Video showing migrant worker moved by forklift prompts action from South Korea's president
'After watching the video, I couldn't believe my eyes,' President Lee Jae Myung wrote Thursday in a Facebook post. 'That was an intolerable violation and clear human rights abuses of a minority person.'
In a Cabinet Council meeting later, Lee again condemned the abuse and raised concerns about South Korea's international image. He ordered government ministries to determine the status of human rights violations facing migrant workers and other minorities in South Korea and find realistic steps to prevent such abuses.
South Korean human rights activists on Wednesday released the video filmed at a brick factory in the southwestern city of Naju in late February. They said it was filmed and provided by a fellow Sri Lankan worker.
The video shows a forklift driver, who has been identified as a South Korean, lifting another worker who is bound with plastic wraps and tied to bricks. The driver moves him around the factory yard in the vehicle while the sound of laughter from another person can be heard.
The 31-year-old victim, who came to South Korea in November, suffered the abuse for about five minutes as a punishment imposed by the South Korean forklift driver who wasn't happy with his brick wrapping skills, according to Mun Gil Ju, one of the local activists involved in the video's release.
Naju city officials said the head of the factory told them he had been informed the event was organized as a prank. But Mun said 'bounding a person with plastic wraps' cannot be dismissed as a prank.
The company has about 24 workers, including seven from East Timor and Sri Lanka along with South Koreans. The Sri Lankan victim still works for the factory, according to Naju officials.
The Labor Ministry said in a statement Thursday it will launch an investigation of the factory and inspect whether foreign workers there have experienced beating, bullying and overdue wages.
Hundreds of thousands of migrants, mostly from Southeast Asia and China, take low-paying or dangerous work at factories, farms and other sites where activists say many experience discrimination and abuses.
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CNN
31 minutes ago
- CNN
Money, sex and a Buddhist monk: Head of China's famed Shaolin Temple under investigation
China's famed Shaolin Temple announced on Sunday that its abbot is under investigation for suspected embezzlement and 'improper relationships' with women, reviving decade-old allegations against the controversial, high-profile monk. Shi Yongxin, known as 'CEO monk' for his entrepreneurial endeavors that transformed the Buddhist monastery into a commercial empire, is suspected of criminal offenses including embezzlement and misappropriation of project funds and temple assets, the temple's authority said in a statement. The 59-year-old monk was also accused of seriously violating Buddhist precepts by maintaining 'improper relationships' with multiple women over an extended period and fathering at least one child, according to the statement. Buddhist monks in China have traditionally been expected to take a vow of celibacy. '(Shi) is currently under joint investigation by multiple departments. Further information will be released to the public in due course,' the statement added. CNN has not been able to contact Shi. Established more than 1,500 years ago in the forested mountains of central China, the Shaolin Temple is both a religious and cultural icon, renowned for its age-old tradition of Zen Buddhism and Shaolin kung fu – a distinct form of Chinese martial arts. Shi, who became the abbot of the Shaolin Temple in 1999 and was a member of China's rubber-stamp parliament for two decades, has frequently appeared in the media spotlight. Known as the first Chinese abbot to hold a Master of Business Administration degree, he was often seen globetrotting with an iPhone in hand, meeting world leaders and industry titans – from the late Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, late South African president Nelson Mandela, and Henry Kissinger to Apple CEO Tim Cook. In February, Shi led a delegation of monks from the Shaolin Temple to the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis. But unflattering headlines have dogged the Buddhist monk for years – including his acceptance of a 1 million yuan ($140,000) car from the local government as a reward for promoting tourism in 2006. Responding to a public outcry at the time, Shi told state media: 'Monks are also citizens. We have fulfilled our duties and made contributions to society, so it is only right that we receive rewards.' His focus on promoting the Shaolin brand and turning it to multimillion-dollar business has attracted fierce criticism, especially from some followers who saw excessive commercialization as corrupting the spiritual integrity of the religious institution. He staged Shaolin kung fu performances around the world, licensed the temple's name out to cartoons, movies and video games, and established a business empire that includes publishing, traditional Chinese medicine, tourist development and real estate. For his part, Shi has defended his efforts to commercialize the Shaolin brand and promote it globally. After writing a $3 million check to an Australian town in 2015 to build a Shaolin branch there, Shi Yongxin told state-run Xinhua news agency: 'If China can import Disney resorts, why can't other countries import the Shaolin Monastery?' 