In Xinjiang, more than 1 million Uyghurs and other members of predominantly Muslim ethnic groups have been forced into detention camps, according to foreign researchers and governments. Authorities are accused of forced sterilizations of minorities and of destroying mosques.
Chinese officials reject accusations of abuse and say the camps are for job training aimed at economic development and deterring radicalism.
U.S. and some Chinese solar vendors have pledged to avoid suppliers that might use forced labor. It isn’t clear, however, whether they can meet rising demand without Xinjiang, where Beijing won’t allow independent inspections of workplaces.
The biggest manufacturers all use raw materials from Xinjiang and have a "high risk of forced labor in their supply chains,” according to a May 14 reportby researchers Laura T. Murphy and Nyrola Elima of Britain’s Sheffield Hallam University.