WASHINGTON – Uyghur Prisoners Forced Into Labor for Chinese Businesses in Xinjiang

Uyghur inmates at Keriye Prison in Xinjiang endure grueling forced labor, toiling for extended hours in fields and factories, according to a report by Radio Free Asia. The labor benefits Chinese businessmen who lease the prison’s farmland and is also meant to reform the inmates through labor, according to prison employees who spoke to RFA. The prison conditions are part of wider allegations of abuses in Xinjiang, with the U.S. and other countries labeling it a genocide, a claim denied by China.

Xinjiang’s ‘Re-Education Graduates’ Ensnared in Long-Term Forced Labor

A recent report by German anthropologist Adrian Zenz reveals a program in Xinjiang that combines ‘re-education’ with forced labor to erase the cultural identities of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. Detainees go through vocational training, become ‘graduates’ in long-term labor placements and face punishment for refusal. The program aims to assimilate the detainees into Han Chinese culture but often results in challenges for them once they are reintegrated into society, including low wages and surveillance. Despite international criticism, China denies any abuses in Xinjiang.

Volkswagen Undertakes Xinjiang Labor Audit Amid Investor Pressure

Volkswagen has selected a company to conduct a labor audit at a joint-owned site in Xinjiang, partnering with China’s SAIC Motor Corp in response to investor pressure for due diligence. The audit, prompted by concerns about human rights abuses in the region, is set to be completed by the end of 2023. Volkswagen aims to provide an update on the audit’s status when releasing its third-quarter results on October 26. The move is unusual, as China has generally been reluctant to allow such audits in the region, where rights groups have reported allegations of human rights abuses, including forced labor in detention camps. Despite the audit, it may not immediately resolve the ‘red flag’ placed on Volkswagen stock by global index provider MSCI because of the allegations.

International Coalition Expresses Alarm Over Xinjiang Human Rights Violations

An international coalition of 51 countries, including the U.K., the U.S., Australia and several European nations, have expressed deep concern over human rights violations in Xinjiang, echoing a United Nation’s assessment that these abuses might constitute crimes against humanity. They called on China to address these concerns and implement the U.N. assessment’s recommendations. However, China denies wrongdoing and suggests that Western countries aim to meddle in Bejing’s affairs and impose their own values. In response, the coalition calls for a constructive dialogue and emphasizes the importance of addressing human rights issues.

Three Uyghur Women Imprisoned for ‘Religious Extremism’ Die Shortly After Release From Prison

According to a Radio Free Asia investigative report, three Uyghur women imprisoned for ‘religious extremism’ in China’s Xinjiang recently died shortly after their release from Baykol Women’s Prison in Xinjiang. These women, two of them sisters in their 30s and a 75-year-old grandmother, had developed health problems during their detention. Medical attention in the prison is provided only in severe cases, and it’s reported that about 20 to 30 detainees require medical assistance inside or outside the prison each week.

News in brief

Kazakhstan’s information exchange bill with China raises concerns over human rights abuses. Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited Xinjiang’s capital, Urumqi, following his attendance at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing. During his visit, Tokayev expressed his intention to enhance cooperation and promote tourism between Kazakhstan and China. However, concerns arise due to Kazakhstan’s recent Senate approval of an information exchange bill that allows the sharing of personal data of Chinese nationals, including Kazakhs and Uyghurs from Xinjiang, with China. Experts warn that this may facilitate human rights abuses and surveillance. The bill’s focus on establishing a visa-free regime also raises questions about privacy and security, emphasizing the need for international scrutiny.

Quote of note

“We urge China to end its violations of human rights in Xinjiang, engage constructively with the OHCHR [the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights], and fully implement the recommendations of the assessment.” – James Kariuki, U.K. Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations.