Once a bright spot in Myanmar's economy, the garment industry has been hit hard by the civil conflict in the country since the military took over in 2021.
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00:00The garment sector is one of a few bright spots in Myanmar's war-ravaged economy.
00:08According to the country's commerce ministry, its mills generated over three billion U.S.
00:12dollars last year, counting on big brand customers like Adidas and H&M.
00:17However, for workers like Wai Wai, who earns just over three dollars a day working 12-hour
00:22shifts in Yangon, even basic necessities remain out of reach after she sends money back to
00:27her parents in Rakhine State.
00:29The war, triggered by a military coup in 2021, has devastated Myanmar's economy and crippled
00:56many of its industries.
00:58Although now largely confined to remote rural areas, the conflict has caused a sharp rise
01:03in the cost of living in urban centers.
01:23In May, Myanmar's government said its grid was only meeting about half the country's
01:27electricity needs.
01:29As a result, companies like Marks & Spencer and Zara owner Inditex have left the country
01:33due to operating difficulties, and companies like H&M say they're phasing out operations.
01:39In the end, even keeping factories running is proving a challenge.
01:51The combination of dwindling profits and the ruling junta's need to bolster its ranks has
01:56led to a sharp increase in abuse.
01:58Rights groups say unions have been banned and their leaders arrested.
02:02And then there's the threat of conscription, which the junta began enforcing this year.
02:07Although women are currently exempt, many factory workers worry they won't be able to
02:11pave a bribe if they're called up.
02:28With a civil conflict in Myanmar set to continue, those in the country's garment industry find
02:33themselves caught between rising costs, declining wages, and growing uncertainty.
02:46What was once a rare bright spot in Myanmar's struggling economy now faces an increasingly
02:51dim future.
02:52Hank Hsu and Bryn Thomas for Taiwan Plus.