Kyrgyzstan, the tiny Central Asian republic of fewer than six million inhabitants, recently reported that its production of apparel goods and fabrics has grown by an astonishing 50 percent over the last five years.

Western apparel makers have come under critical fire lately for factory safety issues in Bangladesh. However, they now find themselves in the position of asking for help, worried about the gathering violence of factory worker protests.

Labor rights activists gathered outside of Walmart board member Christopher Williams’ Manhattan office Thursday in a display of organized dissent against the company’s decision to forego signing onto the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.