Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after voting in favor of HR 1155, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.

“China’s repeated and egregious human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Region cannot and will not continue to go unpunished” said Rep. Hern.  “China’s human rights abuses extend far beyond the Uyghur population, but this is accountability measure is an important step. The threat of Chinese communism not only puts the Uyghur people in danger, but the independence of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and free nations around the world – including the United States. I’m proud to support this bipartisan measure which further cracks down on importing goods produced with forced labor. I strongly encourage our trading partners, as well as independent businesses, to join us in boycotting purchases or imported goods produced by forced labor.”

Background Information: 

H.R. 1155, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, along with its Senate companion S.65, continues to strengthen the ban on imports produced with force labor.  

China has placed at least 1 million Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities into “re-education camps”, where they are subject to human rights abuses and forced into slave labor at factories in the region.  The United States remains committed to snuffing out forced labor worldwide, and strongly encourages both its trading partners and independent businesses to do the same.

###