Tag: Uyghur

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UN calls on China to disclose status of imprisoned Uyghur doctor

Dr Abbas, who reportedly suffers from several health issues, was arrested without her family being informed of the reasons for her detention…reports Asian Lite News

Mary Lawlor, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, has urged Chinese authorities to disclose information regarding the status and location of Dr Gulshan Abbas, an Uyghur doctor reportedly serving a 20-year prison sentence since 2019 on charges related to terrorism.

Lawlor stated, “Nearly six years after her detention, Dr Abbas’ family members still do not have information on where she is being imprisoned, the evidence used to convict her, or most worryingly of all, her health condition.”

She emphasised the importance of China complying with its international human rights obligations by providing Dr Abbas’s family with necessary information.

Dr Abbas, who reportedly suffers from several health issues, was arrested without her family being informed of the reasons for her detention, details of the charges against her, her trial, or her current place of imprisonment.

Lawlor referred to statements made by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson in 2020, which alleged that Dr Abbas had been sentenced for “crimes of participating in a terrorist organisation, aiding terrorist activities and assembling crowds to disrupt social order.”

According to Lawlor, Dr Abbas, who was not involved in political or human rights activism, was detained shortly after her sister, Uyghur human rights defender Rushan Abbas, criticised China’s treatment of the Uyghur population during a public event in Washington.

Lawlor expressed her dismay over Dr Abbas’s continued imprisonment, suggesting it was in retaliation for her sister’s advocacy work.

She cited former High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet’s 2022 report, which highlighted a pattern of “intimidations, threats, and reprisals” against relatives of Uyghurs in exile who spoke out about human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

The call from the UN Special Rapporteur underscores ongoing international concerns about human rights violations against the Uyghur population in China. (ANI)

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Uyghurs seek urgent global action against China

The urgent call comes after the US State Department released the 2023 Human Rights Report on April 22…reports Asian Lite News

The Uyghur rights leaders called for immediate global action to address the ongoing genocide and crimes done by China against the Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic ethnic groups in the East Turkistan region.

This comes after the US State Department released the 2023 Human Rights Report on April 22.

“The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) is urgently calling for immediate and substantial global action to address the genocide and crimes against humanity being perpetrated by China against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic ethnic groups in East Turkistan,” the ETGE said in a statement.

US State Secretary Antony Blinken, as well as a specific section on China in the report, stated that China’s atrocities in East Turkistan (which Beijing calls “Xinjiang”) constitute an ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity.

“These atrocities include mass internment, forced labour, and the forced assimilation of nearly one million Turkic children into Chinese state-run facilities,” the statement added.

In May 2014, the Chinese government launched a “People’s War” on Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan under the guise of combating “extremism, separatism, and terrorism.”

Later, by 2016, “this so-called “People’s War” had escalated into a comprehensive campaign of genocide and crimes against humanity due to a lack of international response and condemnation,” according to the statement.

Notably, the key aspects of China’s campaign of genocide and crimes against humanity include the mass internment of millions of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples in concentration camps, which are increasingly being converted into official prisons; the forced sterilisation of hundreds of thousands of Uyghur and other Turkic women; and the enslavement of millions more through forced labour.

Moreover, other aspects include coerced marriages of Turkic women to Chinese men, widespread destruction of thousands of cultural and religious sites, suppression of religious practices, prohibition of native Turkic languages in education, and forced separation and assimilation of nearly a million Uyghur and other Turkic children in state-run facilities, according to the statement.

Despite acknowledgement and designation of these acts as genocide by the United States and several other national parliaments, including those of the UK, Netherlands, Czech Republic, France, and Belgium, the international community’s response has largely been confined to verbal condemnations without the backing of effective policies or interventions.

ETGE Foreign Minister Salih Hudayar said, “The Chinese government and the CCP are employing genocide and crimes against humanity as tools to sustain their colonial occupation of East Turkistan.”

The ETGE further urged the international community, especially leading democratic nations and international organisations, to advance beyond mere condemnations.

“It advocates for the implementation of sanctions, diplomatic pressures, and other necessary measures to pressure China to end its ongoing genocide in East Turkistan,” the ETGE stated.

