State labor programs were aimed at lifting one of the nation’s poorest regions out of poverty, but they have also served as a tool to erode resistance to Chinese rule.The New York Times reports that State labor programs in China have been implemented with the goal of improving the economic conditions in one of the country’s poorest regions. However, these programs have also been used as a means to suppress resistance to Chinese rule. Uyghurs, a minority ethnic group in China, are often transported to Chinese factory towns by train or plane, wearing matching clothing, and are assigned to work in various industries such as rubber production, automotive assembly, and poultry processing. A recent joint investigation by The New York Times, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, and Der Spiegel has revealed that Uyghur workers are being sent out of their homeland, Xinjiang, on government work programs at a larger scale than previously known.
The investigation found that Uyghur workers are involved in the production of goods for well-known brands in factories across China, posing a challenge for international regulators trying to eliminate forced labor from supply chains. The workers were traced to over 70 factories in at least five major industries. It is estimated that tens of thousands of Uyghurs have been transferred under these programs. While the exact conditions faced by these workers are not clear, experts, including United Nations labor experts, academics, and human rights advocates, believe that the programs are coercive in nature.
Rahima Mahmut, a Uyghur activist in exile and executive director of Stop Uyghur Genocide, a British-based rights group, stated that for the Uyghurs who are forced to leave their homes and work, it is a living hell. The article content is currently unavailable, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode, please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for full access to The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want full access to The Times? Subscribe.
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