cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/45649428
[…]
Ultra cheap e-commerce platforms Temu and fast fashion brand Shein are selling products made from Chinese cotton despite the high risk of links to slavery.
More than 80 per cent of Chinese cotton is produced in the Xinjiang province where an estimated more than 800,000 Uighurs are enslaved.
This masthead has seen multiple examples of cotton products made in China available for sale on Temu and Shein, including clothing and bedding.
Australian Human Rights Institute director Justine Nolan said there was a heightened risk of slavery with any cotton products made in China.
“You just couldn’t say the risk is low when you’ve got over 80 per cent of cotton coming from Xinjiang,” she said. “That’s a high risk.”
[…]
China produces about 20 per cent of the world’s cotton, with about 84 per cent coming from the Xinjiang province. The US banned cotton from the Xinjiang province in 2022 under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
Ms Nolan said retailers and manufacturers would need to ascertain whether the cotton was produced in China or was sourced from a supply chain outside of China.
“The reality of actually finding that out is very difficult,” she said. “There’s a heightened risk for any cotton products coming out of China that they are tainted by forced labour.”
Conversely, Ms Nolan said Australia had a very strong cotton industry. “I would say cotton coming out of Australia is a hell of a lot safer than cotton coming out of China.”
[…]
It’s only a bad thing when it makes the USA look bad, otherwise slavery and genocide is just fine.
-ML
ML doesnt think the labor used to create these items is slave labor. ML generally thinks its hypocritical for one of the few countries to have legal systemic slavery to going around claiming all of its “enemies” use slave labor. ML also likes to note how cultural differences often are exaggerated or reframed to use as nationalistic propaganda.
America puts a lot of effort into trying to convince the rest of the world that China is a horrible country.
I cannot tell when a government is creating a whataboutism through a captured Human Rights group that focuses on protecting the state from being accused of wrongdoing.
Can’t rebut what was said so you attacked the messenger. The classic tactic of someone who is right. Not.
No I am trying to tell you you’re getting sucked into propaganda. There’s a reason why even the title claims “high risk:” The forced labor of capitalism is known, the claimed forced labor in China that’s been claimed for years now somehow still has no definitive proof and is still “high risk.”
So you’re calling all the family members and other people around the community liars. Talk about getting sucked in to propaganda. I have had interaction with people directly impacted by this. But please do. Go ahead and keep repeating your propaganda.
It is fascinating, isn’t it? It’s the OTHER guys that use propaganda! I use facts!
Both governments do. But then I’m not the one marginalizing the victims and the families like you and other people around here. Frankly, I would love for the United States criticisms to be un-hipocritical and mean something. And I would love for China to even be a fraction of the democracy they pretend to be.
But, as I said elsewhere, as someone whose family has personally suffered oppression at the hands of authoritarian capitalist forces. I can empathize with the victims. They’ve told me their experiences and their stories. They just want their family back and to be left alone by the Han supremacists. It isn’t some CIA conspiracy. Or anything complex even.
I’m not some gaslighting apologist. Bending over backwards to defend calcified oppressive institutions of power like some people. I don’t like the taste of boot. If you do. That’s on you sweetheart.
You had direct interaction? In your kitchen? Can I see it?
I see, so you are engaging in bad faith as I assumed. Good to know.
I want to believe evidence. “My friend told me but I won’t provide that proof” is not evidence and demanding that evidence isn’t bad faith.
Proudly. I will believe the families of individuals every day over oppressive governments, whether it’s the United States or China. My family has personally suffered many similar instances at the hands of authoritarian capitalist governments. The fact that you think this is some sick burn or massive own. That you’re cool because you gaslight people and repeat CCP propaganda. It’s hilarious. You got any other sick burns tankie? I’d love to hear them.
“The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act made it U.S. policy to assume that all goods manufactured in Xinjiang are made with forced labor, unless the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection certifies that certain goods are known to not have been made with forced labor.” from the wikipedia page
So we assume it’s forced labor without evidence. Also cool, send a link with proof with those famlies. Certainly they must bring proof, because many have been known to make up wild claims for show.
Okay, and? You do understand if that’s not true, how ridiculously easy it would be for China to make a fool of the United States. Ask yourself why they haven’t.
Besides, this isn’t some sports team cheering match like you seem to think it is. The United States may have had ulterior motives for passing such things, not that they ever influenced my opinion on the matter. But they did not pass them for no reason or without evidence.
Believe me, as someone whose family had their lands stolen from them by the U.S. government. Who were marched across the continental United States many to their death. Many who still suffer persecution to this day by this hypocritical government. That I don’t set out to align my thoughts or beliefs with this country.
Again, let me reiterate that I have personally interacted with people who have lost family members or been personally threatened by the CCP on the subject. People who don’t know if their loved ones are alive or dead. Because of the oppressive bigots in the CCP. You are free to believe that the Uyghurs willingly became minorities in their own province if you want. But you are in no position to lecture others on propaganda. Just spread it.
Look up proving a negative, youll learn it’s hard to do, and when opposing evidence is given by China, would you accept it?
I don’t think this is a cheering match or anything. I know that China does do bad things, they certainly arent a perfect country. I oppose all forced labor that has been proven.
I am asking you (or anyone) for proof of a positive, that this happened. You again don’t offer evidence. As soon as you offer definitive proof I will believe you, but until then to me you’re just enabling the powers that have oppresed your family, mine, and billions of others.
Ask yourself why we assume all products there are under forced labor instead of defining forced labor and banning it. If this truly was the issue, why do we only care about it in China?
It’s literally not proving a negative. Literally, all China would have to do is allow these people to contact their family and loved ones and confirm what’s happened to them. You make it sound hard.
And I’m telling you proof positive to believe the victims. The very thing you laughably tried to mock me for. It wasn’t anyone’s kitchen, by the way. It was their living room. Fuck what the US says. Fuck what the CCP says. Read about and talk to the victims.