Workers' struggles in East Asia (May 2011)

This month there has been news from Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, North Korea, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.

Once again I haven't had so much time to put this together, so I haven't been able to comment on the most important events of the month, although I've listed them below. I also haven't had time to check the Welt in Umwältzung site for news, so if you speak German you can look here (and if you don't, Google translate or similar will give you an idea, then you can search for the original sources).

The most important stories:

Asia 1: Thousands march for May Day across inflation-hit Asia (link 1) (link 2)
Burma/Myanmar 24: Political prisoners protest in Myanmar for improved prison conditions (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
Cambodia 8: Cambodian police, factory workers clash, 15 injured (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
Cambodia 26: Worker march blocked (link 1)
China 1: Thousands in HK march for labor rights (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
China 1: Migrant Workers Stand Up (link 1)
China 10: After Teacher Beaten, Students Protest En Masse in China (link 1)
China 13: Eviction Death Sparks Clashes (link 1)
China 16: Mob Overturns Military Vehicle (link 1)
China 17: Maotai town stops forced relocation (link 1)
China 19: Man Behind "Great Firewall of China" Pelted with Eggs (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
China 19: Herders Clash With Truckers (link 1)
China 24: Inner Mongolia: Herders Take To The Streets, Four Arrested (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9)
China 25: Macau - Tsui Wah staff slam work conditions (link 1)
China 26: Mongolian Protests Spread (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9) (link 10) (link 11) (link 12)
China 26: Three Dead in Chinese Bombings (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
China 27: Unable to Stop Land Grab, Chinese Farmer Set Self Afire (link 1)
China 29: Protests Continue in Inner Mongolia (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)
China 30: Hong Kong march days before Tiananmen Square anniversary (link 1)
China 31: Protests Gather Momentum in Mongolia (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)
China 31: Protesters Defy Crackdown (link 1)
Indonesia 1: Thousands hit the streets to mark May Day in Indonesia (link 1) (link 2)
Indonesia 1: Workers call for end to outsourcing (link 1)
Japan 1: Thousands rally in Japan against nuclear power (link 1) (link 2)
Japan 24: Hiroshima protesters stage sit-in against new U.S. plutonium tests (link 1)
Malaysia 1: 18 Held At Protest Over Price Increases (link 1)
Malaysia 16: Thousands protest against rare earth refinery (link 1) (link 2)
Malaysia 18: Orang Asli hold protest against logging project (link 1)
Malaysia 20: Protest Friday in Kuala Lumpur Against Radioactive Thorium (link 1)
Philippines 1: Biggest Show of Protesters in May 1 'Day of Outrage' (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9)
Philippines 31: Labor groups prepare for protest vs wage hike (link 1)
South Korea 19: PROTEST LEADERS ARRESTED ON JEJU ISLAND (link 1)
South Korea 23: Strike at parts maker threatens auto industry (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8)
South Korea 24: S. Korea riot police raid strike-hit plant (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)
South Korea 30: Strike over performance pay at SC First Bank (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6)
Taiwan 1: Workers out in force on May Day (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9)
Taiwan 3: Pinoy, Fil-Taiwanese workers protest for labor rights (link 1)
Taiwan 24: Farmers protest over water resources (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
Vietnam 5: Vietnam troops use force at rare Hmong protest (link 1) (link 2)
Vietnam 17: Vietnam 'strikes rising' as inflation soars (link 1)
Vietnam 30: Seven Activists Ordered Jailed (link 1)

All reports ordered by country and date:

-Analysis

23: Protest With Chinese Characteristics by Ho-Fung Hung (link 1)

-History

29: Exodus to North Korea Revisited: Japan, North Korea, and the ICRC in the Repatriation of Ethnic Koreans from Japan (link 1)
30: China: Lessons of 1989 mass democracy movement (link 1)

-libcom articles

25: Hyundai strike hit with police repression in South Korea (link 1)

-WSWS Asia

7: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
14: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
21: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)
28: Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific (link 1)

Asia

1: Thousands march for May Day across inflation-hit Asia (link 1)
1: Thousands march for May Day across inflation-hit Asia (link 1) (link 2)
2: Exploited Workers of Southeast Asia Unable to Unite (link 1)
17: Southeast Asian Slums Network For Housing Rights (link 1)

Burma/Myanmar

24: Political prisoners protest in Myanmar for improved prison conditions (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)

