Xinjiang and Forced Uyghur Labor 

In the 49^th season finale of Saturday Night Live, a mock ad sketch targeting fast fashion brands Shein and Temu aired. In it, the voiceover assures models that their clothes are “not made with forced labor” and that “all workers paid, even ones with wrong religion.” With over 2 million views on YouTube, this sketch has brought the ongoing plight of China’s Uyghur Muslims more firmly into the public consciousness. So, what exactly is happening to the Uyghurs? 

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What is Happening in Xinjiang?

The Xinjiang autonomous territory in Northwest China is home to many ethnic groups, including the Uyghur population. Both a religious and ethnic minority in China, the Uyghurs face extreme persecution. In addition to “disappearances,”forced sterilizations, and cultural and religious oppression, many Uyghurs have been pushed into prisons, internment camps, and “re-education camps,” where they become victims of forced labor. Estimations for the number of Uyghurs in these “anti-terrorism” camps range from 100,000 to over 1 million. 

Investigations into the exploitation of Uyghurs by Human Rights Watch and other organizations argue that the Chinese government’s actions amount to crimes against humanity. Reports indicate horrific abuse of Uyghurs both inside and outside the “re-education” camps, including rape, torture, forced labor, political indoctrination, isolation from their families, and surveillance. Evidence also suggests that prisoners have been forcibly moved out of Xinjiang province, indicating that the issue of forced labor by Uyghurs is more widespread than previously thought. 

As the government continues to force Uyghur populations into these camps, Xinjiang’s exportation and production of goods such as aluminum and cotton has grown rapidly. Money flows into the area from consumers when we buy goods such as cars, clothes, solar panels, and even food. Because over 80% of China’s cotton production is in Xinjiang, many of the clothes that we buy could be produced using Uyghur forced labor. 

Ultra-fast fashion companies like Shein and Temu are consistently criticized for failing to adhere to forced labor prevention standards, but they are not alone. Even companies that are not traditionally thought of as being “fast fashion”are implicated by researchers. A report from Sheffield Hallam University, Uyghur Rights Monitor, and The Uyghur Center for Democracy and Human Rights found that Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Prada, and Levi’s are only a few of the multitude of brands potentially sourcing materials from Xinjiang. As clothing overconsumption continues to run rampant, companies continue to source cheap materials from questionable sources. But our cheap (and not-so-cheap) packages come at the cost of the freedom of the Uyghurs.  

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How Can We Help? 

While the oppression faced by the Uyghurs has been known to the world for quite some time, very little has been done to prevent it. In fact, the United States is the only country to have adopted any legislation aiming to prevent these abuses. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act assumes all goods produced in Xinjiang to be the product of forced labor unless proven otherwise. Additionally, it obligates a government task force to prevent the US importation of goods produced by forced labor from Xinjiang. This important legislation provides a building block as the world slowly continues to put pressure on the Chinese government. While other countries adopt similar legislation and human rights agencies continue to investigate and challenge China’s abuse of the Uyghur population, we consumers need to do our part, too. We must continue to educate ourselves and each other on the Uyghurs’ ongoing plight as we work to create change. Being informed about brands accused of using forced Uyghur labor and holding them accountable is an important step. As we watch the SNL skit, we need to ponder our own answers to the voiceover’s question: “If it was [shady], would you stop buying it?”