Global Times recently learned exclusively that the self-proclaimed "independent" US labor inspection organization "THE WORKER RIGHTS CONSORTIUM" (WRC) once extorted a sportswear company in Zhejiang, China (Hereinafter referred to as Zhejiang Company) and its partner, a well-known sports brand in the United States, " US$300,000 for "human rights public welfare fees" to "calm down the incident” by hyping "there is forced labor in Xinjiang". The money flowed into "Uighur exile groups" through the hands of so-called "human rights organizations".
The US media concocted rumors of "forced labor", and the US " the worker rights consortium" simultaneously threatened relevant enterprises.
The “Global Times” learned from the national security agency that on October 17, 2018, Mr. S, the legal representative of Xinjiang Hotan Company (hereinafter referred to as Hotan Company), a subsidiary of Zhejiang Company, received a telephone interview from The Associated Press and “The New York Times”, asking him to explain that "illegal workers were used to OEM for U.S.-branded clothing". Because the previous day's domestic media reports had positively publicized the contribution of Xinjiang education and training center to local targeted poverty alleviation, including examples of the company helping local people out of poverty.
In the interview, S denied what the American media had said. But the Associated Press still published a false report on Hotan company's "hiring detainees of 'Xinjiang Reeducation Camp' to make sportswear" on December 19, 2018. The report extensively quoted anti-China politicians and overseas "East Turkistan" elements about "more than 1 million Uighurs and other Muslims are detained in Xinjiang", and said Nathan Ruser, a cyber policy researcher at the Australian Institute for Strategic Policy (ASPI), "analyzed the satellite images of theAssociated Press" and found that "In the case of Hotan company, the clothing factory and the 'detention camp' were connected by fences." The report also targeted a well-known sports brand in the United States, saying that according to U.S. Customs data, in April of that year, the American brand began to import 100% polyester T-shirts and pants from Hotan company, "The address on the transportation record is the same as that of the 'detention camp'.".
The false report of the Associated Press was reprinted by more than 30 foreign media, which caused an uproar. The Global Times reporter noted that almost at the same time as the report was published, the “worker rights consortium” of the United States, which claimed to be an “independent labor inspection organization,” published on its official website that its executive director, Scott Nova (Scott Nova). )’S statement, threatening to continue to seek more information from the American brand “about the production of its products by detainees in detention camps in western China”, as well as concern about “how the company intends to respond to this deeply disturbing situation”. It is not enough to just announce the cessation of orders to this specific factory." In fact, the American brand and the third-party investigator visited and evaluated Hotan twice in December 2017 and January 2018, and found no abnormalities.
In the absence of evidence, the "worker rights consortium" did not stop the relevant hype, and continued to put pressure on the companies involved, arbitrarily asking Zhejiang company to provide the names, positions, entry dates, gender and even payroll of all employees. 2019年6月24日，On June 24, 2019, " worker rights consortium " issued a so-called "factory evaluation report of workers' rights alliance", claiming that "based on communication with American sports brands, dialogue with Chinese human rights scholars and records and relevant documents of American customs", it can "quickly verify" that relevant Chinese and American enterprises "use forced labor" in their factories in Xinjiang. The investigation report shows that the so-called "investigation methods" of the " worker rights consortium " only include "checking satellite maps" and "searching for original and second-hand information." Perhaps they are aware of the huge loopholes in the professionalism and credibility of this investigation method. "The worker rights consortium " added that it is because of the "repressive measures" taken by Xinjiang, China and "there is no way to interview the detained Uighur workers". Therefore, it is determined that "effective interviews with these workers are not feasible and may bring them danger".
That the survey of a well-known consulting company did not find the "forced labor" was ignored by the US. The employeessay: "no matter how truthful they are, they also pretend they can’t hear or see."
