Jewish World Watch applauds today’s passage of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) in the House of Representatives, which sets a new global standard in the fight against goods made by forced labor. The bill would ban all goods made in the region from being imported into the United States unless Customs and Border Protection can firmly establish that said goods were produced without Uyghur forced labor. It further combats Uyghur forced labor by imposing additional sanctions on human rights violators.
“The Uyghur people are being interned in concentration camps, forced into slave labor, and subjected to torture, forced sterilization, and family separation – circumstances far too familiar to the Jewish community,” said Serena Oberstein, Executive Director of Jewish World Watch. “Today’s action in the House is another crucial step by U.S. leadership to support human rights in China.”
Hundreds of American and multinational corporations use Uyghur slave labor – including at least five with ties to the Holocaust, including Volkswagen, Hugo Boss, BMW, Adidas, and IBM. Their business decisions lead unwitting consumers to participate in the ongoing persecution of the Uyghur people by the People’s Republic of China.
As an organization rooted in Jewish values, remaining silent on this issue was never an option. We are proud to have fought for this legislation alongside many amazing human rights organizations.
The UFLPA is a significant milestone in the fight to end the genocide of the Uyghur people by creating a “rebuttable presumption” that any goods made in the XUAR are the result of forced labor absent “clear and convincing” evidence to the contrary. This bill upholds American values and holds the People’s Republic of China and all those who have or may choose to put human rights aside to do business in China accountable.
While this is a crucial step, we call on Congress to quickly reconcile the Senate and House bills so they can be presented to President Joe Biden and signed into law.
Our collective responsibility is to protect vulnerable populations from mass atrocities, including crimes against humanity and genocide. This decision by Congress is one step toward fulfilling the United States’ longstanding commitment to moral leadership in the world and strengthening its standing as a leader in the fight against genocide and mass atrocities.
We are thankful to the House leadership for their action today.