By Uyghur Times Staff, May 17
Opening:
The United States has taken a significant step in its efforts to address human rights concerns in the Uyghur region by barring imports from 26 Chinese cotton traders or warehouse facilities linked to allegations of forced labor involving Uyghur people.
Details: The move is part of the implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which aims to eliminate goods made through the exploitation of Uyghurs and other minority groups from entering the US supply chain. The 26 companies are the latest additions to the Act’s Entity List, which restricts imports tied to what the US government has characterized as an ongoing genocide in the Uyghur region.
“The designations help responsible companies conduct due diligence so that, together, we can keep the products of forced labor out of our country,” stated Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security.
Many of the listed cotton companies are based outside of the Uyghur region but source their cotton from the area, according to the US Department of Homeland Security. US officials believe Chinese authorities have established labor camps for Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the region, an allegation that Beijing denies.
Attributing Information:
“We enthusiastically endorse DHS’s action today to nearly double the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act’s ‘Entity List’ — while recognizing that the current list remains only a fraction of the businesses complicit in forced labor,” said Representative Chris Smith and Senator Jeff Merkley, chairs of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China, as reported by various news outlets.
Opposite Side:
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington criticized the move, stating, “The so-called ‘Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act’ is just an instrument of a few US politicians to disrupt stability in the Uyghur region and contain China’s development.”
