News

The Price for Turkmen Cotton Is Too High

Turkmenistan may represent only 2% of the world’s cotton exports, but the rampant human rights violations in their cotton production demand our attention. Much of the country’s cotton is produced using a system of state-sponsored forced labor. This isn’t widely known, but Turkmenistan can’t fly under the radar and deliver goods produced with numerous human rights violations.

Ordered To Grow Red-Hot Chili Peppers, Uzbek Farmers May As Well Give 'Em Away Now

Farmers in Uzbekistan's tightly controlled agriculture sector have been ordered by state authorities to grow cotton since the waning days of the Soviet Union. But this year, under an order from President Shavkat Mirziyoev, some are now cultivating a crop they've never grown before -- red-hot chili peppers. Reluctant new chili-pepper farmers in Uzbekistan's southern Qashqadaryo region say they've been forced into a potentially crippling situation. That's because regional officials have not signed a contract to sell their harvests through ChiliUz, a new state firm set up to facilitate the government's chili-pepper decree.

One 47-year-old farmer in the region's Shahrisabz district, who asked not to be named because he feared "retaliation" from authorities for speaking out about the problem, says he and other chili-pepper farmers have also been ordered by district officials to find foreign buyers for their harvests.

Cotton Campaign presents recommendations to end forced labor to government officials in Uzbekistan.

A first-ever delegation representing the Cotton Campaign presented recommendations on how to end systematic forced labor in the cotton sector to senior Uzbek government officials on its visit to Tashkent from May 10-16, 2018. The delegation also consulted independently with civil society activists, farmers and representatives of international agencies and ambassadors of other interested governments at this hopeful time for reform in Uzbekistan.

Report: We pick cotton out of fear: systematic forced labor and the accountability gap in Uzbekistan

The 96-page report, “‘We Pick Cotton Out of Fear’: Systematic Forced Labor and the Accountability Gap in Uzbekistan,” details how the government forced education and medical workers, other public sector employees, private sector workers, people receiving benefits, and some college and university students to pick cotton involuntarily.

U.S. Customs Halts Imports of Forced Labor Cotton and Cotton Goods from Turkmenistan.

The Cotton Campaign welcomes the decision of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a law enforcement agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to issue a Withhold Release Order (WRO), formally banning the importation of “all Turkmenistan cotton or products produced in whole or in part with Turkmenistan cotton.”

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination discusses anti-discrimination efforts in Kyrgyzstan, Peru and Saudi Arabia with civil society

24 April 2018 the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination held an informal meeting with civil society representatives from Kyrgyzstan, Peru and Saudi Arabia, whose reports will be considered by the Committee this week.

Solidarity award to persecuted unions in Kazaksthan

The Arthur Svensson International Prize for Trade Union Rights this 2018 is awarded to the Independent Trade Unions of Kazakhstan, represented by Larisa Kharkova, Nurbek Kushakbaev and Amin Eleusinov. Trade Union leaders and activists of Kazakhstan face severe repression in due to their involvement with trade unions rights, and the rights of the working people in their country.

Teachers: Cotton is the most painful issue for us

On April 21, the issue of forced labor among teaching professionals was discussed live on Uzbekistan’s main television channel. Speakers discussed a conference which took place on April 17, during which Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov severely chastised ministers of education and public health for forcing doctors and teachers to pick cotton, scrap metal, clean streets and carry out other “public” activities not related to their work.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev: “Deception is Betrayal”

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, claimed that he is perfectly aware of the real situation in the regions and said that putting everything in order before his visits does more harm than good. The President threatened hokims [ed. – local governors] with severe consequences for forcing teachers to participate in beautification works and said it amounted to betrayal to force the involvement of employees in the public sector.

State lifts restrictions on Uzbek human rights defender Forced labor monitor Uktam Pardaev has terms of his probation lifted in Uzbekistan

The Cotton Campaign welcomes the decision of a court in Uzbekistan to lift the terms of probation for human rights defender Uktam Pardaev 10 months early. Pardaev was arrested on November 16, 2015, following his reporting on forced labor during the 2015 cotton harvest. The Uzbek authorities released Pardaev on January 30, 2016, after convicting him to a 5 years 6 months prison term on fabricated charges, and subsequently changing the sentence to 3 years’ probation. Under probation, Pardaev had to register with the police twice a month, and had to obtain police permission to leave his hometown of Jizzak or leave his home after 10 pm.