Foxconn Workers Riot at Taiyun, Abuse by Guards Suspected

More Foxconn woes appeared in the news today. The massive electronics manufacturer, who produces gadgets for many of the top electronics companies in the world including Apple, has had a riot at its Taiyun plant. The Taiyun plant is a campus focused on magnesium alloy, and it is where the backs for the new iPhone are manufactured.

While there is no official word on what caused the riot yet, it appears as if the riots were triggered by security guards who beat a Foxconn employee. The riot involved over 2,000 people, but thankfully no one was killed. 40 people were injured, though.

Thanks to China's draconian censorship, the site that originally posted the link no longer has the photos nor the content. Sina Weibo's material have been removed from the internet. But we know from previous reports that this factory is known for its... Shall we say extensive management and required overtime.

For all its claims, Foxconn has a surprising number of riots. This last June there was another riot at its Chengdu plant, though apparently that was caused by an argument between a restaurant owner and some workers. Whether that is the actual cause is unknown. Over the last several years several of Foxconn's plants have been engulfed by chaos. It does make you wonder: if Foxconn is actually one of the best places to work in China, why is there so much violence?

Another possibility is that this riot is related to the recent spate of riots against Japan due to a land dispute between the two nations. The violence sprang from the fact that both nations tried to claim ownership of a string of uninhabited islands called the Diayu by the Chinese and Senkaku by the Japanese. Japan tried to alleviate things by offering to purchase the islands, but mainland China did not take kindly to that action.

Foxconn has said that the violence has subsided, and the plant should be operational again tomorrow.

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