Australian Senate poised to pass bill banning imports made using forced labour theguardian.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theguardian.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Government officials have dodged questions about what specific action Australia is taking to respond to concerns over the widespread use of forced labour in Xinjiang.
A parliamentary committee is considering an import ban on products and components produced in the western Chinese province under proposed laws put forward by independent Senator Rex Patrick.
The United Nations has urged companies and countries to closely scrutinise their supply chains over concerns about the alleged detention and forced labour of ethnic-minority Uighurs in China.
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Experts and Uighurs in Australia have raised concerns that Australia does not have specific measures in place to combat the use of forced labour in Xinjiang.
Last modified on Tue 27 Apr 2021 06.02 EDT
The Australian government has left the door open to toughening up the nation’s laws against modern slavery amid concerns about human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang region.
Officials also revealed at a Senate hearing on Tuesday that the government was in regular discussions “with all China-facing businesses” and had used those conversations to highlight the risks of forced labour in supply chains from Xinjiang.
Uyghur community representatives told the same hearing Australia had been too slow to respond to “severe oppression” and “atrocities” in the region, possibly because the government was afraid of facing further trade sanctions from Beijing, which denies the accusations.
Chinese Embassy Hosts Two-Hour Press Conference in Australia to Downplay Uyghur Abuses
The Chinese Embassy has hosted a two-hour press conference in Canberra on Wednesday to paint a rosy picture of the situation in Xinjiang while issuing a warning against Australia joining the EU, UK, and the U.S. in sanctioning Chinese officials.
The press event comes after intense global scrutiny over the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) systemic human rights abuses against the Uyghur minority in China’s western Xinjiang Province.
Media outlets were treated to a presentation entitled “Xinjiang is a Wonderful Land,” featuring testimonials from Uyghurs and Xinjiang officials promoting the region’s economic growth and religious harmony.