The sources indicate that some Muslims of the Uyghur ethnic group have been relocated in factories such as Foxconn, the main manufacturer of Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, among many others.
It is not the first time that Foxconn's name has been linked to practices contrary to human rights. Suicides within the company transcended internationally, but the Chinese factory, located in Wuhan, is now again the center of attention and criticism. According to a report published by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, the Xi Jinping government has relocated Uighur Muslims and other minorities in various factories, including Foxconn. The products of companies such as Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft are produced there, but there are more than eighty companies that use their services.
According to the document, more than 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred to Xinjiang to work in factories between 2017 and 2019, although some were taken directly to concentration camps. Even so, the estimate is conservative and the number is thought to be much higher. "In factories far from home, they usually live in segregated bedrooms." In addition, during non-working hours, an ideological education is imposed on them. They are completely guarded and prevented from participating in any religious act. ” According to some sources, also from the government, workers have little freedom of movement.
Muslim workers arrive at a Chinese factory. Photo: Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
They ask for the collaboration of companies
The report points to the slave labor of the Uyghur and proposes several solutions to end the problem. It asks the Chinese government to respect the cultural and labor rights of employees, as established by the Constitution and local laws. In addition, it is urgent that the extrajudicial detentions of the Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang cease, in order to ensure that citizens can freely decide the terms of their labor relations.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute reminds companies that they allegedly use slave labor that this practice may mean that the importation of these products is prohibited. On the other hand, they demand that everything that has happened be investigated immediately, also through independent inspections. "It is vital that during this process, affected workers are not exposed to any additional damage, including involuntary transfers," they explain.
The company list amounts to 83 and includes brands that “directly or indirectly” benefit from the work of Uyghurs, such as Acer, Amazon, Apple, ASUS, Bosch, Cisco, Dell, Google, Hisense, Hitachi, HP, HTC, Huawei, Japan Display, Lenovo, LG, Meizu, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nokia, Oculus, Oppo, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK, Toshiba, Vivo, Xiaomi, ZTE, Abercrombie & Fitch, Adidas, Calvin Klein, Gap, H&M, LL Bean, Lacoste, Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Puma, Skechers, Tommy Hilfiger, Uniqlo, Victoria’s Secret, Zara, BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes, etc.
The Washington Post visited one of the factories that appear in the report and confirmed that it is a kind of jail. "We have the option to walk around the area, but we cannot return (to Xinjiang) on our own," one woman told the newspaper. Nike, one of the companies listed, told the same newspaper that its manufacturers have been banned from using any type of slave labor.
