Irish Government does Not Record Whether Imports From forced Labour Camps for Uyghur Muslims in China
On foot of a response from the Tánaiste, Aontú Leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has raised concerns over imports from forced labour camps for Uyghur Muslims into Ireland and the failure of the Tánaiste to address the concern in his response.
An Teachta Tóibín: “It is a growing concern that goods derived from concentration camps for Uyghur Muslims in China, are being imported into Ireland. This only serves to benefit human rights abusers and incentivise the continued oppression of a religious and indigenous minority. Worryingly, when I questioned the Tánaiste on this issue, he sidestepped the issue and stated they do not collect trade data on the basis of whether it comes from human rights abuses. Surely, the State at the very least should know whether imports into the country are being derived from concentration camps and occupied territories.”
“For some time now we’ve been seeing the photos, videos and articles showing how the Uyghur population in the region are being sent to ‘thought transformation camps’, herded blindfolded onto busses, and subjected to forced sterilisation, torture, rape, forced abortions and forced labour. Aontú heard from members of the World Uyghur Congress on the brutality of the oppression and genocide being perpetrated against a religious and indigenous minority, and will publish legislation in coming weeks to ensure Ireland meets its obligations under international law to stop the occurrence of genocide. If we remain silent, we are complicit in the genocide of an innocent people.”
Questions
Peadar Tóibín
Peadar Tóibín
Question:
25. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and
Employment the amount of goods and services imported into Ireland from China
which is believed to be linked to forced labour camps for Uighur Muslims by goods
and services and the corresponding value in tabular form. [6409/22]
View answer
Written answers (Question to Enterprise)
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
The Central Statistics Office compiles statistical data in relation to Goods Exports
and Imports. These statistics can be found on the website www.cso.ie. Trade data is
collected by the Central Statistics Office at a country level, in this case for China as a
whole, and so the more detailed breakdown requested by the Deputy is not
available.
As regards the substantive human rights issue to which the Deputy refers, Ireland
remains deeply concerned about the evidence-based reports regarding the treatment
of ethnic Uyghurs in Xinjiang. We have raised these concerns, along with our
partners in the EU and the wider international community, on a number of occasions,
including most recently at the 48th UN Human Rights Council in September and in
the UN Third Committee on Human Rights in October. We have consistently called
on China to allow unrestricted and meaningful access to the region for independent
observers, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. We look forward
to her upcoming report on human rights in Xinjiang.