'Cultural promotion is a very dignified undertaking,' he said. Later that year, a self-identified Shaolin insider posted a series of explosive allegations on Chinese social media, depicting Shi as an embezzler and womanizer with illegitimate children. The accuser included documents dating back to the late 1980s purportedly showing Shi being kicked out of Shaolin following theft and other accusations from his own master. Among the documents posted online was a birth certificate for one of the abbot's supposed illegitimate children, as well as photos of the alleged mother and the child. The allegations prompted an angry denial from the Shaolin Temple and an investigation from the country's religious affairs authorities. Asked by BBC Chinese at the time about the allegations, Shi said: 'If there were a problem, it would have surfaced long ago.' The authorities dropped the case in 2017, citing insufficient evidence. Three years later, Shi went on to be re-elected as the deputy head of the Buddhist Association of China – the state supervisory body on the religion – a position he has held since 2002, according to state media. On Monday, the Buddhist Association of China said in a statement that Shi had been stripped of his ordination certificate – an official proof of a monk's or nun's qualification to enter monastic life. 'Shi Yongxin's actions are of an extremely egregious nature, severely tarnishing the reputation of the Buddhist community and damaging the image of monastics,' the association said. 'The Buddhist Association of China firmly supports and endorses the decision to handle Shi Yongxin's case in accordance with the law.' Steven Jiang contributed to this report.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Head of China's Shaolin Temple removed over embezzlement claims
The head of the Chinese temple known as the birthplace of kung fu will be disrobed for "extremely" bad behaviour, Beijing's top Buddhist authority said Monday, after allegations of embezzlement saw him placed under investigation. The Shaolin Temple said on Sunday that Abbot Shi Yongxin, known as the "CEO monk" for establishing dozens of companies abroad, was suspected of "embezzling project funds and temple assets". The monastery said Shi had "seriously violated Buddhist precepts", including by allegedly engaging in "improper relationships" with multiple women. "Multiple departments" were conducting a joint investigation, it said in a statement on WeChat. In response, the Buddhist Association of China, overseen by the ruling Communist Party, said Monday it would cancel Shi's certificate of ordination. "Shi Yongxin's actions are of an extremely bad nature, seriously undermining the reputation of the Buddhist community, hurting the image of monks," the association said in an online statement. The association "firmly supports the decision to deal with Shi Yongxin in accordance with the law". Shi had previously been accused by former monks of embezzling money from a temple-run company, maintaining a fleet of luxury cars and fathering children with multiple women. China's government exercises authority over the appointment of religious leaders, and "improper" conduct is often grounds for removal from office. A hashtag related to the temple scandal had been viewed more than 560 million times on social media platform Weibo as of Monday morning. The last post to the abbot's personal account on Weibo declared: "when one's own nature is pure, the pure land is here in the present". Shi faced similar allegations in 2015 which the temple called "vicious libel". Shi, 59, took office as abbot in 1999 and in the following decades expanded Shaolin studies and cultural knowledge overseas. He helped the temple establish dozens of companies -- but received backlash for commercialising Buddhism. The temple, established in AD 495, is known as the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and Chinese kung fu. Shi was first elected vice-chairman of the Buddhist Association of China in 2002 and has served as a representative to the National People's Congress, the country's top lawmaking body. mya/oho/mtp Solve the daily Crossword
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
As Dubai cracks down on crowded jerry-rigged apartments, migrant workers have nowhere else to go
