EU parliament condemns China for ‘exploiting’ Uyghurs

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“Parliament strongly condemns the Chinese government-led system of forced labor – in particular the exploitation of Uyghur, Kazakh and Kyrgyz ethnic groups and other Muslim minority groups – in factories inside and outside of internment camps in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,” EU body said in a statement Friday.

The statement went on to reject “the continued transfer of forced laborers to other Chinese administrative divisions, and the fact that well-known European brands and companies are benefiting from forced Chinese labor.”

China has consistently denied allegations of forced labor and other claims of human rights violations in the area, home to approximately 11 million Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority who speak a language closely related to Turkish and have a culture of its own.

Earlier this month, the US blocked imports of cotton from Xinjiang over concerns about forced labor. US President-elect Joe Biden has also condemned the treatment of minorities in the region.

She tweeted from Sweden about the plight of her Uyghur cousin. In Xinjiang, authorities watched

The United States Department of State estimates that more than one million Uyghurs, as well as members of other Muslim minorities, have been detained in a vast network of internment camps in Xinjiang, where they have reportedly been “ subjected to torture, cruel and inhumane treatment such as physical and sexual abuse. , forced labor and death. Former inmates have told CNN that they have experienced political indoctrination and abuse in the camps, such as food and sleep deprivation and forced injections.

Initially, Beijing flatly denied the existence of the camps. But later it claimed that the facilities are voluntary “vocational training centers” where people learn vocational skills, Chinese language and law. The government is now emphasizing that the camps are necessary to prevent religious extremism and terrorism.

On Thursday, members of the EU parliament expressed concern about what they called the “ever-oppressive regime” in Beijing. The agency’s statement urges China to “immediately end the practice of arbitrary detention without charge, trial or conviction for crimes committed against members of the Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities.”

“A vote that will be heard across Europe, including Beijing,” EU MP Reinhard Bütikofer tweeted on Thursday.

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