A whistleblower who exposed the illegal labor practices of students at Amazon device factories claims he was being tortured by police
In August 2019, it was
Alexa whistleblower demands Amazon apology after being jailed and tortured | Amazon | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jan/30/alexa-factory-whistleblower-i-was-tortured-and-jailed-now-amazon-should-apologise
Major IT companies like Amazon and Apple outsource the manufacturing of their devices to external companies like Foxconn . In recent years, these subcontractors have been accused of poor labor practices . In August 2019, it was discovered that students aged 16 to 18 were illegally employed at a Foxconn factory in Hengyang, Hunan Province , China, which produces devices like the Amazon Echo and Kindle. While employing students is not illegal, Foxconn's factories were found to have forced students to work night shifts and overtime, which are prohibited by law, with the cooperation of teachers.
Schoolchildren in China work overnight to produce Amazon Alexa devices | Global development | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/aug/08/schoolchildren-in-china-work-overnight-to-produce-amazon-alexa-devices
In order to reduce recruitment costs and supplement the workforce during peak production periods, Foxconn hired more than 1,000 students from nearby high schools and vocational schools as 'interns.' Some students were employed for periods of more than two months, and uncooperative students were reportedly subjected to violence by teachers and threatened with adverse effects on their graduation and scholarship applications.
The whistleblower on this issue was Tang Mingfang, who was working as a supply chain monitor at a Foxconn factory at the time. Tang, 43, said he accessed the factory's computer system and came across information about the students' illegal labor practices. 'I could clearly see how the students were punished and assaulted by their teachers. I believe these practices are wrong and illegal,' Tang said.
After discussing the Foxconn issue with his colleagues, Tang contacted China Labor Watch (CLW), a Chinese NGO working to improve working conditions, to report the illegal labor practices. Tang then shared some of the company's internal documents with CLW, which he had photographed on his cell phone. As a result, media outlets around the world reported on the illegal labor practices at Amazon's subcontractor factories. In response, Amazon sent its own staff to the factories to conduct investigations, and Foxconn compensated the low-wage workers who produced Amazon devices.
However, Foxconn's management dismissed most of the temporary and student workers and launched an investigation into the leak of internal documents, leading to Tang's arrest by Chinese authorities in August 2019. 'I had never been arrested before, so it was very scary. I especially panicked after being handcuffed,' Tang said of the incident.
Although he was released after just two days after his first arrest, Tang was arrested again a month later and subjected to harsh interrogation during his detention. 'The police officers repeatedly beat me during interrogation,' Tang said. 'I refused to sign (the confession document) seven times. The angry officers handcuffed me to the bed frame, preventing me from standing or sitting, and forcing me to stay crouched overnight.' He claims he was tortured to confess.
'My father always taught me to be a good person, and I believed that justice should be served, so I followed my heart and reported the serious violations at the Foxdonn Hengyang factory. However, my imprisonment took a great toll on myself and my family,' Tang said, expressing regret that he was unable to attend his father's funeral.
After serving his sentence and being released, Tang filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn his conviction, claiming that the confession that led to his conviction was coerced through illegal torture. While aware of the risk of retaliation, Tang also filed a public lawsuit to appeal to Amazon, which outsourced device manufacturing to Foxconn. 'I believe Amazon owes me an explanation. Did I really deserve to be sent to prison? If not, Amazon, along with their partner Foxconn, should apologize to me, help me with my lawsuit, and provide compensation,' Tang said.
In a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Tang wrote, 'It was a high price to pay, but if this situation comes to your attention and you act on behalf of all Amazon supplier employees, I believe it will be worth it.' 'Finally, as your loyal admirer, a former employee of your company, a victim, a son, a husband, and a father, I ask the following: I ask that Hengyang Foxconn face up to its problems, apologize to me, and ultimately contact the local court to assist in my appeal so that the court can overturn my conviction.'
Li Qiang, director of CLW, also sent a letter to Bezos urging him to support Tang. 'CLW calls on China to release this innocent volunteer who provided evidence of labor violations at an Amazon supplier factory, and we believe Amazon has a responsibility to thank Tang for his contribution to improving working conditions. All he did was report labor rights violations at an Amazon supplier factory. He committed no illegal act,' CLW said. 'It is unacceptable and unfair that Tang should serve time in prison for helping Amazon improve working conditions at a supplier factory.'
At the time of writing, Bezos had not responded to Tang, and Amazon has not indicated its intention to support Tang's lawsuit.
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