A bipartisan group in Congress is calling for stronger enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). The senators are concerned that China is relocating Uyghurs to factories across the country.
Lawmakers urge action on Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act
In a letter, four US senators urged the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to expand its efforts. The senators were writing in response to new reports that China is moving Uyghur workers from the Uyghur Region to factories across the country to evade US import bans.
“It is clear […] that further measures are needed to drastically expand the UFLPA Entity List to address these forced labor transfer programs outside Xinjiang,” said Sen. Pete Ricketts in a statement. Senators Jeff Merkley, John Curtis, and Chris Coons, joined him in requesting a formal briefing by July 18.
The senators cited a recent joint investigation by the New York Times, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, and Der Spiegel documenting widespread forced transfers of Uyghur workers. Researchers identified at least 70 factories in five major industries using transferred Uyghur labor.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) expressed support for the senators’ demands. “The Chinese communist government must be held accountable for its oppression of Uyghur Muslims […] and it cannot be allowed to profit off of their crimes,” said CAIR’s Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw.
Global pressure mounts as evidence grows
Yahoo News reports,
The senators’ letter responds to a recent investigation by The New York Times, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Der Spiegel that documented widespread government-directed transfer of Uyghurs to factories across China. The investigation identified workers at over 70 facilities in five major industries that supply well-known brands. “For these Uyghurs being forced and dragged out of their homes to go to work, it’s hell,” Rahima Mahmut, executive director of Stop Uyghur Genocide, told the Times.
International pressure on Beijing is rising. On June 18, Argentina’s top criminal court approved legal proceedings for crimes against humanity and genocide linked to China’s Uyghur policies. In New Zealand, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon raised human rights concerns in recent meetings with Chinese leaders. He has also pushed for transparency in the case of a detained Uyghur with family ties to New Zealand.
Meanwhile, outrage followed Thailand’s February deportation of 40 Uyghur Muslims back to China. “We condemn in the strongest possible terms Thailand’s forced return […] where Uyghurs have faced persecution, forced labor and torture,” said US Senator Marco Rubio.
Since UFLPA went into effect, US Customs and Border Protection has reviewed more than 11,000 shipments worth billions of dollars.
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Freedom United is a steering committee member of the Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region. As global supply chains remain at risk of exposure to Uyghur forced labor, lawmakers and companies must conduct robust due diligence. Join the movement today!
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