US Lawmaker Sounds Alarm on Uyghur Forced Labor Act Loopholes
In a recent session at the International Religious Freedom Summit, Republican Representative Chris Smith raised concerns about the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, highlighting loopholes that may enable forced labor. The act assumes goods from China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region involve forced labor unless proved otherwise. However, Smith pointed out flaws in the law allowing shipments under $800 to evade scrutiny, potentially enabling companies to import goods without proper verification.
China Tightens Grip on Religious Practices in Xinjiang
New regulations effective February 1 tighten control over religion in Xinjiang, mandating 'Chinese characteristics' in places of worship and online content. Experts warn of an escalating crackdown on Uyghur and minority rights.
China Accused of Manipulating UN Human Rights Review
China faces accusations of manipulating the process in a recent United Nations Universal Periodic Review to downplay human rights abuses. Despite receiving 428 recommendations for addressing human rights, China strategically influenced the review, lobbying for softer assessments, experts say. The three-hour session, held every five years, limited countries to 45 seconds each. Critics argue that Beijing used diplomatic influence to water down criticisms, raising concerns about the integrity of the U.N. review process. China has until February 9 to respond to the recommendations.
Uyghur Women Face Mass Incarceration, Religious Persecution in Xinjiang
A recent report by the Uyghur Human Rights Project exposes extensive human rights abuses against Uyghur women in the Uyghur region of China since 2014. The document reveals that women are subject to mass incarceration and long prison sentences, with religious practices such as learning Quran, prayer, and wearing the hijab criminalized. Some women older than 80 years old are detained for religious actions dating back decades.
Vietnam Now Top Exporter of Goods Made With Uyghur Forced Labor
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Vietnam has become the leading exporter to the United States of products covered by the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in 2023. This marks the first time another country has outranked China since the law's passage in 2021. The act prohibits the import of goods produced with Uyghur forced labor, a response to human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang region.
Ilham Tohti, Jimmy Lai, Chinese Rights Lawyers Nominated for Nobel
U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China members Representative Chris Smith and Senator Jeff Merkley have nominated Uyghur academic Ilham Tohti, Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai, and Chinese lawyers Ding Jiaxi and Xu Zhiyong for the Nobel Peace Prize. Tohti, a pro-autonomy economist, was imprisoned in 2014, while Lai faces charges under Hong Kong's security law. The lawyers were jailed in 2023.
Viral TikTok Video Combines Humor with Human Rights Message
A TikTok video featuring three young Uyghur women has gone viral, utilizing the #ofcourse challenge on social media to address their cultural identity and the persecution faced by their people in China. The video, posted by the Uyghur Youth Initiative, blends humor and gravity as the women walk along a street in Germany. With statements like, "Of course, we are always late" and "Of course, we don't have basic human rights," the video aims to draw attention to the Uyghur situation.
News in brief
Human Rights Watch reveals that major automakers, including Tesla, GM, Volkswagen, Toyota and BYD, may be using Chinese aluminum produced with Uyghur forced labor. The report emphasizes challenges in tracking the aluminum's origin and urges heightened scrutiny to ensure companies operating in China, especially in the automotive sector, do not contribute to forced labor practices.
Quote:
"Uyghur Muslims are suffering under the Chinese Communist Party's genocidal campaign of forced sterilization, forced detention and reeducation. Millions of Uyghurs have been detained in these camps, where they're kept in cramped cells, and they're tortured and brainwashed."
— U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson at the International Religious Freedom summit in Washington
