August 3, 2022
The Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) welcomes the introduction of the Sanctioning Supporters of Slave Labor Act in the US Senate and supports its passage.
“No one should be able to profit from doing business with the perpetrators of atrocities against Uyghurs,” said UHRP Executive Director Omer Kanat. “We need to close these loopholes.”
The bill would expand the scope of current sanctions, to impose secondary sanctions on foreign individuals and companies conducting business with or providing material support for any foreign officials and entities who are under Global Magnitsky human rights sanctions.
UHRP thanks Senators Rubio (R) and Menendez (D) for introducing the bill and for their unflagging efforts to counter the Uyghur crisis with bipartisan support. Speaking in support of the bill, Senator Rubio said, “It is not enough to sanction those directly responsible for these crimes — we also need to hold their supporters accountable.”
Senator Menendez added, “The administration must move forward with sanctions designations under the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, as well as with the new authorities that this bill provides, and work with our allies and partners to hold China to account for its crimes.”
The bill was introduced as companion legislation to a House bill introduced by Representative Jim Banks (R), the Sanctioning Supporters of Slave Labor Act (H.R.7998).
The Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act—the first piece of legislation to impose consequences for atrocity crimes against Uyghur—was introduced by Senators Rubio and Menendez in 2019 and mandated that the President impose Global Magnitsky human-rights sanctions on the officials and entities responsible for human rights abuses against Uyghurs.
Source: uhrp.org