Japan develops counterfeiting guidelines

Tokyo [Japan], July 12 (ANI): Japan’s Ministry of Trade and Industry develops guidelines to end human rights abuses in the textile industry amid ongoing dispute between Beijing and foreign companies over labor forced into the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. According to a report released on Monday.

According to Asian newspaper Nikkei, the Japanese Textile Federation will coordinate with human rights abuses to draft guidelines by next year. They should include provisions to assess fair working hours and wages, and potential human rights violations associated with the existence of child labor. Companies use guidelines to monitor their suppliers.

The Federation is looking at an example set by the Japan Association of Electronics and Information Technology Industries, which issued similar guidelines last year.

The United Nations and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development have established a framework for companies to monitor their supply chains for human rights violations. In June, a group of seven wealthy countries expressed concern about forced labor in the garment industry. This is an obscure reference to the work of a minority of Uyghur Muslims allegedly used to produce cotton in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

Mizuno, a Japanese sportswear company, recently decided to stop using cotton supplied by China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which appears to reflect Beijing’s concerns about human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims. . Ad.

The company said production of cotton-containing products in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region will be halted and will not be replenished when exhausted.

Western clothing companies also oppose the use of cotton from Xinjiang.

Meanwhile, according to Kyodo News, U.S. Customs and Border Protection blocked the shipment of men’s shirts for UNIQLO’s casual clothing chain in January for violating the ban on importing cotton and other items from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

China has been accused around the world of sending Uyghur Muslims from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to mass detention camps, disrupting their religious activities and exposing them to abuse, including forced labor.

Meanwhile, Beijing has firmly denied being involved in human rights violations against Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and reports from journalists, NGOs and former detainees have surfaced, brutal towards the ethnic community. of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Emphasizes repression.

The United States banned imports of cotton and tomato products from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in January, followed by Canada and the United Kingdom. Many international brands, including HM, Nike, and Ralph Lauren, have also officially stated that their products are not made from Xinjiang cotton.

HM was forced to close 20 stores in China following a statement about forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which sparked unrest between Chinese citizens and the authorities. At the same time, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden issued joint statements expressing serious concern about the human rights situation of Uyghurs and other Turkish minorities. in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. Ad. (ANI)