ETGE President Mamtimin Ala further expressed disappointment and said, “Despite the detailed documentation of China’s ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in East Turkistan, the global response remains grossly inadequate. More than token gestures are needed–decisive actions must be taken to enforce treaty obligations to stop and penalise the atrocities committed by China in Occupied East Turkistan.”

Beyond rhetorical commitments, the ETGE called for tangible steps to uphold human rights and end the genocide in East Turkistan.

“Specifically, the ETGE is appealing to the US Senate to pass the Uyghur Policy Act (S.1252) and include the appointment of a Special Coordinator for Uyghur Issues at the US State Department, as the already passed House version (H.R.2766) does,” it stated.

Moreover, the ETGE urged the US and other democratic nations to recognise East Turkistan as an occupied country and support its right to external self-determination, thereby addressing the root cause of China’s ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity. (ANI)

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Uyghur rights group nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

This is the second consecutive Nobel Prize nomination for the Uyghur rights group after being nominated in 2023 as well….reports Asian Lite News

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC), a Germany-based rights organization, that voices for the human rights and freedom of the Uyghur People through peaceful means, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2024 on Wednesday.

Notably, this is the second consecutive Nobel Prize nomination for the Uyghur rights group after being nominated in 2023 as well.

The WUC informed in a press release that the nominations for the Nobel Prize were submitted by Canadian Member of Parliament, Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights (SDIR), Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, and Senator of the Italian Republic and former Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giulio Terzi.

“It is an immense honour to see the World Uyghur Congress being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize two years in a row,” World Uyghur Congress President, Dolkun Isa said in the press release. “This nomination significantly contributes to the recognition of the WUC’s valuable efforts in advancing democracy and human rights for Uyghurs.”

Isa further said that the nomination sends a ‘powerful message’ highlighting the urgent need to act against the Uyghur genocide being committed by China.

“The nomination of the World Uyghur Congress for the Nobel Peace Prize sends a powerful message against authoritarianism, highlighting the urgent need to end the Uyghur genocide. It is crucial for the international community to actively acknowledge and condemn the genocidal policies enacted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against the Uyghurs, rather than allowing them to go unnoticed and unpunished,” the statement added.

The nomination letters of the WUC highlighted the ‘non-violent approach’ that the Uyghur people have chosen, even when they are facing “harsh repression.”

“The international community should acknowledge and cherish the non-violent approach that the Uyghur people have chosen in the face of the harsh repression they are being subjected to. Such an effort should not be taken for granted and the Nobel Peace Prize would definitely provide the Uyghur community invaluable encouragement,” the nomination letter stated.

It added that over the past 20 years, the World Uyghur Congress has significantly contributed to bringing global attention to the extensive campaign of physical, religious, linguistic, and cultural repression orchestrated by the Chinese Communist Party against the Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan.

The World Uyghur Congress thanked Canadian MP Brunelle-Duceppe, and Italian Senator Terzi for their “thoughtful recognition of the WUC’s crucial work”.

“The WUC is truly honoured by their support, as it reflects a shared commitment to promoting peace, human rights, and democracy for the Uyghur community,” it said. (ANI)

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Uyghurs Protest at UN Against China’s Actions

The protesters held posters and placards that read, “Independence is the only way forward for East Turkistan” and “Stop China’s Uyghur genocide.”…reports Asian Lite News

Members of the Uyghur community, guided by the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE), staged a demonstration outside the United Nations headquarters in the US, highlighting China’s perceived hypocrisy. The Uyghurs called on the international community to confront the China-East Turkistan conflict and “take action against China’s continuous campaign involving colonization, genocide, and occupation in East Turkistan.”

The protest was held simultaneously as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi led a UNSC meeting on the Israel-Hamas conflict and “served to expose China’s hypocrisy and denounce its colonial and genocidal policies in Occupied East Turkistan.” The protesters held posters and placards that read, “Independence is the only way forward for East Turkistan” and “Stop China’s Uyghur genocide.”

