VOA慢速英语2021--缅甸危机伤害服装业、就业和希望

Myanmar Crisis Hurts Garment Industry, Jobs, Hope

Two years ago, Li Dongliang opened his clothes factory in Myanmar. Today, he fears he will be forced to close his business and lay off 800 workers.

Li's business had already been struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then on February 1, the army took over the country and arrested many of its democratic leaders. People began to protest and were attacked by the army. During the violence, someone set fire to Li's factory. New orders for clothes stopped.

Clothes make up a third of Myanmar's exports. Clothing factories employ about 700,000 workers, United Nations data shows. The problems facing clothing businesses in Myanmar have had a major effect on the country's economy.

"We would have no choice but to give up on Myanmar if there are no new orders in the next few months," Li told Reuters. He explained that he has been operating at about 20 percent of his normal work level. And he has already laid off 400 workers.

Li said he and many other business leaders were considering moving to other low-cost clothes manufacturing countries, like China, Cambodia and Vietnam. Several large, international clothes buyers have refused to trade with Myanmar because of the army takeover.

Chinese nationals like Li own and run nearly a third of Myanmar's 600 clothes factories, says the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association, a large investor¹ group.

At least two other Chinese-financed clothes factories in Myanmar have decided² to close, said Khin May Htway. She is managing partner of MyanWei Consulting Group, which assists Chinese investors³ in Myanmar. The two factories will lay off 3,000 workers.

Foreign investment in clothes rose sharply in Myanmar over the past ten years. Economic reforms, an end to Western sanctions and trade deals helped establish clothing as a major industry.

U.N. trade data shows that Myanmar clothing exports rose from less than $1 billion in 2011 to more than $6.5 billion in 2019.

But all clothing businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic, which brought on a recession. People have stopped going to stores to buy clothing. Ten of thousands of jobs have been lost in Myanmar and other parts of Asia.

Then the army took over the government.

The protests that followed made the streets dangerous and unpassable. Many people could not get to work. The banking⁴ system stopped working and it became impossible to get goods in and out of the country.

European and U.S. clothing importers said in a statement last month that they would not pull out of Myanmar. But they may not have a choice if the country's situation does not change.

Some large clothing companies recently decided to halt orders from Myanmar. One of them was Sweden's H&M, the world's second-largest clothes seller.

In Vietnam, clothes factory owner Ravi Chunilal told Reuters he was starting to get more business from European buyers leaving Myanmar.

"They don't want to abandon Myanmar ... but it's being forced upon them," said Peter McAllister of Ethical⁵ Trade Initiative. It is a labor⁶ rights organization whose members include many well-known European stores.

McAllister said it would be very difficult for Myanmar's clothes industry to recover if Chinese investors left. Many people have become loudly anti-Chinese since the army takeover because China has not condemned⁷ the army for its actions.

It was for this reason that several Chinese-owned factories, including Li's, were set on fire last month.

Rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns about Myanmar's clothing industry. The businesses employ mostly women workers who earn as little as $3.40 a day, the lowest pay in the area.

But the industry has provided an escape from poverty for many. Workers have left rural areas to work in the factories. They often send money back to their families.

Khin Maung Aye is the managing director of Lat War clothing factory, which employs 3,500 people. He says the industry could die if the military does not restore the democratically elected government.

That would result in "terrible outcomes of poverty," he said.

The United States has placed targeted sanctions on Myanmar's military government and has also ended all trade talks.

Words in This Story

lay off – v. to end employment for workers while there is not work for them to do

sanction – n. a restriction⁸, usually limiting trade, that are meant to cause a country to obey international law

abandon – v. to stop doing something before it is finished

1 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

4 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

5 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

8 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。