International exiled groups have formed the World Uyghur Congress. They stand for the interests of all Uyghurs, both inside and outside of the Chinese region of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. They were unsuccessful in their lawsuit against UK authorities for failing to open a criminal inquiry into the importation of cotton items made using forced labour in China’s Xinjiang province.
The WUC filed a high court lawsuit against the home secretary, HM Revenue and Customs, and the National Crime Agency (NCA), alleging an illegal failure or refusal to investigate imports from Xinjiang, which is alleged to be the location of 380 concentration camps used to hold Uyghurs and members of other Muslim minorities.
According to the report, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is where 85% of China’s cotton is cultivated. The workers were made to perform their tasks in places where “detention and forced labour” are commonplace.
The judge noted in his judgement that the WUC had not shown that a particular shipment of cotton smuggled into the UK was the result of illegal activity.
However, he also noted that the conclusion of this case does not in any way undercut the remarkable consensus of the evidence that there are obvious and pervasive breaches of human rights and the exploitation of forced labour occurring in the XUAR’s cotton business.
By – Veena
Bangalore Correspondent
WOM
