China forces workers to create COVID-19 face masks that are shipped across the globe. The New York Times reported that the country is producing face coverings using "Uighur Labor." The Chinese companies were identified after a video obtained by the publication was released, revealing that a contentious labor program for Uighurs to address the demand for P.P.E. (personal protective equipment), which are delivered to other countries, including the United States.
Chinese companies are rushing to produce the gear for domestic and global consumption to drive the demand for PPEs as the global pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus, continues. The NYT's visual investigation found out that Chinese manufacturers are putting people to work against their will in the contentious government-sponsored program.
The companies in the list manufacture medical equipment primarily for domestic use. However, the investigation found that other Chinese manufacturers located outside Xinjiang are also using the controversial labor to export outside the country. The government program is widely publicized in state media to help decrease poverty in China.
Dozens of videos and social media reports, containing the documents about the recent labor transfers, were collected by The Human Rights Investigation Lab at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Uyghur Human Rights Project.
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