CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 4:00 PM ET
Sabrina Sohail: sabrina@campaignforuyghurs.org
(650) 703-4523
https://www.campaignforuyghurs.org
Campaign For Uyghurs (CFU) welcomes the release of the U.S. State Department’s 2023 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report: China, shedding light on the grave issue of human trafficking and forced labor faced by the Uyghurs and other Turkic communities in East Turkistan. CFU stands in support of the report’s findings and joins the international community in urging immediate action to address these gross violations of human rights.
The 2023 TIP Report reveals the harrowing reality of arbitrary detention, forced labor, and coercive practices inflicted upon Uyghurs in internment camps and affiliated manufacturing sites in East Turkistan and China proper. CFU strongly supports the recommendations outlined in the report, including the abolition of arbitrary detention and forced labor in internment camps and affiliated manufacturing sites. Additionally, CFU urges an end to forced labor in government and non-government facilities, as well as the cessation of coercive labor transfer and so-called “vocational training programs” that disproportionately impact Uyghurs and other Turkic groups. Furthermore, CFU condemns the use of transnational repression, such as harassment and discriminatory immigration policies, to coerce the return of individuals to East Turkistan, where they face genocide.
CFU Executive Director and board member of the Task Force on Human Trafficking within the Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum, Rushan Abbas, said “The 2023 TIP Report is a critical document that underscores the urgent need to end the arbitrary detention, forced labor, and human trafficking of the Uyghurs. It is essential that immediate action is taken to abolish these abhorrent practices and provide restitution to the victims.”
CFU calls on governments, international organizations, and concerned individuals to take immediate action in response to the findings of the 2023 TIP Report. It is imperative that the Chinese regime is held accountable for its systemic human rights abuses, and that the rights and dignity of the Uyghur people are restored. CFU emphasizes the urgency of implementing the recommended actions, including the abolition of arbitrary detention, the end of forced labor, and the cessation of coercive policies targeting Uyghurs. Only through decisive and collective efforts can we work towards justice, restitution, and the eradication of human trafficking and forced labor.