In the press release, the East Turkistan Government in Exile stated that the protest was not only a show of resistance but a powerful statement against the hypocrisy of the Chinese government. It said that Wang Yi in his address advocated for the “right of the Palestinian people to statehood” and “their right to existence.” However, China wages a brutal campaign of colonization, genocide, and occupation against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples in Occupied East Turkistan with the goal to stop the restoration of East Turkistan’s independence.

The East Turkistan Government in Exile said that the duplicity was the central theme of the East Turkistani protest. East Turkistan Government in Exile’s Foreign Minister, Salih Hudayar, participated in the protest and expressed his outrage at China’s duplicity.

In the press release, Salih Hudayar said, “The hypocrisy of the Chinese government, which calls for recognition and support of Palestinian statehood while simultaneously opposing and denying East Turkistani statehood and the most basic human rights to the people of East Turkistan, must be exposed and challenged.”

“The global community cannot claim to stand for justice and peace while allowing such blatant double standards to persist,” he added.

The protest represented a pivotal moment in the ongoing struggle for East Turkistan’s freedom. Mamtimin Ala, President of the East Turkistan Government in Exile, who was not present at the protest, reiterated East Turkistan’s call for the international community’s support, according to the press release.

Mamtimin Ala said, “The East Turkistani people have shown unwavering determination in their fight for independence. It’s high time the international community recognizes and actively supports East Turkistani people’s right to statehood and struggle for decolonization and independence.”

The East Turkistan Government in Exile urged governments, international bodies, and all advocates for justice to join in solidarity with East Turkistan and take measures towards resolving the China-East Turkistan conflict

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Uyghur Inmates in Keriye Prison Forced into Farm Labor

The inmates of Keriye Prison have to work for more than half their day in the vast fields of red dates called jujubes, according to a prison employee and a guard…reports Asian Lite News

Hundreds of Uyghur inmates at Keriye Prison in the far-western Chinese region of Xinjiang are forced to work 12 to 14 hours a day in the fields for the benefit of Han Chinese businessmen who rent the 1,650 acres of farmland that is owned by the prison, or to reform the inmates through labour, reported Radio Free Asia.

These inmates of Keriye Prison have to work for more than half their day in the vast fields of red dates called jujubes, according to a prison employee and a guard.

Moreover, the farm is called Lao Gai Nong Chang in Chinese, which refers to “Re-education through Labor Farm.”

“They want to make the prisoners undergo ideological transformation through labor in these big fields,” said the prison employee.

Under the watch of armed guards, the prisoners must walk to the fields while overseers wearing red vests and holding police dogs monitor them, the two people added.

Moreover, these armed soldiers surrounds the work area, some on horseback to prevent the prisoners from escaping the site, Radio Free Asia reported.

One of the prison employees, who is a Uyghur and has worked at the prison for nine years, said, “I witnessed prisoners being forcibly taken out to work during the day and returned to their cells at night.”

However, a prison guard said that many inmates also work in factories located inside and outside the prison walls that produces cement, shoes, gloves and tea.

Adding to the information, the guard said that the prioners serving sentences of over 10 years work in factories inside the prison, whereas, those serving sentences for less than 10 years work outside the prison.

Noting that the work done at the field is arduous and painful, he the employee said that before the fields were converted to jujubes, they produced cotton and some of the inmates’ hands used to bleed while picking up cotton, Rdio Free Asia reported.

However, the offences committed by the Uyghur inmates at Keriya Prison is still not known. Adding to this, most of the Uyghurs detained in Xinjiang in last years have never been formally charged with any crime or tried by the government.

According to Radio Free Asia, over 30 Uyghur teachers from Hotan Normal Technical High School jailed on charges of “national separatism” and “religious extremism” are serving their sentences in Keriye Prison.

Although China has formally abolished its “reform through labor” system in 1994, these activities show that it is still practiced in some of the areas.

In 2017 and 2018, Chinese authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region detained almost 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in “re-education” camps, where they were forced to work in factories producing textiles, wigs, tomatoes and solar panels for export.

China is currently committing wider genocide against the Uyghur people by torturing them, sexual assaults, forced work and other abuses, the US and other governments declared, reported Radio Free Asia.

