On Tuesday, Governor Doug Ducey signed a new bill aimed at the use of forced labor in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The bill, HB 2488, prohibits the state and other public entities in Arizona from contracting with a company for products or services unless it includes written certification that the company does not, and will not, use or rely on the forced labor of ethnic Uyghurs in China.
“As a student of history, I know what happens when good people remain silent,” said the bill’s sponsor Rep. Justin Wilmeth. “This new law, which was passed with strong bipartisan support, sends a clear message that the State of Arizona won’t do business with anyone that turns a blind eye to this horrible human rights abuse.”Congressional Research Service, the PRC government has pressured many Uyghurs, including former detainees, into accepting employment in textile, apparel, agricultural, consumer electronics, and other labor-intensive industries. Some factories utilizing Uyghur labor are tied to global supply chains. Uyghurs who refuse to accept such employment, which often involves heavy surveillance and political indoctrination, may face detention.
