Some 1,000 Thai lingerie workers plan to protest outside the US embassy over a labour dispute, defying the post-coup government's ban o­n staging rallies, a union member said Saturday.The laid-off workers from Gina Form Bra, which makes underwear for US apparel giants such as Victoria's Secret, Calvin Klein and Gap, will rally o­n Sunday to demand severance payments, the union member said. Since a bloodless coup o­n September 19 that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra's government, Thai military leaders have imposed martial law, scrapped planned elections, banned public gatherings and threatened action against media. But the union member said they had no choice but to protest and insisted their planned gathering was not politically motivated.

"Of course, we are afraid of martial law, but we are really suffering," said the union member, who declined to be named.

Early this morning, the People's Volunteer Corps (RELA) raided the urban neighborhood of Jalan Imbi in Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur, taking into their custody over two hundred individuals, including over 50 asylum seekers from Burma. Forty-five men and seven women from Burma's Chin State have been taken to Lenggeng detention camp in Selangor State, located two hours outside of Kuala Lumpur. Hundreds of thousands of Chins have fled from Chin State to escape severe ethnic and religious persecution committed by the military regime.The raid began around 3:00 am and lasted over o­ne hour. Over 100 RELA volunteers, Malaysia's controversial untrained reserve force charged with frequent misuse of powers, ordered some 2,000 residents living in the Jalan Imbi area out of their urban flats and into a parking lot. They then systematically checked for immigration documents. Those holding official UNHCR cards were released while those whose cases are pending before the UNHCR were put o­n lorries and taken to the local Rela office. Most of the residents in the Jalan Imbi area are Chin asylum seekers and refugees.

October 6, 2006

Dear friends,

Our warmest greetings!The Workers Assistance Center, Inc, (WAC) is requesting for your prompt solidarity action in sending out protest letters regarding the o­n-going strike and rampant workers rights violations in two unions namely - Nagkakaisang Manggagawa sa Chong Won (NMCW) and Kaisahan ng mga Manggagawa sa Phils Jeon, Inc. (KMPJI) at the Cavite Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) in Rosario, Cavite.We are also requesting you to send protest letters to the respective Philippine embassies and consular offices in your countries as well as Korean embassies and consular offices asking them to implement corrective measures o­n the attitude and behavior of the Korean foreign investors abroad.

You can also sign to our o­nline petition at: http://www.petitiononline.com/wac925/petition.html

We Follow The Rule Of Law, Yet Our Rights Are Being Trampled

We, the striking workers from Chong Won Fashion Inc. (CWFI) and Philippines Jeon Garments, Inc. (PJI) at the Cavite Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) condemn to the strongest possible term the violence and the injury inflicted o­n us by the police and security forces of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). September 25 and 27 were the days we learned our painful lesson � that violence and repression is indeed a state policy!

We strongly condemn PEZA Director General Lilia de Lima for her unwritten order of food blockade, use of violence and superior force, and her blatant disregard of our rights to strike and to bargain collectively. Her office is hostile and its violent acts is an affront to the rights of the workers. De Lima�s order of food blockade had caused the arrest and detention and filing of fabricated charges of trespassing and inciting to sedition to eight (8) members of the Solidarity of Cavite Workers (SCW) who were caught secretly-storing the food supplies of the striking workers at CWFI. We follow the rule of law, yet our rights are being trampled and our bodies are being assaulted violently. Our Korean companies arrogantly mocked our law, yet they are not being clubbed to suffer head and body injuries but rather enjoy full protection and relentless favour from the government.

When South Korea joined the Organization of Economic and Commercial Development (OECD) in 1996, there was much hoopla and expectations. To the international community it appeared that South Korea was o­n the brink of shedding is shameful image of dictatorship that undermined democracy and fundamental trade union rights. At the time, South Korea had agreed that it would amend its existing labour legislation in line with existing international labour standards and OECD guidelines. However, ten years later, South Korea has still a long way to go. The recent repressive actions of the South Korean government under the Roh Moon Hyun administration clearly shows that South Korea has failed as an economically developed democratic country in ensuring fundamental trade union rights according to international labour standards.

In March of this year, the Governing Body of the ILO approved the interim report made by the Committee o­n Freedom of Association. Apparently, the South Korea case was the longest of outstanding case within the CFA aside from o­ne filed against Columbia. The recommendations raised serious concerns o­n the government�s repressions against trade unions, specifically the Korean Government Employees Union (KGEU) and the Korean Federation of Construction Industry Trade Unions (KFCITU). However, the government not o­nly has refused to implement these recommendations but more importantly it has chosen to intensify its attacks o­n the KGEU and the KFCITU, thus, snubbing its �nose� to international labour standards.