Responding to the allegations (Wednesday 22 July 2009), Apple gave a subtle warning to its suppliers, insisting they are required to treat workers with dignity and respect. The dead worker, Sun Danyong, 25, worked in product communications at Foxconn Technology Group, a Taiwanese firm that makes many Apple products at a massive factory in the southern city of Shenzhen, near Hong Kong.
Sun, who was responsible for sending iPhone prototypes to Apple, reported to his bosses that he was missing a unit at least a week. His apartment was then raided, he was beaten and imprisoned by security guards, his friends told a local newspaper.
Three days after reporting the missing iPhone, in the early hours of July 16, Sun jumped from the 12th floor of his apartment building, the paper said.
Although Apple and Foxconn have confirmed Sun's suicide, they have not provided details about the circumstances of his death, which have been reported by the state-run Southern Metropolis Daily, one of the region's most popular papers.
Jill Tan, an Apple spokeswoman in Hong Kong, issued a brief statement about the incident.
“We are saddened by the tragic loss of this young employee, and we are awaiting results of the investigations into his death," Tan said. “We require our suppliers to treat all workers with dignity and respect."
Sun, like other employees dealing with Apple's new products, was under huge pressure to maintain a high-level of secrecy over the gadgets. The launches of new Apple products produce huge anticipation and excitement in fans and the media and the technology giant is constantly targeted by journalists, fans and its competitors who want to uncover its secrets.
The security chief who is alleged to have led the raid on Sun's house has been suspended and turned over to the police, Foxconn said in a statement.
Gu Qinming denied hitting Sun, adding that he thought the employee was lying about the missing device. After the raid failed to uncover the missing iPhone, the employee had been ordered to go to Gu's office on July 15, he told the Southern Metropolis Daily.
“I got a bit agitated. I pointed my finger at him and said that he was trying to shift the blame," Gu was quoted as saying.
“I was a little angry and I pulled his right shoulder once to get him to tell me what happened. It [the beating] couldn't have happened," he told the paper. Local police declined to respond to questions.
Foxconn executive Li Jinming said in a statement that Sun's death revealed that the company had to work harder to help employees deal with psychological pressures. “Sun Danyong graduated from a good school. He joined the company in 2008. He had an extremely bright future. The group and I feel deep pain and regret when a young person dies like this," he said.
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