Call on Apple to Stop Profiting from Forced Labor in China

Your iPhone (or Android) may have been manufactured Uyghur Muslims being held in modern-day slavery. Now, you can use that iPhone to help put an end to this vile exploitation!

Over the last two years, we’ve slowly been learning about how the Chinese government has been abducting, isolating, and brainwashing innocent people simply because of their religious beliefs. On March 1st, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) released an explosive report revealing a sickening new twist to the terrifying saga: many of these already tortured Uyghurs are being rented as slave labor to Chinese manufacturers producing products for well-known American companies.

After being held in dystopian brainwashing camps, Uyghurs are shipped across the country to work in factories. They aren’t allowed to leave or practice their religion, and any time away from the factory floor is spent in indoctrination classes meant to strip them of their Uyghur identity.

Through extensive research, ASPI found that participating factories were in the supply lines of at least 83 American and international brands including Apple, Nike, Amazon, Victoria’s Secret, and Nintendo.

While it’s possible that these companies previously had no idea what was going on, they know now. Will you join us in making sure this is an issue they can’t ignore?

To start, we’re calling on Apple to take action. Apple proudly claims “we hold ourselves and our suppliers to the highest standards to ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect,” but ASPI identified at least four Apple-linked factories that are using forced Uyghur labor, including one that CEO Tim Cook visited in 2017.

Send an email to Apple and a tweet to Tim Cook urging them to act quickly and decisively. They can choose to be heroes to thousands or to be knowing participants in one of the greatest human rights abuses of our time. With your help, we believe they’ll make the right choice. 

 

Photo Source: ‘Strengthening patriotism education and building a bridge of national unity’ (加强爱国主义教育搭建民族团结连心桥), China Ethnic Religion Net (中国民族宗教网), 7 November 2019, online.