UPDATE: Due to turbulent protests faced by Oppo, following denigration of the national flag by a Chinese employee, the Noida Sector 63 manufacturing facility was terminated for the time being. Since the company has sacked the employee for the immoral act he did, Oppo will soon reopen this closed facility. Stating the same, a statement released by Oppo read as,
The factory will be re-opening soon and we do not expect any impact on the supplies because of the production of our overseas units, We are assessing the situation and will update you on the developments at an appropriate time.
PREVIOUSLY: The Noida unit for smartphone maker Oppo testified to hours long protests on Tuesday, post a Chinese employee allegedly tore and threw the Indian National Flag on the factory premises.
It is being said that the incident took place Monday night following which Uttar Pradesh Police initiated the investigation of the matter on Tuesday. Witnessing the tragic happening in India, which is one of the key markets for Oppo, not only did the company apologised in a press release but further announced today that the company has fired the employee from China who did the disrespectful task. Oppo stated,
Based on the recent incident and after thorough investigation with the concerned authorities, we have found that a worker discarded the Indian Flag from the table during regular external material check. OPPO India regrets this unfortunate incident and reaffirms that this is an individual’s behavior that in no way represents our company’s position.
Apart from being sacked out, a case has been filed against the accused employee against the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950, the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and the Flag Code of India. The reports relating to the matter were forwarded to the foreign ministry for an overview of the case. In defence of the his department, Lu Kang, foreign ministry spokesperson previously stated,
The Chinese government always asks its Chinese enterprises and staff overseas to abide by local law and regulations and respect local practices and customs,We also hope that the legitimate rights of the Chinese enterprises and staff will be safeguarded under the strict regulations of law.
Since foreign players occupy a large chunk of industry space and have immense growth opportunities in the nation, such activities usually grab attention and create objective situations. Anticipating the trouble, other Oppo offices were also shut down in the vicinity.
Speaking of the incident, Oppo further said,
We have ZERO tolerance for such matters and have taken strict action in terminating the individual and continue working very closely with the authorities on the matter.
