A Chinese man alleging he was imprisoned and tortured after he revealed substandard working conditions in factories making Amazon products is asking the company for an apology.
Tang Mingfang spent two years in prison after he shed a light on working conditions inside Foxconn factories manufacturing Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and Kindle devices, he told The Guardian. Tang alleges he was beaten and tortured by Chinese authorities during his internment.
“I think Amazon should give me an explanation, tell me if I really deserve to be sent to jail?” Tang said. “If not, Amazon should give me an apology, along with its partner, Foxconn, to assist me to appeal for a redress, and provide compensation.” (RELATED: Amazon Killed One Of Its Most Popular Features Because China’s Communist Party Demanded It)
Tang’s revelations included allegations that schoolchildren were forced to work long hours in the Foxconn factory, and that workers were forced to work past the allotted 36 hours of overtime in a month, with some units exceeding 100 hours a month, according to The Guardian.
Activists from the Extinction Rebellion (XR) climate change group block the exit of an Amazon distribution centre during a protest in Tilbury, east of London, on November 26, 2021. (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)
Amazon investigated the factory following Tang’s decision to speak up and Foxconn was fined for the labor violations, The Guardian reported. However, Tang told The Guardian he believes the company should have done more to protect him from reprisals.
Chinese authorities tortured Tang by handcuffing him in stress positions and slapping him, and that he was forced to sign a confession.
“I refused to sign seven times, and they got angry and handcuffed me to the bottom of the iron frame, unable to stand, squat, sit; only bending, half squatting all night. In the early morning, I could not stand anymore,” he told The Guardian.
“We do not tolerate violations of our supply chain standards,” an Amazon spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “We regularly assess suppliers, using independent auditors as appropriate, to monitor continued compliance and improvement – if we find violations, we take appropriate steps, including requesting immediate corrective action.”
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