Japanese Firm Banned from Accepting Interns after Vietnamese Man Abused

Screenshot from video footage that shows a Vietnamese trainee (R) being hit with a broom-like object by a Japanese colleague in September 2020. Photo courtesy of Fukuyama Union Tanpopo

According to The Mainichi, the firm called Six Create in Okayama Prefecture in western Japan is prohibited from accepting technical trainees for the next five years under the administrative punishment issued by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan and the labor ministry.

"Acts of human rights violation against technical trainees must never take place," Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa said at a press conference in Tokyo, adding the government will take strict action if similar cases occur in the future.

The immigration agency has admitted that "human rights violations including assault" took place at the company.

Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa. Photo: AFP

The Vietnamese trainee, 41, has said he arrived in Japan in the fall of 2019 and that the abuse began around a month after he started work. He sustained serious injuries, including broken bones.

Video footage of the violence showed him being punched, hit about the head and body with a broom, and berated for failing to speak Japanese properly.

The man is demanding an apology and compensation from the construction company and an intermediate body which introduced the man to the company.

The agency is studying whether to file a criminal complaint against the Japanese coworkers and to take any action against the intermediate body, also based in Okayama.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MoFA) spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang. Photo: VNA

Speaking at a recent press conference, spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said after learning about the incident, the Vietnamese Embassy held a working session with Japanese competent agencies to verify the case and ask for investigation.

The embassy's officials also visited the man whose physical and mental health is stable now, the spokesperson added.

The Japanese Minister of Justice on January 25 asked the Immigration Services Agency of Japan to quickly conduct an investigation and handle individuals involved, and requested relevant firms to act to improve the support and protection of trainees.

The Japanese firm also admitted to its wrongdoings and pledged to compensate the trainee.

According to the spokesperson, the remaining Vietnamese trainees at this company have been moved to the management agency and they may be transferred to other workplaces.

The foreign ministry has directed the embassy to keep a close watch on the case and stand ready to take measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese citizens, Hang said, as cited by VietnamPlus./.

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