A report on contemporary forms of slavery that victimize ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities highlighted the crackdown on Uighurs in Xinjiang, northwest China.
The document, signed by the United Nations Special Rapporteur and professor of international law and human rights Tomoya Obokata, will be discussed at the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council, between 12 September and 7 October.
Based on independent research, victim testimonies, information provided by the Chinese government and other sources, the rapporteur said he “considers it reasonable to conclude” that Uighurs, Kazakhs and members of other ethnic minorities are being subjected to forced labor in sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. in Xinjiang.
“There are two distinct systems imposed by the state: the system of vocational education and training centers, in which minorities are detained and subjected to supervised work; and poverty alleviation through the labor transfer system, in which surplus rural workers are transferred to work in the secondary or tertiary sector”, highlighted Obokata, who highlighted that similar systems have also been identified in the Tibet Autonomous Region, where farmers , pastoralists and other rural workers were transferred to “low-skilled and poorly paid jobs”.
The Rapporteur pointed out that, “while these programs can create employment opportunities for minorities and increase their incomes, as claimed by the government”, “indicators of forced labor that point to the involuntary nature of the work provided by affected communities were present in many cases” .
“Furthermore, given the nature and extent of the powers exercised over affected workers during forced labour, including excessive surveillance, abusive living and working conditions, restriction of movement through internment, threats, physical and/or sexual violence and other treatment inhuman or degrading, some cases may constitute enslavement as a crime against humanity, deserving a more independent analysis”, added the rapporteur.
Obokata also included in the report information on irregular situations in other parts of the world, such as forced labor in illegal mining and logging in the Brazilian Amazon, sexual slavery in Boko Haram moderated Christian and Muslim communities in northern Nigeria, and child labor among children from minorities and migrants in Angola, Costa Rica, Honduras and Kazakhstan.
Among the various recommendations in the report are suggested changes in national legislation to combat discrimination against minorities, education and vocational training for these communities and improvements in legal, medical, psychological and financial assistance to victims of these situations.
Also in August, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is due to release an expected report on violations in this area by Chinese authorities in Xinjiang, but human rights groups fear that the tone of the document will be lenient with Beijing. .
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