
Kids May Be Using Laptops Made with Forced Labor This Fall - karinakarina
https://theintercept.com/2020/08/21/school-laptops-lenovo-chromebooks-china-uyghur/
======
dudus
It will pair well with their clothes and accessories made with forced labor

------
verdverm
Would "slave labor" be more correct? Do the people get paid? Is it enough to
have disposable income? Should we call it an alternative phrase anyway? Would
this idea evoke more emotions and empathy for change?

I do not know the answers. Hoping someone else knows more than I and can
inform a discussion.

~~~
yorwba
According to the ASPI report on the subject, "Receiving factories across China
are also compensated by the Xinjiang government, receiving a Ұ1,000
(US$144.16) cash inducement for each worker they contract for a year, and
Ұ5,000 (US$720.80) for a three-year contract."
[https://www.aspi.org.au/report/uyghurs-
sale](https://www.aspi.org.au/report/uyghurs-sale)

If those Uyghurs were unpaid labor, I don't think that would be necessary. On
the other hand, it's unlikely that factories pay their Uyghur workers more
than market rate, so most likely the owners are just pocketing the subsidy.

The article seems to suggest a boycott on products made by Uyghurs, which
sounds like a way to maintain ideological purity while making the problem
worse (usually boycotts are intended to _harm_ the boycotted...) I think it
would be a better idea to use unannounced factory inspections to ensure a
minimum standard for working conditions.

~~~
DarthGhandi
Reminder that ASPI are not an independent think tank, they are funded by the
US State Dept, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and a whole host of weapons
manufacturers.

I would really prefer to wait for the UN Human Rights commissioner to visit
the region, but she still hasn't gone despite having an open invitation for
over a year now.

June 2019: [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-rights-un-
idUSKCN1T...](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-rights-un-
idUSKCN1TE12Q)

Feb 2020: [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-xinjiang-rights-
idU...](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-xinjiang-rights-
idUSKCN20K1ZE)

Still no visit.

Prominent Australians On ASPI:

> Former NSW premier Bob Carr has accused it of pumping out a “one-sided, pro-
> American view of the world”. Veteran foreign editor Tony Walker has slammed
> its "dystopian worldview" which "leaves little room for viewing China as a
> potential partner". "It lacks integrity and brings shame to Australia," says
> retired former DFAT chief and ex-Qantas CEO John Menadue.

[https://www.afr.com/policy/foreign-affairs/the-think-tank-
be...](https://www.afr.com/policy/foreign-affairs/the-think-tank-behind-
australia-s-changing-view-of-china-20200131-p53wgp)

~~~
yorwba
I'm well aware that ASPI isn't an unbiased source... which is why I picked
that quote, since it runs counter to their biases. (It also contradict the
title of the report "Uyghurs for sale", since in a sale you'd expect the money
to flow the other direction.) If two opposing propaganda machines agree on
something, that doesn't necessarily make it true, but it's better than when
only one of them says so.

------
cityzen
Wow, I didn't know that they were giving kids Apple laptops.

