Germany: Rights group files complaint over forced Uyghur labour

The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) filed a criminal complaint in Germany against five major retailers. The rights group alleges that these companies benefited from forced Uyghur labour in China’s Xinjiang region. The ECCHR said the complaint is the result of an open source investigation but all companies have firmly rejected the allegations. Chinese cotton makes up about 20% of the global production of cotton. About 80% of that is produced in Xinjiang, where forced labour of Uyghurs is common in what China has denied are labour camps but instead insists are vocational training institutes. China has said such training is necessary to counter violent extremism, China has also denied US allegations that the country is actively engaged in a genocide of its Uyghur population. Meanwhile, many brands  announced they would no longer buy Xinjiang cotton, leading to boycott calls in China.
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