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Lights flicker, doors hang off their hinges and holes in the walls expose pipes in the apartment building where Hesham, an Egyptian migrant worker, lives in Dubai, an emirate better known for its flashy skyscrapers and penthouses . His two-bedroom rental unit is carved up to house nine other men, and what he calls home is a modified closet just big enough for a mattress. But now the government has ordered the 44-year-old salesman out of even that cramped space, which costs him $270 a month. He's one of the many low-paid foreign laborers caught up in a widespread crackdown by authorities in Dubai over illegal subletting. That includes rooms lined with bunk beds that offer no privacy but are as cheap as a few dollars a night, as well as partitioned apartments like Hesham's, where plywood boards, drywall and plastic shower curtains can turn a flat into a makeshift dormitory for 10 or 20 people. After a blaze at a high-rise in June, Dubai officials launched the campaign over concerns that partitioned apartments represent a major fire risk . Some of those evicted have been left scrambling to stay off the streets, where begging is illegal. Others fear they could be next, uncertain when or where inspectors might show up. 'Now we don't know what we'll do,' said Hesham, who's staying put until his landlord evicts him. Like others living in Dubai's cheapest and most crowded spaces, he spoke to The Associated Press on condition only his first name be used for fear of coming into the crosshairs of authorities enforcing the ban on illegal housing. 'We don't have any other choice,' he said. Dubai Municipality, which oversees the city-state, declined an AP request for an interview. In a statement, it said authorities have conducted inspections across the emirate to curb fire and safety hazards — an effort it said would 'ensure the highest standards of public safety' and lead to 'enhanced quality of life' for tenants. It didn't address where those unable to afford legal housing would live in a city-state that's synonymous with luxury yet outlaws labor unions and guarantees no minimum wage. Dubai has seen a boom since the pandemic that shows no signs of stopping. Its population of 3.9 million is projected to grow to 5.8 million by 2040 as more people move into the commercial hub from abroad. Much of Dubai's real estate market caters to wealthy foreign professionals living there long-term. That leaves few affordable options for the majority of workers — migrants on temporary, low-wage contracts, often earning just several hundred dollars a month. Nearly a fifth of homes in Dubai were worth more than $1 million as of last year, property firm Knight Frank said. Developers are racing to build more high-end housing. That continued growth has meant rising rents across the board. Short-term rentals are expected to cost 18% more by the end of this year compared to 2024, according to online rental company Colife. Most migrant workers the AP spoke to said they make just $300 to $550 a month. In lower-income areas, they said, a partitioned apartment space generally rents for $220 to $270 a month, while a single bunk in an undivided room costs half as much. Both can cost less if shared, or more depending on size and location. At any rate, they are far cheaper than the average one-bedroom rental, which real estate firm Engel & Völkers said runs about $1,400 a month. The United Arab Emirates, like other Gulf Arab nations, relies on low-paid workers from Africa and Asia to build, clean, babysit and drive taxi cabs. Only Emirati nationals, who are outnumbered nearly 9 to 1 by residents from foreign countries, are eligible for an array of government benefits, including financial assistance for housing. Large employers, from construction firms and factories to hotels and resorts, are required by law to house workers if they are paid less than $400 a month, much of which they send home to families overseas. However, many migrants are employed informally, making their living arrangements hard to regulate, said Steffen Hertog, an expert on Gulf labor markets at the London School of Economics and Political Science. The crackdown will push up their housing costs, creating 'a lot of stress for people whose life situation is already precarious,' he said. Hassan, a 24-year-old security guard from Uganda, shares a bed in a partitioned apartment with a friend. So far, the government hasn't discovered it, but he has reason to be nervous, he said. 'They can tell you to leave without an option, without anywhere to go.' Dubai has targeted overcrowded apartments in the past amid a spate of high-rise fires fueled by flammable siding material . The latest round of inspections came after a blaze in June at a 67-story tower in the Dubai Marina neighborhood, where some apartments had been partitioned. More than 3,800 residents were forced to evacuate from the building, which had 532 occupied apartments, according to a police report. That means seven people on average lived in each of these units in the tower of one-, two- and three-bedroom flats. Dozens of homes were left uninhabitable. There were no major injuries in that fire. However, another in 2023 in Dubai's historic Deira neighborhood killed at least 16 people and injured another nine in a unit believed to have been partitioned. Ebony, a 28-year-old odd-job worker from Ghana, was recently forced to leave a partitioned apartment after the authorities found out about it. She lived in a narrow space with a roommate who slept above her on a jerry-built plywood loft bed. 'Sometimes to even stand up,' she said, 'your head is going to hit the plywood.' She's in a new apartment now, a single room that holds 14 others — and sometimes more than 20 as people come and go, sharing beds. With her income of about $400 a month, she said she didn't have another option, and she's afraid of being forced out again. 'I don't know what they want us to do. Maybe they don't want the majority of people that are here in Dubai,' Ebony said.