Moreover, earlier in 2022, the US enacted the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which brought American authorities in power to block the import of goods linked to forced labor in China. (ANI)

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Uyghurs Condemn 74th Anniversary of Chinese Invasion

China forcing marriages between majority Han Chinese and ethnic minority Uyghurs

Since the invasion, East Turkistan and its people have been subjected to a brutal campaign of colonisation, assimilation, and occupation, escalating into genocide after 2014…reports Asian Lite News

The East Turkistan Government in Exile has called upon the international community to formally recognise East Turkistan as an occupied country, support East Turkistan’s case at the International Criminal Court, and take immediate steps to address the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the People’s Republic of China.

October 12, 2023, marks the deplorable 74th anniversary of China’s belligerent invasion of East Turkistan, a country that China subsequently renamed “Xinjiang,” which translates to ‘new territory’ or ‘colony’ in the Chinese language. The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) solemnly underscores the significance of this dark day in the ongoing struggle to restore freedom, justice and national sovereignty to East Turkistan and its people, said East Turkistan Government in Exile in an official release.

“China’s invasion was a brutal act of aggression that has led to decades of colonisation, genocide, and occupation,” said ETGE Prime Minister Salih Hudayar. “The international community must address the root cause of China’s ongoing Uyghur genocide by recognising East Turkistan as an Occupied Country like Tibet,” he added.

Just 11 days after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) proclaimed the establishment of the so-called “People’s Republic of China,” they executed a calculated and belligerent invasion of the sovereign nation of East Turkistan on October 12, 1949. This invasion was facilitated by the assassination of over 30 top political and senior military leaders of the East Turkistan Republic by the Soviet Union from late August to September 1949. Contrary to China’s deceptive narrative of a ‘peaceful liberation,’ the Chinese Communist invasion of East Turkistan was a ruthless act of aggression that killed over 1,20,000 East Turkistanis from the time of the Chinese invasion on October 12, 1949, until the end of 1952, the release added.

When the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) invaded East Turkistan on October 12, 1949, the East Turkistan Republic was an independent state. The East Turkistan Republic remained independent until December 22, 1949, when it was forcibly overthrown by the PLA. This invasion and subsequent occupation are clear violations of international law, as stated by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

“China’s occupation of East Turkistan is a blatant violation of international law and a moral outrage that tramples upon the fundamental rights of our people,” said President Ghulam Yaghma, adding, “This is a dark stain on the conscience of the world, and the international community must rise to its ethical obligations to end this ongoing tragedy.”

Since the invasion, East Turkistan and its people have been subjected to a brutal campaign of colonisation, assimilation, and occupation, escalating into genocide after 2014. This campaign includes the mass internment of over 3 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples in concentration camps, prisons, and forced labour camps; the mass sterilisation of Uyghur and other Turkic women; the destruction of over 16,000 cultural and religious sites; widespread surveillance; systematic rape of Uyghur and Turkic women; and the forced separation of over 880,000 Uyghur children from their families. These atrocities have been officially recognised as genocide and crimes against humanity by the US government, more than a dozen Western parliaments, and the UN, the release added.

Due to a lack of international action and even complicity, China was shamelessly re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council, despite its ongoing genocide in East Turkistan. The UN, international bodies, and governments must uphold their commitments to “Never Again” and address the humanitarian crisis in East Turkistan through their respective channels, including the UN General Assembly, UN Security Council, UN Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court.

“China’s recent re-election to the UN Human Rights Council is a grotesque mockery of the principles that the United Nations was founded upon,” said ETGE Vice President Abdulahat Nur. “This is not just a slap in the face to the people of East Turkistan; it’s a betrayal of human rights and global justice.”

The people of East Turkistan remain unyielding in their quest for independence, a struggle that is not just political but existential. The restoration of East Turkistan’s sovereignty is the only path to securing the freedom, human rights, and very survival of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples. Faced with China’s relentless genocide, the East Turkistan Government in Exile issues an urgent plea to the international community: confront the root cause–China’s illegal invasion and occupation of East Turkistan.

