The Canadian government has issued new regulations banning the import of goods related to forced labor in Xinjiang and prohibiting companies from exporting technology or products to China that could be used for surveillance, arbitrary detention or forced labor.
Following the UK’s lead, Canada has also announced a ban on Canadian companies involved in human rights abuses and forced labor in Xinjiang, including a written commitment from Canadian companies that they are aware of the human rights situation in Xinjiang and will not do business with companies involved in forced labor; that they will face legal liability and damage to their goodwill if they use forced laborers on their production lines; and that they will not export products to China that could be used for surveillance, oppression, arbitrary detention, or forced labor.
On December 12, Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, made an important statement on human rights in Xinjiang before moving on to become Minister of Innovation, Technology and Economic Development. He stated, “Canada is deeply concerned about the arbitrary detention and inappropriate treatment of Uighurs and other ethnic minorities by the Chinese government, and that no one should be treated inappropriately because of their religion or ethnic background.”
Shang Pengfei, who left his post as foreign minister before leaving the post, issued a serious warning about the Chinese Communist Party’s actions in Xinjiang. (Screenshot from Twitter)
Last October, the Canadian Parliament’s International Human Rights Commission released a report citing human rights violations by the Chinese Communist Party in Xinjiang, describing them as “genocide. Asked about the situation in Xinjiang at a press conference last month, Shang Pengfei said, “We are very concerned about the situation in Xinjiang. I have mentioned this to the Chinese Foreign Minister on several occasions, both publicly and privately, and Canada has taken the initiative to call for a visit to Xinjiang at the United Nations, asking for a clear explanation from the Chinese Communist Party. We have continued to put pressure on the CCP regarding human rights in Xinjiang.”
Shalina Nali, a youth leader of the Vancouver Uighur Association (VUA), is a member of the Chinese Communist Party. Shalina Nurly thanked Ottawa for finally doing something: “It’s a small thing we can do to at least hopefully help the situation on the ground. If everyone would take this issue seriously and put pressure on clothing brands and cell phone manufacturers, there would be a lot less forced labor tragedies in the world.”
She also criticized the Chinese Communist Party for not even sparing the food culture of the Xinjiang people, who are being forced to eat pork and build pig farms on the pretext of boosting the economy, in a deliberate attempt to humiliate the Muslim people of Xinjiang.
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