There's been no particular secret about the string of suicides at the Foxconn facility, although it didn't really hit the headlines until the next to last(?) report when a person accused of being involved in the "new secret Apple device" being accidentally left on a bar stool took the dive after being "interrogated by management."

To date, I believe the count is something like 7 (or maybe it's 9?) dead and a couple of additional "unsuccessful attempts" at Foxconn.

The official company response has been the announcement that they will ask all their employees to sign a pledge "not to die" at the office, or something of the sort.

The plant appears to be manufacturer mainly for Apple, but is also reported to make computers for Dell and possibly others.

A couple of other Apple manufacturers in China have had reports of similar incidents, and various "human rights" groups have demanded investigations. While complaints about Foxconn have centered mainly on excessively long work hours, lack of breaks, unpaid overtime, and other such "working conditions," the demands for investigation at at least two other Chinese facility have cited "oppressive security restrictions" demanded by Apple (as imposed by the manufacturers) as a significant factor in employee morale difficulties.

Statements by the companies do not appear to agree with statements by employees that the "rights groups" claim to have in their possession; but it appears unlikely that anyone outside the companies will ever be permitted sufficient access to know what really goes on.

Apple has released a few news briefs claiming that they "inspect regularly to confirm humane working conditions," and they claim to have made complaints and demanded changes in some cases. The official Apple statements, however, give little detail on the actual conditions considered "sufficiently humane." I haven't seen anything that says whether inspections have been by Apple representatives based outside China, or whether they've hired local Chinese reps to take care of them - which might affect what's considered "normal."

No statements that I've seen have come from other "sellers" of products made by the companies in question; but that's probably because the sellers are considered less newsworthy.

John