“Restoring independence for East Turkistan is not just a political aspiration; it is a matter of survival for our people,” said ETGE Strategic Advisor Mamtimin Ala. “We will never give up our struggle for freedom and independence for East Turkistan, as it is the only path to obtain justice and human dignity,” he further added, the official release said. (ANI)

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Bangladesh Protests Seek Justice for Uyghurs in China

Their main objective was to condemn China for its alleged atrocities against the Uyghur Muslim minorities….reports Asian Lite News

Protest rallies were taken out in Dhaka and other places demanding justice for Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang province, local Bangladesh media reported.

The National Ulema Mashaikh Parishad (NUMP) of Bangladesh led these protests on Sunday, staging demonstrations at the North Gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, as reported by Dhaka Tribune, a Bangladeshi English-language daily newspaper.

Their main objective was to condemn China for its alleged atrocities against the Uyghur Muslim minorities. The event was chaired by Mufti Asadullah Zakir, the Secretary of NUMP, and attended by Belayt Hossain Al-Firozi, the Chairman of NUMP, along with Advocate Khairul Ahsan.

Their collective message urged the global Muslim community and international powers to raise their voices against the reported Chinese abuses towards the Uyghurs.

NUMP, in its condemnation of the international community’s silence on the Uyghur repression by China, called upon Muslim nations and global powers to unite in opposition to what they termed “Chinese state-sponsored terrorism.”

They additionally called for a boycott of Chinese products and the severance of ties with China to apply pressure for ending the reported oppression and killings of the Uyghur Muslim population, according to Dhaka Tribune.

Another demonstration took place in Narayanganj under the banner of Sachetan Nagrik Samaj. This protest involved 300-350 participants who also carried banners and placards to highlight the plight of the Uyghur Muslims and condemn China’s alleged inhumane activities. These protesters expressed their determination to continue their demonstrations against China and urged the international community to take notice of the reported oppressive actions by the Chinese government.

Earlier on Friday, the United States expressed strong condemnation for the reported life sentence handed down to Uyghur academic Rahile Dawut in China. Dawut, aged 57, had lost her appeal against her initial conviction from December 2018 on charges related to “endangering state security.”

Various human rights advocates have accused China of conducting a mass internment campaign that primarily targets Uyghurs, with reports of abuses such as forced sterilization and cultural repression. Some government bodies, including the U.S. State Department, have even termed these actions as “genocide,” a label that China vehemently denies, Dhaka Tribune reported. (ANI)

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Rights groups blast UN for inaction on Uyghur repression

China forcing marriages between majority Han Chinese and ethnic minority Uyghurs

The report made 13 recommendations to the Chinese government, including promptly releasing those detained arbitrarily in camps, prisons or other facilities…reports Asian Lite news

Human rights groups criticised the UN for failing to take concrete action against China for its repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, saying the international body has done little since releasing a damning report a year ago stating that Chinese may have committed crimes against humanity against the mostly Muslim group, the media reported.

The report issued on August 31, 2022, by former UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Michelle Bachelet highlighted “serious human rights violations” in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region amid what Beijing has described as steps to counter terrorism and religious extremism, the RFA reported.

The report made 13 recommendations to the Chinese government, including promptly releasing those detained arbitrarily in camps, prisons or other facilities, the RFA reported.

But the current UN human rights czar, Volker Turk, “hasn’t really been pursuing these recommendations as he has repeatedly promised”, said Maya Wang, associate director in the Asia division at Human Rights Watch, or HRW.

Turk has said he would personally engage with Chinese authorities and has acknowledged the need for concrete follow-up on the report’s conclusions, but he has not yet briefed the U.N. Human Rights Council on the report or on his office’s monitoring of the situation in Xinjiang, HRW said in a statement Thursday, RFA reported.

China’s clout at the United Nations makes taking action difficult, Wang acknowledged.

“It’s not due to a lack of interest or commitment, but more because, realistically, the Chinese government is a really big player at the UN and has over the last years, become increasingly powerful,” she said. 

“There are just realistic difficulties in holding a very powerful government accountable.” 

Wang said many other governments have not prioritised holding the Chinese government to account for its crimes because of their heavy trade and business ties with the country, RFA reported.

