CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2026
Contact: contact@campaignforuyghurs.org
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https://campaignforuyghurs.org/
CFU Condemns Canadian MP Michael Ma’s Dismissal of Forced Labor
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) is deeply alarmed by the remarks of Canadian Liberal MP Michael Ma during a parliamentary committee hearing on March 26, 2026, questioning China expert Margaret McCuaig-Johnston about whether she has witnessed forced labor in China. Such a question ignores the very nature of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) state-imposed forced labor, the deliberate efforts to conceal its crimes, and its use of propaganda and cosmetic measures to whitewash the Uyghur genocide and systematic human rights abuses.
Ms. McCuaig-Johnston testified that Canadian enforcement of its 2024 forced-labor import ban has been minimal, rejecting only two shipments, compared with thousands blocked by the United States under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, prompting a new U.S. Section 301 investigation that could impose 25% tariffs on Canadian exports. MP Ma aggressively questioned Ms. McCuaig-Johnston, dismissing evidence of forced labor as “hearsay,” a tactic she viewed as an attempt to undermine her testimony and protect Liberal trade policies with China.
The CCP’s ongoing Uyghur genocide is recognized by the independent London tribunal ruling and a dozen countries, including Canada. Uyghur forced labor is documented through credible reports, survivor testimonies, supply chain investigations, and even Chinese state media. UN experts’ latest statement in 2026 indicated that the conditions may amount to enslavement. After the hearing, Ma reportedly told McCuaig-Johnston, “I don’t believe in reports, I only believe in things that I can see with my own eyes.” Ma’s remarks raise serious questions about his views on China’s crimes against humanity, with China’s latest tactics of opening travel in the Uyghur region with staged visits and carefully controlled tours designed to mask the reality of repression. It also raises questions about whether the current Canadian government is abandoning Canada’s recognition of the Uyghur genocide and retreating from accountability for Chinese atrocities.
Mr. Ma later issued an apology, expressing regret for his remarks while clarifying that he had been referring to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, not Xinjiang. CFU notes that even if MP Ma’s comments were about Shenzhen, the idea that China’s human rights abuses should be dismissed unless personally witnessed is deeply troubling and unacceptable. Additionally, credible reports indicate that a Chinese entity in Shenzhen has accepted more than 1,000 workers from the Uyghur region, as part of labor transfer schemes, and installed facial recognition terminals at their dormitories. This is one of the examples that Uyghur forced labor extends beyond the region.
“Mr. Ma’s tactic of dismissal has been amplified by pro-CCP trolls questioning China’s ongoing Uyghur genocide. By that logic, every dictatorship could erase its crimes simply by hiding them well enough. Calling Uyghur genocide and forced labor anything else is ignorance at best and a defense of the CCP at worst,” said Rushan Abbas, Founder and Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs. “I am a firsthand witness to this genocide. My sister, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, has been imprisoned for almost eight years in retaliation for my advocacy as an American citizen. If there is no genocide and forced labor, why does the CCP still hold her and try to silence me? I will be in Ottawa on April 22 and 23 for the launch of my memoir, Unbroken: One Uyghur’s Fight for Freedom. During my visit, I would welcome the opportunity for a direct briefing with MP Ma regarding the ongoing Uyghur genocide. I am prepared to present irrefutable evidence of these atrocities and the systemic use of forced labor.”
CFU expresses deep concern over MP Ma’s dismissal of the extensive evidence regarding Uyghur forced labor and urges the Canadian government to reaffirm its determination to recognize these abuses as genocide, while strengthening enforcement of the forced labor import ban to safeguard Canada’s market, interests, and national security. CFU also notes that MP Ma’s line of questioning mirrors narratives promoted by the CCP, raising legitimate concerns about foreign influence in Canadian politics. We call on MP Ma to issue a formal apology to the Uyghur community and to victims such as Dr. Gulshan Abbas.
