The US-based East Turkistan National Movement, a platform dedicated to highlighting the human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang, has urged global authorities on International Youth Day to address the plight of millions of Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic youths, who are forcibly separated from their families and subjected to enslavement through forced labour in Chinese camps and factories.
“On this InternationalYouthDay, we demand urgent global action to address the crisis in Occupied EastTurkistan. Millions of Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic youth are forcibly separated from their families and subjected to enslavement through forced labour in Chinese camps and factories.” East Turkistan National Movement said in a post on X.
“The world must urgently act against China’s ongoing genocide, colonization, and occupation in East Turkistan to ensure these youths can live with dignity, freedom, and the right to their heritage,” the post added.
Further, the East Turkistan National Movement urges immediate action to protect the lives and freedom of young people in East Turkistan.
“Silence is not an option. We must act now to protect these young lives, restore their freedom, and preserve their identity from being erased forever. The future of an entire people hangs in the balance. Restoring East Turkistan’s independence is the only way to secure the freedom, dignity, and future of our youth,” said East Turkistan National MovementActivists blame many Uyghur youths who are coerced into forced labour, working under harsh conditions in various industries. They are also made to work in factories, often under conditions akin to modern slavery.
Earlier, the US government extended its import ban to additional Chinese companies over alleged human rights abuses related to Uyghur citizens.
The Department of Homeland Security revealed that five new companies have been added to its blacklist as part of its ongoing efforts to eliminate goods made with forced labour from the U.S. supply chain.
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List is a designation created under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), a piece of US legislation aimed at addressing and curbing the use of forced labour involving Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in China’s Xinjiang region.
The Uyghur people, a largely Muslim ethnic group, have historically sought either independence or increased autonomy from China.
The region, officially called the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, has attracted significant international attention due to allegations of human rights violations, including widespread detentions in what are termed as “re-education camps” and instances of forced labour.
