Neo-Slavery: An Introduction to Forced Labor in China

What would you do if you were separated from your family, denied your identity, and trapped into forced labor?

Communism

Communism rears its ugly face once more as thousands of people from the minority groups of China are forcibly detained in ‘camps’ in an attempt to ‘re-educate’ them; to strip away their cultural identify and assimilate them into the majority Han Chinese population. Most of the victims are form the Uygur/ Uighur community, a minority Muslim community in China. Parents are separated from children and whole families are brought even for just being related to someone who is slightly religiously radical.

Who Is Exploited?

Chinese officials claim that there are no adverse psychological effects on the children who are separated from their parents; being housed in separate boarding schools. There is evidence to show hundreds of schools and building being constructed of recent to house these minority communities, including the Uighurs, Kazakhs, and Kyrgyz.

Who Benefits?

Major companies such a Nike, BMW, Samsung and others have been implicated in a report on forced labor of ethnic minorities from Xinjiang. Most of these have responded to the allegation except Apple, Esprit, Fila, and Victoria’s Secret.

The Crackdown

However the crackdown on the Uighur community has been a long time in the making. In July 2014, some Xinjang government departments banned Muslim civil servants from fasting during the holy month of Ramdan.

Chinese officials claim that the crackdown is a form of ‘anti-terrorism’. One report shows how Chinese Communist Party supporters were given the task of befriending certain members of the minority community and keep detailed records of their activities. Things commonly noted were whether they prayed or not, what sites they used on the internet, what language they spoke etc.

The Fear

People from the area are reluctant to speak about the atrocities to reporters as they are constantly being watched. There is a strict regulation on filming in China, enabling only a few glimpses into the atrocities, but these are enough to raise concern. One crew was asked to stop filming as they approached a camp where the minorities were held.

Back Home

When one hears about the Orwellian predicament in China, it is easy to forget that big brother is watching, he has eyes and ears everywhere. As we read and philosophize about the situation in China, let us open our eyes to what is happening around us, in our neighborhoods and workplaces; in our streets.