forced labor by Uyghurs behind “made in China” articles

Perhaps you are doing the sales right now. But at what cost ? That of the blood of the people ouïghour, a Muslim ethnic group in northwestern China persecuted by the regime: this is what denounced Ali Omer, the president of the Uyghur Association of France, whom franceinfo meets in a sports equipment store. “Nike, Adidas: all these sneakers are made of cotton harvested by Uyghurs in forced labor, in East Turkestan, Ali Omer explains, reviewing the articles. Consumers buy them and they have blood on their hands: we are participating in the genocide with our own money! “

Indeed, more than 80% of Chinese cotton comes from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. 83 major brands, mainly clothing, such as Uniqlo or Gap, are thus linked to forced labor by Uyghurs. NGOs are calling on them to stop sourcing raw materials there. But if Marks & Spencer or H&M for example get involved, many others, such as the Inditex group, owner of Zara, yet accused, claim not to be concerned.

Moreover, it is not only forced labor in the cotton fields: more than a million Uyghurs are said to be detained in political re-education camps. Beijing denies and evokes “vocational training centers” to fight against Islamist radicalization. But the testimonies of the few surviving prisoners are chilling, as Ali Omer explains.

If the prisoners utter a Uyghur word, they are tortured by camp guards. There are rapes, organ harvesting, sterilizations among women.

The Uyghurs are the main ethnic group in Xinjiang, a huge region of China which notably has common borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan. “They learn Chinese patriotic songs and force them to eat pork, drink alcohol, Ali Omer continues. It is to erase their identity and that they become becomes Chinese. “ Uyghurs are also reportedly sold in batches on classified ad sites as workers for factories in Inner China.

Persecuted in China, many are subject to intimidation in France: “We get phone calls telling us that we know our families and that if we say bad things about the government, it will happen to them … When we demonstrate, there is always someone filming for spy on us. “

The alienation of the Uyghur people aims to consolidate the domination of China, analyzes Dilnur Réhane, president of the Uyghur Institute of Europe. “Xi Jinping dreams of China becoming the world number one, economically and militarily, she emphasizes. To achieve this dream, his gigantic project is a new Silk Road and the Uyghur region is the gateway from China to Europe via Central Asia. “

The region is rich in natural resources: it provides 40% of coal, about 20% of oil and natural gas. The Uyghur region is an El Dorado to reach the Chinese dream! In Xi Jinping’s eyes, the Uyghur cultural rebellion has become an obstacle.

Dilnur Réhane

to franceinfo

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Dilnur Réhane is indignant at the agreement in principle on investments concluded between the European Union and China last December. Just like Raphaël Glucksmann, MEP and defender of the Uyghurs. “There is a European shame on this subject and we could engage in a balance of power, he believes. China needs the European market: we are the world’s largest market. If we start putting up barriers to Chinese products that are produced by Uyghur slavery, it will have an impact in China. “

“No one is asking European leaders to go to war with China, recalls Raphaël Glusckman. But between doing nothing and war, there is a whole space of action called politics. They should sanction Chinese officials responsible for the repression of the Uyghurs. There is the possibility of doing so. There just isn’t the political will to do it. “ Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom have decided to stop all Chinese imports resulting from this forced labor.

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