Arrr! A scallywag Congressman be givin' China a taste o' their own medicine, claimin' the Uyghurs need better shieldin'!
2024-01-30
Arrr, me hearties! The International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C. be takin' on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Brave souls, both activists and lawmakers, be raisin' the alarm 'bout the pesky loopholes in this here piece o' legislation.
The International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit began in Washington, D.C., featuring a breakout session on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). This bipartisan law assumes that all goods produced in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) are made with forced labor unless proven otherwise. It is estimated that around 100,000 Uyghurs and other minorities in China are working under conditions of forced labor after being detained in re-education camps. However, Rep. Chris Smith believes there are gaps in the UFLPA that need to be addressed. One flaw is that shipments under $800 can avoid regulation, allowing companies to import goods in smaller packages to bypass the law. Rushan Abbas, an Uyghur American activist, agrees that the legislation needs to be implemented more strongly to prevent companies from profiting off the Uyghur people. Smith has strongly criticized Chinese President Xi Jinping for his actions and condemned the business leaders who welcomed him during his visit to San Francisco. Abbas believes that the welcoming of President Xi by business leaders sends the message that it's acceptable to undermine human dignity and rights. She has personally experienced the suppression of the Chinese government when her sister was jailed after she made her first public speech on Uyghur human rights. Attending the IRF Summit allows Abbas to share her story and hold the Chinese Communist government accountable. She emphasizes that if China is not held accountable, it will have consequences for the future of the free world.