Foxconn “Suicides” & “Secrets”, Chinese Netizen Reactions

This morning, a 11th jumping occurred. Over the past week, Mileiux and I translated the below collection of Chinese netizen reactions to the recent news of Foxconn suicides, a motivational message to Foxconn employees by a man without arms, and an internet post by a person who claims to know the “dark secrets” behind the “suicides”. — Fauna

From Netease:

Jump #10 Occurred at Foxconn this Morning, 21 Year Old Worker Passed Away

Summary: Around 4am on the 21st, a 21-year-old male Foxconn employee suicide jumped from the dorms, dying from his grievous injuries. This is Foxconn’s 10th suicide jumping incident to happen so far in 2010.

Comments from Netease:

网易上海网友:

Once again proving a psychological theory, that successive individual behavior can influence the behaviors of the group. My respects to the dead.

网易广西网友:

Those who suicide jump are stupid X. If worst comes to worst just change your [work] environment/surroundings, there’s always hope as long as you’re still alive!

网易广东佛山南海网友:

This is suicide jumping, not diving, why [do they] not cherish their lives? If [they’re] not even afraid of dying, why are they afraid of not being able to solve their problems?

网易北京网友:

First, based on statistics, China’s suicide rate is 20 for every 100,000. Global average suicide rate is 10 for every 100,000, but the current Foxconn suicide rate is 1 for every 100,000. Consequently, from a statistical point of view, this is not abnormal. Next, Foxconn’s problem is the same problem as ours, confusion caused by the disparity between a person’s idealism and reality. But we have not committed suicide because we still have society’s support, we still have relatives that can understand when we confide in them and support us. However, Foxconn [employees] are largely single and from the countryside, with no relatives at their side, no good friends, no effective means of support through confiding in society. As for Foxconn’s wages, they are not as bad as some have claimed. Foxconn’s problem is just the result of employees exhibiting emotional problems and not having support from society, in addition to an uncertainty in their future life. Therefore, it’s easy to go to the extreme. I am a psychology student. On my honor, not wu mao.

网易吉林长春网 友:

I also want to die. But I want to leave something to my parents before dying. If someone is willing to provide 200,000 [RMB], I am willing to anything for this [before dying so it can be left to parents].

网易河北邯郸网 友:

Foxconn for sure beats and scolds their employees, a netizen already exposed the true facts. Stupid cunt psychologists still trying to analyze, lamentable, are they unable to get in touch with reality? Idiots.

网易河北石家庄网友:

Why not resign and find a better paying job, why not report to the police, why do the families all accept reconciliation/adjustments?
Because Foxconn’s wage is pretty good for that area,
Emotional problems, societal problems obviously cannot be reported to the police,
[it has] nothing to do with Foxconn, so of course family members accept the adjustments/reconciliations.

网易广东东莞网友:

Compared to China’s coal mines, chengguan beating people, the death of these few people is relatively insignificant, so how much should the country compensate [them]? It is just that they are Fortune 500, that “the tall tree catches the wind” [those at the top will be targeted]! Since you say their company is bad, you can quit right? Just resign and leave. Is leaping from a building going to solve your problem? Only 21-years-old, you guys are too irresponsible to the hardworking parents who raised you!!

网易广东广州网 友:

May I ask the high officials for Shenzhen, if it were your children who were jumping from buildings, would you not use your power to investigate?? Give the people lasting peace and stability!! Please investigate the truth for the victims, the victims’ family, and for the masses!

网易山东济南网友:

A while ago, a veteran of the Foxconn factory in Kunshan said that just barely two years in, several people had died! It’s just that they were covered up! However, now the people’s anger has been aroused and the government needs some measures. Only this way will lives not be ignored! Only this way can there be social fairness!

From Netease:

Shenzhen armless man uses feet to “tell Foxconn brothers and sisters a message”

May 19th, 12 o’clock noon. An astonishing sight in front of the pedestrian overpass at Shenzhen Foxconn’s southern entrance: an armless, optimistic man from Shandong province used his feet to write banners of encouragement to Foxconn employees, urging them those employees under stress to not rashly commit suicide by jumping off buildings. The heartfelt message written on the banner is “A gift: Foxconn brothers and sisters, life is priceless, filial piety is a must, man is never without a path, harmony depends on oneself”.

As a result of the man’s actions, many Foxconn employees began to gather around him as they got off work, quite a few people supported and admired his actions, and one by one went up to request banners of encouragement.

According to the man’s account, his severe injuries were caused a few years ago by a natural gas explosion while he was a chef in Beijing. Only after many surgeries was he able to pick up the pieces of his life but was also deeply aware that it wasn’t easy for his parents to raise him, filial piety was a must, and therefore, he began to practice “foot calligraphy” with much difficulty in order to share his parents’ burdens. His actions not only gave encouragement to the entire nation but also paid off the enormous medical bills that were owed. After seeing Foxconn’s “nine successive jumps” [i.e. nine people jumping] during the past few days, [he] was very pained. Considering that they still had four healthy limbs, they should be even more aware of the responsibility to filial piety and to society and hoped they won’t do any more foolish things and believe in never giving up hope.

