'All my dreams are shattered' - Coronavirus crushes Asia's garment industry

Since the 1960s, Asia has grown into the world's garment factory, sending about $670 billion worth of clothes, shoes and bags a year to Europe, the United States and richer Asian countries

By Thu Thu Aung, Ruma Paul and Poppy McPherson

Zarchi Lwin pawned her only two gold bangles for $140 when the owner of the Myanmar factory where she sewed winter coats for British retailer Next Plc shut it down after orders dried up due to the coronavirus.

She is one of hundreds of thousands of garment workers across Asia who have been laid off, according to the Workers Rights Consortium, a labour rights campaign group, and are now struggling to survive with little welfare support, mired in debt and in many cases reliant on food handouts.

"If I have a