The Structure of Forced Labor Programs in the Uyghur Region
Executive Summary
Uyghur forced labor, one of the most severe human rights violations in the modern world, is imposed by the clear directive of the Communist Party of China, mobilizing all its apparatuses in the Uyghur Region and beyond, not only to gain material benefit from the low or unpaid Uyghur workers but also to monitor them in the forced labor facilities. The forced labor network in the Uyghur region separates workers from their land and families to serve the purpose of eradicating Uyghur identity and culture in the Uyghur Region. From top to bottom, numerous state agencies are mobilized to transfer workers to production facilities, with participation and support from enterprises both at the supply and demand side of the “forced labor market” in the Uyghur Region. Hence, companies operating in or sourcing from the Uyghur Region or sourcing from a company that has participated in Xinjiang Aid put their supply chain at high risk of exposure to systematic forced labor schemes across and beyond the Uyghur Region.