Comments from Netease:

王小妞:

The message is a good message; the person is a good person! People live based on an attitude!

cxc2322:

People with healthy limbs should be embarrassed.

嘉州铁匠:

Mercilessly expose this evil company.

哪里有自由:

To live is an attitude!
Each person determines how they will live!
Sometimes [people] are forced into a helpless situation!
After seeing this dear friend, I think I will have a different outlook on life!

jodyzhong198:

Working brothers’ and sisters’ lives are too boring.

河南郑州网友:

High ambition despite a ruined body.

lsmtaojinze:

Yet another shocking event warning us that only a real love for life [allows us] to courageously face work, life’s challenges, and thus lead a splendid, happy life.

囧肌肉仦侽笙:

Foxconn bosses are indeed dark-hearted bosses.

网易火星网友:

Pictures look a little fake, as if they have traces of being tampered.

江苏苏州网友:

Publicity stunt successful, Brother Guo [Guo Taiming] should come and say something, otherwise the international “Legless super human” John Coutis will also come!

河北衡水网友”

This is someone hired by Foxconn.

人间一笑生:

Standing on one’s own feet, worthy of respect.

欧洲网友:

We have no reason to not live well.

qinqiangood:

Drive “attending the death pit” [fu si keng, pun on Foxconn’s Chinese name Fu Shi Kang] out of China

广东中山网友:

I have seen this man with my own eyes, a talented person for sure! Hope Buddha protects you, amen! Merciful Buddha! Virgin Mary!

From Mop:

I am a current employee in Foxconn’s logistics department, let me tell you the true dark secret behind the suicide jumps!

I am a current employee for Foxconn [“赴死扛” sounds similar to “富士康” (Foxconn) but also means “to die”], in the logistics department, which is relatively more free compared to being in the factories, and have been at F-M [Foxconn, this netizen thinks it is spelled “Foxxcom”] for over three years. Here, I do not want to talk about how tough the work is inside, I just want to share what I know.

I can take responsibility for everything I say: It looks like there are actually quite a lot of people who really believe these people all jumped to commit suicide?? According to what I personally know, amongst the dead there are a number who were beaten to death by security guards (the security guards I am talking about are not those who watch the gates, but our FOXXCOM (I know it is misspelled) internal [security guards]): One of them (I won’t say the name), because of youth, was for stealing one of the company’s electronics, and was beaten to death by the security guards and then thrown off the building. This victim had a hole on the left part of his chest, which was pierced through his ribs by the security guards with a metal pipe.

I just want to say one thing here, if Old Guo’s [Guo Taiming aka Terry Guo, the head of Foxconn] assistant wants to see Shenzhen’s “First Brother” (everyone should know what “First Brother” means [the boss/leader/top official of Shenzhen]), just a single phone call and Shenzhen’s “First Brother” rushes over, because the tax revenue and economy that F**M [Foxconn] brings to Shenzhen needs no mention. Every year, our public servant’s big big red envelope cannot be lacking. Just the monthly wages at the factory at the Longhua area alone are several billion. There are some things that our department knows. They will weigh the pros and cons, but could Fortune 500 FOXXCOM be closed down for several lowly people of our level? Simply impossible! Finally, let me summarize with one thing that is not the least bit exaggerated: At F**M [Foxconn], even if they dismembered you and say it was a suicide, then it was a suicide!!

This post, posted May 21st, now has over 102 pages of comments and replies. Is it real? Who knows.

Comments from Mop:

矿上上的矿石:

To be honest, I’m from the countryside, don’t quite understand what is called a harmonious society, is our society that shady? Out village’s secretary said our village is very good and is a model of a harmonious village because we are kind and considerate of others

我不是范儿:

Dare I ask are you in China (harmonized)? There wasn’t a year where my village chief wasn’t corrupt (harmonized), often would beat people to death (harmonized)

上QQ等红杏”

In a river crab society, anything is possible. Truly cupware. See who will dare join Foxconn in the future!

烽火火山:

“At F**M [Foxconn], even if they dismembered you and say it was a suicide, then it was a suicide!!” This is very normal in the Heavenly Kingdom [China], government and business collusion have taken us back to slave society.

开心一铭:

You are from within [the company]?? You dare speak the truth??? You’re prepared to be jump #11 ???

细臭蔷薇:

So shady!
Being an employee means becoming insignificant, how to protect the rights of this group of employees?! Even if there is a lawsuit, what are the chances of winning?
Appeal to the government to pay more attention and protect the rights of these weak groups!

℡皛婲戀詩:

This post will be hot, but I will worry on behalf of LZ~
If this matter turns out to be real… what kind of society is this!

kiki然:

Evil Guo Tai Ming [CEO of Hon Hai, which owns Foxconn], really want to kill him.

冰封忙着:

Speechless, in the Heavenly Kingdom [China], is anything we ordinary common people say of any use? Only when their own employees leap from buildings will the government take notice, then the problem will be within the care of the leadership, and under the leadership’s wise leadership, the Foxconn employees can push aside the dense fog to once again see the sun. So jump, the more people that jump, the better.

酒醉﹏思紅顏:

My beloved motherland is one big big big big big Foxconn.