The security forces in the countries most at risk have not shown themselves in the past to be particularly conscious of human rights when quelling social protests. None of the Asian countries most affected has a particularly good record on labour rights. But now, in an effort to lure foreign investors, governments may promise to introduce anti-union measures and restrictions on freedom of association. With a workforce already anxious about job losses, such measures are hardly like to reduce the prospect of labour unrest. No economic or political crisis in Asia in recent memory has been resolved by violations of human rights.
Human rights abuses only speed up a government's loss of legitimacy and lead to greater instability.
It is time to experiment with reforms that increase, not decrease, the ability of workers to bargain collectively on wages and benefits. In a time of crisis, top-down decisions without worker involvement are guaranteed to breed resentment. Migrant workers are particularly vulnerable. Now countries that have traditionally received migrant workers with open arms want the jobs for their own citizens. Malaysia initially announced it would be sending back 1m foreign workers, mostly Indonesians, with some Bangladeshis and Filipinos.