Uyghur Forced Labor

Uyghur Forced Labour

EU mulls sweeping forced labour

There has been increasing instances of big corporations’ link to forced labour from supply chains based in Xinjiang.

  • Uyghur Forced Labor – Forced labour prevailing in the Xinjiang region of China, involving the Uyghur minority.
  • Mostly employed in – Agricultural sector
  • Dealt under – Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA), 2021 (US law)
    • Presumes that all inbound imports sourced from Xinjiang were produced using forced labour and labels them “high priority” areas.
    • Requires public companies to certify to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that their products are free from forced labour from Xinjiang
  • Viewed as a discriminatory measure under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.
  • International Labour Organisation (ILO) has defined forced labour and concentrate its enforcement on large companies.
  • A separate EU-wide Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, targeting social, environmental and human rights abuses in supply chains
  • Uyghurs – Muslim minority Turkic ethnic group, whose origins can be traced to Central and East Asia.
  • Concentrated in – Xinjiang region of China (also lives in the neighbouring Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan)
  • Distinct Features –
    • Speak language similar to Turkish and see themselves as ethnically close to Central Asian nations.
    • One of the 55 officially recognized ethnic minority communities in China.
  • Issue – China recognises the community only as a regional minority and rejects that they are an indigenous group.
  • Xinjiang – Xinjiang is technically an autonomous region within China
  • Significance of the region –
    • China’s largest region, rich in minerals
    • Shares borders with 8 countries – India, Pakistan, Russia, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Tajikistan.

Source: The Hindu


Consider the following pairs:
Region often in news               Country
1. Chechnya                       Russian Federation
2. Darfur                             Mali
3. Swat Valley                    Iraq

[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2014 Prelims]

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Pair 2 is incorrect.
Darfur region lies in the western part of Sudan.
Pair 3 is incorrect. Swat
Valley is located in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.


Practice Question

Consider the following statements:

  1. Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA), 2021 is a major legislation by China to prevent the issue of forced labour in its Xinjiang province.
  2. Uyghurs are a recognised indigenous group in China

Which of the statements is/are correct?

 
 
 
 

Question 1 of 1

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