Cambodia

2: Thousands march on International Labour Day (link 1)
2: SRP to distribute Vichea film (link 1)
8: Cambodian police, factory workers clash, 15 injured (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
20: Calls to free unionist (link 1)
25: Cambodian 'Avatars' call for forests to be saved (link 1)
26: Worker march blocked (link 1)
30: Factory employee charged with arson (link 1)

China

1: China Yields to Protests when Stability Matters (link 1)
1: The Silencing of China's Human Rights Lawyers (link 1)
1: Thousands in HK march for labor rights (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
1: Migrant Workers Stand Up (link 1)
4: Wuhan trade union signs collective contract for 450,000 catering workers (link 1)
4: Female Petitioner Stripped Naked, CCP Bureau Uses Her Case to Threaten Others (link 1)
4: One Human Rights Lawyer Released; Another Detained (link 1)
5: Activist Arrested for 'Subversion' (link 1)
6: Han Dongfang: Unions Are Good for Business in China (link 1)
6: China frees veteran labour activist after 10 years (link 1)
6: Foxconn Factories: How Bad Is It? (link 1)
6: Journalists Held in Crackdown (link 1)
6: Quake Parents Watched, Harassed (link 1)
7: Aging Victims of Cultural Revolution Still Battling for Benefits (link 1)
7: China frees labour activist after 10 years (link 1)
7: "Rotten Apple� - worldwide protests against IT giant's labour abuses (link 1)
8: China Blames Foreigners for Trying to Foment Unrest (link 1)
9: White collar workers yearn for a trade union of their own (link 1)
9: Minimum wage "only delays" labour issues (link 1)
10: Chongqing SWAT team wins wage arrears for migrant workers: Latest publicity stunt gets the popular vote (link 1)
10: China's Sharper Focus on Internal Security (link 1)
10: Underground Print Shops Deliver Truth to China's Masses (link 1)
10: Apple lovers overlook workers (link 1)
10: After Teacher Beaten, Students Protest En Masse in China (link 1)
11: Shenzhen backs down on migrant worker protest ban (link 1)
12: Beijing cancels debate on 1911 revolution (link 1)
12: The missing strikes (link 1)
13: Another slave labour brick factory uncovered in Guangdong (link 1)
13: Eviction Death Sparks Clashes (link 1)
15: Man Snatches Gun and Kills Police Chief in China (link 1)
15: China Sealing Cracks in the Great Firewall (link 1)
16: You can't sacrifice rights to make way for development (link 1)
16: Punishment for Price Hikes (link 1)
16: Rebalancing Through Wage Increases (link 1)
16: Mob Overturns Military Vehicle (link 1)
17: What lies behind trade union "success stories?" (link 1)
17: China's elite fears labor's potential leverage (link 1)
17: China: the end of cheap? Not so fast... (link 1)
17: Maotai town stops forced relocation (link 1)
19: Chinese villagers driven off land fear food may run out (link 1)
19: Man Behind "Great Firewall of China" Pelted with Eggs (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
19: Herders Clash With Truckers (link 1)
20: Foxconn Plant Blast in China Leaves Two Dead (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
20: Media Clampdown 'Political' (link 1)
23: Chengdu authorities seal off Foxconn factory after explosion kills three (link 1)
23: Hong Kong: Maids to protest if $4,000 wage not met (link 1)
23: Families say Foxconn not Cooperating (link 1)
24: Inner Mongolia: Herders Take To The Streets, Four Arrested (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9)
25: China's Jasmine Crackdown and the Legal System (link 1)
25: Chinese Prisoners Forced Into Lucrative Internet Gaming Scam (link 1)
25: Macau - Tsui Wah staff slam work conditions (link 1)
26: A 12-year struggle to obtain work-related injury compensation (link 1)
26: Mongolian Protests Spread (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9) (link 10) (link 11) (link 12)
26: Three Dead in Chinese Bombings (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4)
27: Unable to Stop Land Grab, Chinese Farmer Set Self Afire (link 1)
29: China Says Detained Artist Ai Weiwei's Company Evaded Taxes (link 1)
29: Protests Continue in Inner Mongolia (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)
30: China's Inner Mongolia urges better safety after protests (link 1)
30: Hong Kong march days before Tiananmen Square anniversary (link 1)
31: As Wages Rise in China, Manufacturers Look Elsewhere (link 1)
31: "Tiananmen Mothers" Speak Out (link 1)
31: Why Hong Kong business guru thinks higher wages are good for China (link 1)
31: Bans Cloak Reports of Deaths, Protests and Explosions (link 1)
31: Protests Gather Momentum in Mongolia (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)
31: Protesters Defy Crackdown (link 1)

