) (link 25) (link 26) (link 27) (link 28) (link 29) (link 30) (link 31) (link 32) (link 33) (link 34) (link 35) (link 36) (link 37) (link 38)
31: After massive protests parliament blocks fuel prices hike (link 1)

Japan

6: Language school firm will appeal decision Berlitz court ruling unequivocal on right to strike (link 1)
11: Japanese protest nukes on tsunami anniversary (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
18: A Revolt, the Quiet Japanese Way (link 1)
23: Former Goldman Employees Form Union in Japan (link 1) (link 2)

Malaysia

1: �We don't want your radioactive pollution!� Malaysians tell Australians (link 1)
8: Villagers attack police post over illegal racing crackdown (link 1)
13: Protest over land torches tractors (link 1)
18: In sleepy Johor, refinery plans rile residents (link 1)
18: Maybank dismisses 2 workers without just cause and terrorizes others, HELP US STOP THIS TYRANNY NOW! N.U.B.E Online Campaigns (link 1)
30: Protest against iron ore plant (link 1)

North Korea

15: Underground railroad faces barriers (link 1)

Philippines

1: Groups from Northern Luzon hold protest against mining corporations (link 1)
6: Cleaning workers strike for reinstatement (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
8: Women to protest increasing prices of oil, basic commodities on March 8 (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
12: HSBC employees hold prayer-protest vs outsourcing (link 1)
12: Life a constant battle for Philippine squatters (link 1)
12: Labor department agrees with demand of striking PUP janitors (link 1)
14: Protest against fuel price rise (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8)
15: PALEA holds solidarity action for Port of Auckland wharfies (link 1)
21: Trade Unions Face An Environment Of Violence (link 1)
31: Protest against landgrabbing in Asia (link 1)

South Korea

1: South Korea's media (link 1)
6: Strike in media spreads (link 1) (link 2)
8: Protest Against Start of Jeju Naval Base Construction (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
16: Unionized non-regular workers of Hyundai Motor chant slogans in front of the ... (link 1)
21: Strike and protest by journalists in Seoul against politically biased censorship of news (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
26: Protest against Nuclear Security Summit ... (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7)

Taiwan

1: Tao protest against nuclear waste (link 1)
11: Taiwan anti-nuclear protests mark Japan catastrophe (link 1) (link 2)
21: Labor rights group threatens to protest over dual minimum wage system (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
23: Daycare center teachers protest against new law (link 1)
27: Protest against proposed tuition increase (link 1)

Thailand

12: Roads blocked in three areas over separate issues (link 1)
12: Protest against power plant blocks road (link 1)
13: 300 Seiko Instruments workers protest (link 1)
15: Protest by workers to guarantee their jobs (link 1)
20: Southerners protest at megaproject plans (link 1) (link 2)

Vietnam

21: Farmers protest at the head office of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in Hanoi (link 1) (link 2)
22: Protest against land seizure (link 1)