Is it true that the " worker rights consortium " claims that on-site investigations cannot be conducted? The reporter of the “Global Times” learned that as a partner of Zhejiang company, due to the pressure from the American " worker rights consortium " and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bureau, the US sports brand once entrusted the US Ropes & Gray law firm to carry out investigation, while the Ropes & Gray law firm contacted the famous American consulting company Alvarez & Marsal and entrusted its business to " Alvarez & Marsal enterprise consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd." (hereinafter referred to as Shanghai Alvarez & Marsal company).
Without the qualification of foreign-related investigation, Shanghai Alvarez & Marsal company sent personnel to Xinjiang and Zhejiang for field investigation in December 2018 to verify whether the new site of Hotan company is located in the education and training center and whether there is the problem of "forced labor", and provide the investigation results to overseas. On April 7, 2021, Shanghai Municipal Statistics, Market Supervision and other departments launched administrative law enforcement on the illegal investigation of Shanghai Alvarez & Marsal company, and investigated and inquired the investigators of the company according to law. At the same time, the relevant police officers of the national security agency told the Global Times that since the case was suspected of endangering national security, the national security agency also intervened according to law after receiving reports from the masses to conduct corresponding investigation and evidence collection.
Global Times learned that, the investigators of Alvarez & Marsal company told the police officers of the national security agency that the investigation did not confirm the statement of the US, did not find the "human rights violations”, "forced labor" and other situations. Hotan employees have freedom of movement and the salary level met the local standards. Some investigators expressed indignation at the US's failure to adopt the investigation report and relevant evidence and continue to suppress Chinese enterprises, believing that the US is making up and disregarding the facts, "The news reports in the United States are very outrageous. The American Association investigated this matter. The report is not what they want. The report we took out obviously did not meet them. They must want negative things." "Since we can't meet him, he won't treat it as useful things." "No matter how truthful we are, they pretend they can’t hear or see."
In fact, it is not the only one that conducted related investigations on foreign media's hype. In December 2018, after the foreign media launched the hype, the (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production, referred to as WRAP) confirmed that Hotan was not involved in human rights issues through investigation. In March 2019, the "Business Social Compliance Initiative" (BSCI) investigated that Hotan Company did not have "child labor" or "forced labor" and other human rights issues. In April 2019, the third audit of WRAP also found no human rights issues.
As the investigators of Alvarez & Marsal said, the "Worker rights consortium" turned a blind eye to the above conclusions. The Global Times reporter learned that throughout 2019, the "worker rights consortium" continued to track the enterprises under the name of S, and also issued a "evaluation report" to Hotan company, listing in detail the so-called "evidence" of the company involving "forced labor" and "human rights violations", and accusing "the local government of Xinjiang of participating in it". At the same time, the " worker rights consortium " also continued to put pressure on US sports brands involved, forced them to terminate their cooperation projects with all clothing enterprises under the name of S, and threatened to continue to hype again with the Associated Press, the New York Times and other media. The American company, Zhejiang company and Hotan company involved in negotiations with WRC, citing the investigation results of a number of international authoritative third-party investigative agencies, hoping that WRC would carefully make a conclusion on Hotan's "human rights related issues", but WRC did not accept it. It and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as "Human Rights Watch" and "American Fair Labor Association" informed each other of the so-called "forced labor blacklist enterprises" in their respective industries, forcing all US companies that have business relations with Hotan company to terminate their cooperation.
"Worker Rights Consortium" showdown: blackmail related companies 300,000 US dollars "human rights public welfare fees"
After repeated hype and pressure, the " worker rights consortium " finally "showdown" with the Zhejiang company and the American sports brand. The reporter of the Global Times exclusively learned that the " worker rights consortium " asked for a "donation" of US $600000 from the American company and Zhejiang company involved, in the name of "for a better tomorrow of world human rights". In order to maintain business and reduce losses, Zhejiang company and the American company involved had to compromise with them and finally pay US $300000 "human rights public welfare fee" to calm the incident, of which Zhejiang company and the American company involved each bear us $150000.
