It was recommended that I cross post this from EtcetEra for awareness, particularly as we move towards a new generation of consoles. Letting people make informed decisions about where they're willing to put their money is the best thing anyone can do here.
Here's the latest on the various abuses in electronics and video game manufacturing in China against the Uyghur and other ethnic minorities in China:
And in literal slavery news:
I don't think our convenient electronics are worth this at all. Not one bit.
Update 3/2:
Linked Report: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/uyghurs-sale
See Threadmarks for the full list including Apple, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo, Samsung & Sony.
Video Games:
Report highlights
Here's the latest on the various abuses in electronics and video game manufacturing in China against the Uyghur and other ethnic minorities in China:
BBC said:Thousands of Muslims from China's Uighur minority group are working under coercive conditions at factories that supply some of the world's biggest brands, a new report says.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute said this was the next phase in China's re-education of Uighurs.
China has already detained about a million Uighurs at internment camps, punishing and indoctrinating them.
And in literal slavery news:
Between 2017 and 2019, the ASPI think tank estimates that more than 80,000 Uighurs were transferred out of the far western Xinjiang autonomous region to work in factories across China. It said some were sent directly from detention camps.
ASPI said the Uighurs were moved through labour transfer schemes operating under a central government policy known as Xinjiang Aid.
According to the report, the factories claim to be part of the supply chain for 83 well-known global brands, including Nike, Apple and Dell.
The report said it was "extremely difficult" for Uighurs to refuse or escape the work assignments, with the threat of "arbitrary detention" hanging over them.
It added that there was evidence of local governments and private brokers being "paid a price per head" by the Xinjiang government to organise the assignments, which ASPI describes as "a new phase of the Chinese government's ongoing repression" of Uighurs.
I don't think our convenient electronics are worth this at all. Not one bit.
China Uighurs 'moved into factory forced labour' for foreign brands
A report says China has moved minority Muslims into factory jobs, where their freedom is restricted.
www.bbc.co.uk
Update 3/2:
Linked Report: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/uyghurs-sale
See Threadmarks for the full list including Apple, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo, Samsung & Sony.
Video Games:
Report highlights
- On 17 May 2018, 105 Uyghur workers were transferred from Keriya county, Xinjiang, to Hubei Yihong Precision Manufacturing Co. Ltd in Xianning, Hubei province.
- Hubei Yihong Precision Manufacturing Co. Ltd (湖北奕宏精密制造有限公司) is a subsidiary of Dongguan Yidong Electronic Co. Ltd (东莞市奕东电子有限公 司) and produces precision parts for electronics such as backlights and battery covers.
- According to their website, Dongguan Yidong Electronic Co. Ltd says they supply directly to BYD, Goertek, Mitsumi, TDK and Toshiba. Their LCD components are directly supplied to Kyocera and BOE. Their end customers include Amazon, Apple, Cisco, General Electric, Google, Haier, HP, Huawei, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Nintendo, Oculus, Oppo, Panasonic, Samsung, Siemens, Sony, and ZTE.
- As reported in late 2019, 560 Xinjiang workers were transferred to work in factories in central Henan province, including to Foxconn Technology in Zhengzhou, Henan province
- Foxconn Technology, a Taiwanese company, is the biggest contract electronics manufacturer in the world.
- Foxconn has supplied brands like Amazon, Apple, Dell, Google, HP, Huawei, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, and Xiaomi. Foxconn's Zhengzhou, Henan facility reportedly makes half of the world's iPhones and is the reason why Zhengzhou city is dubbed the "iPhone city". Foxconn's website says their brands and 'marketing channels' include Nokia and Sharp