China is transferring tens of thousands of Uighur detainees out
of internment camps and into
factories that supply some of the world's leading brands, an Australian think tank said Monday.
factories that supply some of the world's leading brands, an Australian think tank said Monday.
Top
global brands such as Apple, BMW and Sony have been accused of getting
supplies from factories using the forced labour, an explosive allegation
that could reverberate in boardrooms across the world.
The
Australian Strategic Policy Institute said the Chinese government has
transferred 80,000 or more Uighurs out of camps in Xinjiang and into
factories across the country.
"Uighurs are working in
factories that are in the supply chains of at least 83 well-known global
brands in the technology, clothing and automotive sectors," the think
tank said.
"Some factories across China are using
forced Uighur labour under a state-sponsored labour transfer scheme that
is tainting the global supply chain."
The brands, it added, included "Apple, BMW, Gap, Huawei, Nike, Samsung, Sony and Volkswagen".
The brands, it added, included "Apple, BMW, Gap, Huawei, Nike, Samsung, Sony and Volkswagen".
"Companies
using forced Uighur labour in their supply chains could find themselves
in breach of laws which prohibit the importation of goods made with
forced labour or mandate disclosure of forced labour supply chain
risks," the report said.
"The companies listed in this report should conduct immediate
and thorough human rights due diligence on their factory labour in
China, including robust and independent social audits and inspections."
AFP has contacted the firms for a response to the claims.
An estimated one million mostly Muslim ethnic minorities have been held in internment camps in Xinjiang.
After
initially denying their existence, Beijing cast the facilities as
"vocational education centres" where "students" learn Mandarin and job
skills in an effort to steer them away from religious extremism,
terrorism and separatism.
Rights groups and witnesses
accuse China of forcibly trying to draw Uighurs away from their Islamic
customs and integrate them into the majority Han culture.
Officially,
the Chinese government says it is transferring "surplus" Xinjiang
labour to other regions in the name of poverty alleviation.
According to official news agency Xinhua, more than 25,000 workers from Xinjiang were slated to be transferred "inland" in 2019.
China's foreign ministry and the Xinjiang government did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report.
No comments :
Post a Comment