Last week protests by garment workers in Cambodia became increasingly violent as military forces clashed with civilians, monks, and other protestors. Five people have been killed and dozens more were injured by military units wielding everything from Chinese weapons to steel pipes. Thus far most of the focus has been on the end consumers of the garments to pressure their suppliers to improve working conditions. Information has just emerged however that the South Korean embassy has been using personal connections between the two countries? politicians to dispatch the Cambodian military to protect South Korean interests.
See "South Korea pulled strings as Cambodia violently smashed labor protest", Geoffrey Cain, Morning Sun, January 9, 2014