Malaysian authorities arrested 17 people in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, after labour activists marched through the city centre with banners calling for better rights for plantation workers.
"May Day is an act of solidarity, recognized even by the state," organizers said. "The police action mocks fundamental rights of workers to assemble peacefully."
In Jakarta, more than 3,000 Indonesian workers were outnumbered by 7,000 police as they demanded the government renew its commitment to labor reforms and declare May 1 a national holiday, police said. At least 15 arrests were reported.
RSS