NEWS

EU Forced Labour Proposal Falls Short on Uyghur Forced Labour 

On September 14th, the European Commission released a proposal prohibiting “the placing on the Union market of products made by forced labour,” covering products of any type and provenance. However, it does not establish a clear mechanism to ban products from an entire region or supply chain tainted by forced labour, which is a critical tool in combating state-imposed forced labour.  

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) joined the Coalition to End Uyghur Forced Labour calling on the European Parliament and the European Council to strengthen the European Commission’s proposal for a forced labour import ban, as it falls to address state imposed forced labour. “In its current form, the proposal has little capacity to address one of the most pressing ases of forced labour in the world today. The scale and severity of Uyghur Forced Labor demands a more ambitious approach,” said World Uyghur Congress (WUC) President, Dolkun Isa.

China Covid Lockdowns Leave Residents Short of Food and Essential Items

On September 12th, the BBC reported about the extremely tight Covid 19 measures taken in various cities in East Turkistan. Desperate Uyghurs have taken to social media to appeal for help, as they are running out of essential items such as food and medicine. “It’s been 15 days, we are out of flour, rice, eggs. From days ago, we ran out of milk for kids,” said one resident.

Due to these conditions, at least 12 people have died from starvation and no access to medicine, according to reporting by Radio Free Asia (RFA). “It is extremely difficult to watch and not be able to offer any humanitarian help”, commented World Uyghur Congress (WUC) President, Dolkun Isa.

New International Labour Organization report on “Global Estimates on Modern Slavery”

This week, the International Labour Organization (ILO), Walk Free, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) published a report on “Global Estimates on Modern Slavery” concluding that 50 million people are in situations of modern slavery on any given day.

The report also highlighted Uyghur Forced Labour, referring to the UN assessment of the situation. “With regard to China, delegates to the International Labour Conference of the ILO, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery have raised concerns about forced labour in some parts of China”.

Joint NGO Letter Calling for Uyghur Abuses to Be Addressed at HRC

On September 15th, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP), The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) and Amnesty UN Office called upon Members and Observers of the 51st Session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) to respond to the OHCHR’s findings on the Uyghurs with tangible action. The organizations urged them to ensure that the HRC takes urgent action to place the situation in the Uyghur Region on the Council’s agenda and takes immediate, concrete steps to advance accountability, including by mandating an independent international investigation into human rights violations against Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other primarily Muslim ethnic minority groups in the People’s Republic of China.

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Support Uyghurs’ Genocide & Crimes Against Humanity Case in Argentina

The World Uyghur Congress and the Uyghur Human Rights Project have launched a criminal case in the courts of Argentina in relation to the international crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity being committed against the Uyghur people. Please donate and be a part of this historical case.

Ask Volkswagen to Close its Plant in East Turkistan

Despite growing evidence of the ongoing genocide against the Uyghurs, Volkswagen continues to operate in East Turkistan. The World Uyghur Congress is collecting signatures to demand Volkswagen to close down its plant in Urumqi. Please sign here.