p2pnet.net News:- Retribution has been swift for two Chinese journalists who first reported staff at Apple iPod maker Foxconn were working under allegedly bad conditions.

They’re being sued by Foxconn subsidiary the Hongfujin Precision Industry Shenzhen Company in what China Daily says is the largest sum in damages ever sought in a Chinese defamation case, and the first defamation lawsuit against individual journalists in China.

In June Britain’s Mail on Sunday said workers building Apple iPods, “mostly young women from rural areas of China” labouring in, “15-hour shifts,” were, “housed in dormitories from which outsiders are banned, and regularly pay about half their wages for room and board charges”.

Apple later admitted there were, “violations to our Code of Conduct”.

Now China Business Net reporters Wang You and Weng Bao are being sued for RMB30 million (about $3,767,755) for, “causing harm to Foxconn’s reputation,” says ChinaTechNews, going on:

“Foxconn is asking the court to seal and freeze the journalists’ personal assets for picking up this story and reporting it in the Chinese media. CNB says that it will give full support to its journalists and protect their rights.”

The case is, “being processed and a verdict might not be reached for a few months,” adds the story.

Reporters Without Borders wants Apple boss Steve Jobs to intercede with Foxconn.

In a letter, “These two journalists were responsible for an article on 15 June criticising work conditions at a Foxconn plant,” says RWB, going on:

At Foxconn�s request, the Shenzen intermediate people�s court froze their assets – apartments, bank accounts and cars – on 10 July. Foxconn then brought a lawsuit accusing them of ’smearing its reputation’ and demanding 30 million yuan (3 millions euros) in damages.

We know that Apple is already aware of this case. After the London-based Daily Mail newspaper ran a story about it on 11 June, your company reacted by investigating conditions at Foxconn�s plants and discovered that your supplier had indeed violated several aspects of your code of conduct, including those concerning the length of the working week and days off.

We believe than all Wang and Weng did was report the facts and we condemn Foxconn�s reaction. We therefore ask you to intercede on behalf of these two journalists so that their assets are unfrozen and the lawsuit is dropped.

Meanwhile, Weng Bao and Wang You have opened a blog on Chinese website www.sina.com.cn to voice their grievances, says China Daily.

“The first article was posted at 4:10 p.m. Monday and had been read by 69,675 Internet users in the first 26 and a half hours,” it says, going on:

“Weng said in the blog that he was under tremendous pressure. ‘It is the most difficult time for me since I began to work for media ten years ago.’

“Wang You said her home, which was included in the list of frozen assets, was a gift from her parents who spent all their savings, and in the bank account was money given by her mother for a dowry.”

Also See:
China Daily – Journalists involved in defamation case open blog, August 29, 2006
mostly young women – iPod sweat-shop accusation, June 15, 2006
later admitted – Apple’s China iPod report, August 18, 2006
ChinaTechNews – Foxconn Sues Journalists For Reporting Tech Labor Issue, August 29, 2006
Reporters Without Borders – Apple Computer urged to intercede for two reporters who exposed bad conditions at supplier�s plants, August 29, 2006

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