Indonesia

1: Thousands hit the streets to mark May Day in Indonesia (link 1) (link 2)
1: Workers call for end to outsourcing (link 1)
2: Indonesian water workers gain 50% wage rise (link 1)
4: Unions back aviation workers in Indonesia (link 1)
12: Former McDonald's workers cry foul (link 1)
30: Bitter Harvest For Farmers in Iron-Rich Area Of Central Java (link 1)

Japan

1: Thousands rally in Japan against nuclear power (link 1) (link 2)
4: Japan nuclear energy: Japan islanders oppose proposed nuclear plant (link 1)
14: Japan Nuclear Crisis: Worker At Damaged Power Plant Dies (link 1)
23: Wage cuts for reconstruction (link 1)
24: Hiroshima protesters stage sit-in against new U.S. plutonium tests (link 1)
25: Japan: anti-government criticism on the rise (link 1)
25: In Japan, Fukushima Parents Grow Angry Over Radiation (link 1)

Malaysia

1: May Day: Asia's socialists -- Intensify the struggle against poverty and neoliberalism (link 1)
1: 18 Held At Protest Over Price Increases (link 1)
5: Sarawak Natives Fight for Land Rights (link 1)
7: Australia, Malaysia strike deal on boatpeople (link 1)
12: May Day arrests shame Malaysia (link 1)
13: Bidayuh villagers set fire to logging camps, 13 heavy machines (link 1)
16: Thousands protest against rare earth refinery (link 1) (link 2)
18: Orang Asli hold protest against logging project (link 1)
20: Protest Friday in Kuala Lumpur Against Radioactive Thorium (link 1)
31: Malaysia Rare Earths in Largest Would-Be Refinery Incite Protest (link 1)

Mongolia

15: Vast Mongolian shantytown now home to quarter of country's population (link 1)
24: Labor Investigation in Oyu Tolgoi Questions Chinese Workers (link 1)

North Korea

3: Political Prison Camps Expand (link 1) (link 2)

Philippines

1: Biggest Show of Protesters in May 1 'Day of Outrage' (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9)
4: W. Visayas wage board may announce new wage order by June (link 1)
6: Baguio Country Club staves off strike; Lepanto retrenches 400 (link 1)
6: Mindanao tribesmen fight for ancestral land (link 1)
11: Noynoy's paltry P22 allowance insults and deceives, groups say (link 1)
17: PALEA, PAL row far from over (link 1)
23: Pinoy workers to file case vs Saudi employer (link 1)
26: Wage board OKs P10 emergency allowance (link 1)
26: Philippine labor center shames Nestle on its100th year in PH (link 1)
28: Visayas groups prepare for protests to press wage demands (link 1)
31: Labor groups prepare for protest vs wage hike (link 1)

South Korea

1: New labor group to shake up unions (link 1)
12: No pay for Hyundai full time unionists (link 1)
19: PROTEST LEADERS ARRESTED ON JEJU ISLAND (link 1)
23: Strike at parts maker threatens auto industry (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8)
24: S. Korea riot police raid strike-hit plant (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)
26: Strike underscores oligopoly of auto parts makers (link 1)
30: Putting labor distortions to rest (link 1)
30: S Koreans protest US base pollution (link 1)
30: Strike over performance pay at SC First Bank (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6)

Taiwan

1: Workers out in force on May Day (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4) (link 5) (link 6) (link 7) (link 8) (link 9)
3: Pinoy, Fil-Taiwanese workers protest for labor rights (link 1)
7: Taiwan joins worldwide campaign against IT sweatshops (link 1)
13: Groups protest against ELF radiation (link 1)
19: Environmentalists blast president's nuclear policy (link 1)
20: Civic groups call on Ma to keep election promises (link 1)
20: Aboriginal activists criticize president (link 1)
24: Farmers protest over water resources (link 1) (link 2) (link 3)
28: Taiwan No Nuke hopes to emulate Japanese ideas (link 1) (link 2)

Thailand

24: Thailand's Monks Warned: "No More Politics" (link 1)

Vietnam

5: Vietnam troops use force at rare Hmong protest (link 1) (link 2)
6: Vietnam 'seals ethnic Hmong protest site' (link 1) (link 2)
17: Vietnam 'strikes rising' as inflation soars (link 1)
28: Land Activists Face Prison in Vietnam (link 1)
30: Seven Activists Ordered Jailed (link 1)