A review of satellite imagery by the U.S. news site BuzzFeed revealed that at least 130 camps in Xinjiang have factories.
The issue of forced labor in Xinjiang’s so-called “re-education camps” is of great concern to the international community. Recently, U.S. media revealed satellite images showing that Chinese authorities have built a large number of additional factories near Xinjiang’s “re-education camps” in recent years in order to force ethnic minorities to work and produce.
The Xinjiang re-education camps have long been equated with forced labor. A review of satellite imagery by the U.S. news site BuzzFeed shows that there are factories in at least 130 camps in Xinjiang.
The factories are generally rectangular in shape, with steel roofs, and were apparently built in a short period of time, a far cry from the masonry and concrete used to build re-education camps.
The website says that while the Xinjiang authorities are forcibly detaining large numbers of Uighurs in re-education camps, they have continued to build new factories, and estimate that the total area of such improvised factories now amounts to 2,100 square feet, mostly in Hotan, Kashgar and Yining.
Concerns about the quality of temporary factories
According to an earlier report by an Australian organization, China is forcing ethnic minorities held in re-education camps in Xinjiang to work in factories elsewhere. World Uighur Congress spokesman Dirichati believes that the construction of factories in the camps is a cover-up by the authorities.
Dirichati: “The security measures and the working environment inside, I’m sure, will never be in accordance with the standards of the factories built in mainland China. Because China’s aim is to use this accelerated expansion to achieve economic returns, the plant will never be built according to labor rights standards and there will be many hidden dangers.”
BuzzFeed matched the satellite photos with a database of businesses in Washington and found that the factories exported their products to places like the United States and France. One of the factories’ annual reports showed that they participated in the authorities’ “labor transfer program,” in which ethnic minority workers were placed in factories and provided with a monthly food allowance of 360 yuan each.
Another enterprise, with the same registered address as a large re-education camp in Hejing County, has an estimated capacity of 11,000 people. Satellite images show six blue-roofed factory buildings just a door away from the adjacent re-education camp.
Dilishati: “Forcing Uighurs to work as cheap labor has sparked strong local resentment. For security reasons, the best solution for the Chinese government would be to build new factories next to the camps, so that people who have been politically brainwashed can be sent directly to the factories and subjected to forced labor.”
Dirichati estimates that this would save a lot of money.
Dirishati: “For example, transportation costs, including the cost of transporting people to mainland China, and the cost of feeding and housing these people locally, and other aspects, while providing new development opportunities for companies that are facing difficulties in mainland China.”
The Central Asia Society of Taiwan‘s expert on Islamic issues, Jian Yu, said that labor-intensive industries are moving to the northwest is the trend in recent years, and re-education camps are just “riding the boat”.
Squire Chien-Yu: “Because some people have families, it is not suitable to leave their hometowns. Whether it’s women or men, if they can’t leave their hometown, they will be put in this place. Some are based on technical considerations, more difficult technology young people may have to move to the field to learn, otherwise they will stay in their hometowns. There are also some industries that are transferred to Xinjiang, so they can be produced directly in Xinjiang, which is simpler and does not need to be transferred out.”
Chinese officials stress the “voluntary” nature of minority labor
Xinjiang has always denied the existence of large-scale forced labor in the region. The autonomous government’s Development Research Center earlier published an investigation report saying that ethnic minority labor and employment is voluntary, independent and free. They voluntarily decide to go out to work, decide where to go for employment, and freely choose what kind of work to do.
The Report also claims that in the past period, Xinjiang’s ethnic minority population has experienced low quality, low income and low stability in spontaneous employment, and that they want the government to play an active role in helping them achieve employment.
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