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London’s lesser-known unique and amazing flavours of Uyghur cuisine: Dilara Restaurant 

Dilara is one of the few Uyghur restaurants across London. Uyghur cuisine is the cuisine of the Uyghur people, which are mainly situated in the autonomous region of Xinjiang. The cuisine is characterized by a blend of northern Chinese dishes like noodles and dumplings, and Turkish dishes but with Uyghur spiced kebabs, meats, bread and rice dishes. A feature by FnB columnist Riccha Grrover for Asian Lite International.

Dilara on Blackstock road near Finsbury Park hood is a buzzing, popular, well lit must-visit restaurant, with big plates of food on its menu meant for sharing with friends, families or foodies all digging in with gusto! Lamb dishes feature heavily across the menu. 

All the products they use in the kitchen and restaurant comes directly from the producers daily, and they prepare their dough by hand in front of their customers. They use traditional methods of cooking to reveal hidden authentic flavors and use the highest quality, organic products.

Unique tasting salty well done lamb skewers are popular, these are cooked in an open kitchen and some other dishes on a charcoal grill, this surely fills Dilara eating in vibe with warm and appetising aromas. The food comes hot as cooked fresh and looks appetising from the minute it arrives with its hearty presentation and generous portions. 

The signature tugure dumplings made lamb and onions, are filling, which are meant to be a best-seller are surely delectable and fragrant with its side dipping chilli sauce that is next level amazing for those who can handle a slight kick! Their handmade flat noodles drowned in a spicy broth with chicken and potatoes is one of their well known and most ordered sharing dishes and indeed it is top notch in taste, flavours and spicing.

The vibe is casual and relaxed in this no-frills but amazing food jaunt serving Uyghur food, the service is very helpful and not rushed, the servers are knowledgeable and even the owner is around to help give suggestions helpfully on what to order based on preferences and explains patiently about the cuisine and details of various dishes they offer. The do delivery, takeaways too but the charm is eating their freshly made cuisine in the cosy restaurant and seeing all the diners tucking into the same dishes as each dish as cooked arrives at the same time for all who ordered it, exudes quite a comforting communal vibe. Highly Recommended! 

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Uyghur girls endure abuse, forced labour in garment factory

Workers at the plant, which employs roughly a dozen women in their 30s and 40s as well as some men, are not allowed to leave….reports Asian Lite News

Nearly 90 Uyghur teenage girls are locked up in a Chinese-run garment factory in Xinjiang, where they are forced to work heavily 14 hours a day, seven days a week, and regularly face verbal and physical abuse, an investigation by Radio Free Asia (RFA) has found.

According to four sources, quoted by RFA including a village chief and the factory’s security chief, the Wanhe Garment Co Ltd in Maralbeshi county has a secret agreement with the nearby Yarkant 2nd Vocational High School under which female students aged 16 to 18 are sent to work at the factory against their will. Local authorities have pressed parents not to object to their children working at the plant, according to the village chief, a woman in charge of persuading the parents to let the girls go.

Workers at the plant, which employs roughly a dozen women in their 30s and 40s as well as some men, are not allowed to leave.

These girls are forced to sleep in dormitories on the factory compound. Most are Uyghurs, but only 15 are Chinese who came from somewhere else to work at the factory.

A village official said that the girls are kept in line by a middle-aged Uyghur woman named Tursungul Memtimin, whom the girls call “teacher.” She regularly insults and criticises these girls, and sometimes also hit them with a bat, as per RFA.

“The ‘teacher’ is known to have a very bad temper. She physically assaults the workers using a bat as a means of inflicting harm,” she said.

“The workers live in fear of her, and due to this intimidating environment, no one dares to make an escape,” the official told RFA.

The revelation comes amid rising evidence of Uyghur forced labour in Xinjiang, as well as suspicions that forced labour is exploited in large corporations’ supply lines.

Inditex, the parent company of Zara and Uniqlo, as well as carmakers Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW, have all come under increasing scrutiny to verify that they are not utilising Uyghur forced labour.

The Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act, passed into law in December 2021, requires American enterprises who import goods from Xinjiang to demonstrate that they were not produced using Uyghur forced labour at any level of production. (ANI)

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