Following an investigation by the Tech Transparency Project, a new demand appears today that iPhone workers be used as forced labor in China.
This indicates that the iPhone glass supplier Lens Technology uses the Muslim minority Uighurs, who had the definite choice to work in the company’s factory or be sent to detention centers compared to concentration camps …
The Washington Post carry the report.
One of the oldest and most well-known iPhone suppliers is accused of using forced Muslim labor in its factories, according to documents uncovered by a human rights group, and added new investigation to Apple’s human rights record in China.
The documents, discovered by the Tech Transparency Project and shared exclusively with The Washington Post, describe how thousands of Uighur workers from the predominantly Muslim region of Xinjiang were sent to work for Lens Technology. […]
According to human rights groups, Lens Technology is one of at least five companies linked to Apple’s supply chain and closely linked to alleged forced labor from the Xinjiang region. Lens Technology stands out from other Apple component vendors because of its sincere founder and long, well-documented history dating back to the early days of the iPhone.
As with previous reports, the company is in Xinjiang, where the Chinese government has allegedly placed more than a million Uighurs in detention centers, or forced them to work for businesses in prison-like conditions.
The Chinese government claims all Uighur workers are there, but a U.S. academic says it is misleading at best.
“There really is no way to give longer informed consent in Xinjiang because the threat of extrajudicial detention is so extreme,” said Darren Byler, an anthropologist at the University of Colorado at Boulder who studies Uighur migrants. […]
The Chinese government does not allow human rights groups to enter the country to interview workers or comply with conditions.
Apple denies the claims and states that they have specific checks in place.
Apple spokesman Josh Rosenstock said the company had confirmed that Lens Technology had not received any labor transfers from Uighur workers from Xinjiang. He said Apple had earlier this year assured that none of its other suppliers were using Uighur labor transferred from Xinjiang.
“Apple has no tolerance for forced labor,” Rosenstock said. “Looking at the presence of forced labor is part of every supplier assessment we do, including surprise audits. This protection applies in the supply chain, regardless of someone’s job or location. Any violation of our policy has immediate consequences, including possible termination of business. As always, we focus on ensuring that everyone is treated with dignity and respect, and we will continue to do everything in our power to protect workers in our supply chain. ”
Earlier this month, Apple sued iPhone camera provider O-Film over similar demands for forced labor, though the report said the Cupertino company had not yet completely removed the company from its supply chain.
In a previous forced labor report, LCD screen manufacturer BOE and a clothing company that, according to Apple t-shirts, made staff were involved.
Many people now believe that it is impossible to use any suppliers in Xinjiang without taking a big risk to engage in forced labor.
Photo: Reuters
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