XINJIANG: Nuradli Wublikas, a young Uyghur man from Kashi of Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, is seeking to sue Australian think tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) for its report on the so-called forced labor in China’s Xinjiang, as the ASPI report has hurt the image of the Uyghur group and undermines their employment opportunities.

“We want them to stop slandering my hometown and to apologize for having defamed us,” said Nuradli.

In April, led by the 26-year-old Nuradli, a group of young Uyghur people living in Changsha, capital of Central China’s Hunan Province, co-authored a joint letter and called on more Uyghur people whose interests have been hurt by ASPI’s report on the so-called forced labor in China to join their activities to sue the Australian think tank.

In February 2020, ASPI released a report claiming that the Chinese government “forced” the massive labor transfer of Uyghur people from Xinjiang region to factories in other cities in China. The report was cited by many Western media outlets, which turned a blind eye to the fact that the report had been refuted by China for its loopholes and slander.

In November 2020, the US Commerce Department announced sanctions on Chinese companies over allegations of “forced labor.”

“I noticed my hometown Xinjiang has long been slandered. After hearing the news on ASPI’s report, I found it and read through it with the help of a translator,” Nuradli told the Global Times. Nuradli was filled with anger and indignation after reading the report.

“The report is full of lies! I was born and grew up in Xinjiang and know so many Uyghurs living and working in other cities across the country, and no one is ‘forced’ to work outside! It really made me angry that we Uyghurs are portrayed by the Australian think tank report as lazy people who need to be ‘forced’ to work,” the young man said.

“Those who wrote the report know little about Xinjiang’s real situation . . .” said Nuradli, “There is a lot of surplus labor in villages and people are willing to work outside.

A friend of mine worked in other cities outside Xinjiang for a year and earned enough money to build a new house. And after another year of working, he had the money to marry his girlfriend.”

He noted that in sharp contrast to the ASPI report’s allegations of “forced labor,” people from Xinjiang who choose to work in other Chinese cities are making their own decisions as to where they go to work and what kind of jobs they do. Those who want to start their own businesses in other cities also enjoy many favorable policies.