UK’s Marks and Spencer to ban Xinjiang cotton over China s alleged abuses on Uighur Friday, January 8, 2021 5:28 AM UTC
British supermarket chain Marks and Spencer (M&S) will ban the use of cotton from the Xinjiang region in protest of China s alleged treatment of its Muslim Uighur minority.
M&S said it is one of the first companies that signed the call to action on human rights abuses and among the few retailers that do not work with any supplier or source from Xinjiang.
According to M&S, their move supports efforts to ensure fair treatment of workers and that human rights are respected.
BBC News
Published
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Retailer Marks & Spencer has signed onto a call to action on human rights abuses in China s Xinjiang region.
In December, the BBC revealed new evidence that China is forcing hundreds of thousands of Uighurs and other minorities into hard, manual labour in the cotton fields of Xinjiang.
The report increased pressure on clothing retailers to remove Xinjiang cotton from their supply chains.
M&S uses around 40,000 tonnes of lint cotton each year from various sources.
The call to action comes from a coalition of civil society organisations and labour unions who want to end abuses against Uighur people.
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