Tag: Uyghurs

Canada Investigates Two Companies Over Alleged Forced Labor in China

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ottawa —  Canada’s corporate ethics watchdog on Tuesday launched separate investigations into Nike Canada and Dynasty Gold over allegations that they used or benefited from forced Uyghur labor in their supply chains and operations in China. The investigations were launched after an initial assessment of complaints about the overseas operations of 13 Canadian companies filed by a coalition of 28 civil society organizations in June 2022. Complaints against the other 11 companies were still being assessed, with reports expected in the coming weeks, according to a statement from the Canadian…

China, Myanmar and now Darfur … the horror of genocide is here again | Simon Tisdall

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It’s happening again. In Darfur, scene of a genocide that killed 300,000 people and displaced millions 20 years ago, armed militias are on the rampage once more. Now, as then, they are targeting ethnic African tribes, murdering, raping and stealing with impunity. “They” are nomadic, ethnic Arab raiders, the much-feared “devils on horseback” – except now they ride in trucks. They’re called the Janjaweed. And they’re back. How is it possible such horrors can be repeated? The world condemned the 2003 slaughter. The UN and the International Criminal Court (ICC)…

The Guardian view on banning council boycotts: a blow to local democracy | Editorial

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In the early 1980s, Margaret Thatcher described the African National Congress as a “typical terrorist organisation” and one of her MPs said that Nelson Mandela should be shot. In sharp contrast, British councils took a stand against apartheid by boycotting South African goods. Mayors around the world signed a declaration calling for the release of the man who would become not only his country’s leader, but a global icon of democracy and justice. These efforts helped to shift public attitudes towards the struggle for freedom. In an increasingly globalised world,…

Palestinian Leader’s Endorsement of China’s Xinjiang Policy Sparks Backlash

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washington —  Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas recently visited Beijing, where he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and expressed support for China’s treatment of Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang. His endorsement of China’s policies and denial of the mistreatment of Muslims in Xinjiang drew criticism from politicians and rights activists. During their meeting Wednesday, in which Abbas sought economic aid, he and Xi issued a joint statement in which Abbas endorsed China’s domestic and foreign policies while dismissing the human rights concerns in Xinjiang as Western concepts. The United States…

From Fear to Freedom: A Uyghur’s Journey

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For decades, Kasim Kashgar has lived in fear: first as a Uyghur living in China’s Xinjiang region under Beijing’s repressive policies, and later as an exile, acutely aware that speaking out could put his family in China at risk. As a journalist covering Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities for VOA News, Kasim wrote under a pen name. In 2023, the year his asylum was granted, he decided to speak out. This is his story. Voice of America

Uyghur News Recap: June 2–9, 2023

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WASHINGTON —  Uyghur Brothers Detained in India Since 2013 Face Deportation Threat Three Uyghur brothers fled persecution in China’s Xinjiang region, crossed into India without proper documents, and were charged under the Public Safety Act. Advocates call for their release, urging the Indian government to grant protection and consider their plea for temporary asylum. Uyghur Student Convicted for Sharing Protest Video on WeChat Kamile Wayit, a Uyghur student, has been convicted of “advocating extremism” in China for posting a video on WeChat that showed protests of lockdown measures. Detained in…

Uyghur student convicted after posting protests video on WeChat

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A Uyghur student who was detained in Xinjiang in December after posting a video on WeChat of the “white paper” protests has been convicted of “advocating extremism”. Kamile Wayit, 19, was detained in Atush on 12 December the day after returning home from university in Henan, a province in central China. She has not been heard from since, but last week a spokesperson from China’s ministry for foreign affairs confirmed to the Economist magazine that Wayit had been sentenced on 25 March “for the crime of advocating extremism”. The spokesperson…

Amnesty International Says Uyghur Student Feared Missing in Hong Kong Safe and Sound

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Amnesty International says it has heard from a Uyghur student it said had been missing after arriving in Hong Kong earlier this month. The human rights group issued a statement last week saying Abuduwaili Abudureheman had not been heard from after traveling to Hong Kong from South Korea on May 10 to visit a friend. Amnesty said Abudureheman texted a friend telling him he was being interrogated by Chinese police after arriving in Hong Kong. Amnesty demanded authorities in Hong Kong reveal Abudureheman’s whereabouts, citing fears he had been extradited…

China ‘barring thousands of citizens and foreigners from leaving country’

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China is increasingly barring people, including foreign executives, from leaving the country, according to a report and research. Scores of Chinese nationals and foreigners have been ensnared by exit bans, according to the report from the rights group Safeguard Defenders, while a Reuters analysis has found an apparent surge in court cases involving such bans in recent years. Foreign business lobby groups are voicing concern about the trend, calling it a jarring message as the authorities say the country is open for business after three years of tight Covid-19 restrictions.…