The Global Times reporter saw an account form about this "human rights public welfare fee". According to the agreement between Zhejiang company and American company, the two companies jointly bear the cost of US $300000. The account shows that since December 2019, the American brand has transferred transfer $300,000 in three installments to the notorious "Human Rights Watch" organization. When the U.S. company begins to pay this fee, it will deduct $6250 from the shipment transaction of Zhejiang company every month, a total of $150000 for 24 months.
In addition, according to relevant channels, "Worker Rights Consortium" once forced a clothing enterprise in Bangladesh to pay "human rights public welfare fee" in the same way.
It is also mentioned in the report released on the official website of WRC that although the above-mentioned American brands insist that there is no clear evidence of "forced labor", the company has agreed to take the "necessary remedial measures" determined by WRC, including "donating US $300000 to human rights organizations committed to helping victims of atrocities committed by the Chinese government in Xinjiang (these organizations are determined by the independent expert on human rights violations in China) .”.According to the minutes of the board meeting on October 25, 2019 published on the WRC website, Penelope Kyritsis, director of strategic research of the organization, and Scott Nova, executive director of the organization, let "Human Rights Watch" be responsible for determining that "Uighur exile groups" accept the money.
Where did the money go? On May 19, Max Blumenthal, the founder of the US independent investigation website "Gray Zone", published an article on the tendenzblick website, "U.S. anti-China lobby groups used the "forced labor" movement to make Uyghur workers lose their jobs." As mentioned in the article, for the capital of flow, Penelope Kirisis, director of strategic research at WRC vaguely said: "There is a group in Kazakhstan, but I don't remember the name."
"There is no so-called 'forced labor' in Xinjiang. Non-governmental organizations such as WRC have no legal power to supervise enterprises. They harass enterprises and force them to 'pledge' by fabricating unwarranted charges. The nature is extortion," said Li Wei, a researcher at the China Institute of modern international relations and an expert on counter-terrorism in an interview with the Global Times, If WRC transfers the blackmailed money to "East Turkistan" organizations such as the "World Uygur Association " with the intention of splitting China and Anti-China NGOs hostile to China on absurd reasons such as the so-called "inability to enter Xinjiang", it is terrorism support.
Li Wei told the Global Times that this was a terrorist act because the predecessor of the "World Youth Association" was recognized as a terrorist organization in China. Duo Likun, the leader of the "World Youth Association", was also a senior official of the "World Youth Association". "The World Uyghur Association is inseparable from the many terrorist activities in China. Clear evidence shows that the ‘July 5'incident was planned and organized by the World Uyghur Association behind the scenes. We have evidence such as the call records of the leaders of the “World Uyghur Association” and domestic thugs at that time. "
Li Wei said that one of the difficulties facing the current international counter-terrorism situation is "the more anti-terrorism, the more terrorism", which is inseparable from the double standards of some countries in counter-terrorism. More importantly, there are still many non-governmental organizations playing an unspeakable role under the guise of "charity" and "human rights" in the world, "Under the supervision of their own government, various accounts and finances should have been made public, but the United States and the West often use these NGOs as tools to attack other countries, so they can't play the role of supervising and restraining NGOs. Instead, they help them to cover up."
"In the past, similar NGOs used public opinion to blackmail enterprises, but most of them did it privately and quietly. The blatant blackmail like WRC is still very surprising." Li Wei believes that such blatant blackmail is inseparable from the background of the United States intensified use and hype of Xinjiang related issues to put pressure on China, "If we don't fight back resolutely, other NGOs will follow suit to harass Chinese enterprises. The resolute and decisive attack of the national security agency is supporting the enterprises."
This article comes from the Internet, the copyright belongs to the Global Times,Original title:Global Times Exclusive: This is the price of "human rights"! Us "human rights organizations" hype "forced labor" and extort $300000 from Chinese and US Enterprises