|
The government of
Uzbekistan continues its brutal crackdown on human rights defenders
documenting the massive use of forced labour in the cotton harvest. “For
years”, writes Human Rights Watch, “the government has relied on the forced
labor of over a million people each year – including children, teachers,
medical workers, college and university students, and public employees – to
pick cotton. It uses coercion, including intimidation and threats of loss
of job, social welfare benefits, utilities, expulsion, and even prosecution
to force people into the fields.” And for years the government has
persecuted rights defenders documenting this coercion. The most recent cases
are the arrest and detention of Elena Urlaeva and Dmitry Tikhonov on
September 19 and 21, respectively. Among the materials police confiscated
from Ms Urlaeva were a fact sheet on ILO Conventions.
The World Bank, which is financing the ‘modernization’ of Uzbek
agriculture, is supposed to be monitoring the presence of forced labour and
has pledged to withdraw over USD 450 million in funding for agriculture if
forced labour is confirmed in project areas.
What is the World Bank doing in the face of this crackdown?
CLICK HERE TO SEND A MESSAGE
to World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and officials involved in the cotton
project, telling them that they have an obligation to speak out when
courageous rights defenders are persecuted for documenting the abuses the
World Bank claims to be monitoring!
|
|