New report sponsored by the US Department of State Australian Policy Center found that at least 83 companies are directly or indirectly linked to Chinese labor camps when it comes to the creation of their products – and Nintendo is one of the named companies, alongside Sony and Microsoft.
Chinese camps are where Uyghur – a Turkic minority group – and other ethnic minorities are forced to work under illegal conditions, and are again threatened, often criticized, banned by religious practices, political unrest, and overworked hours. Their freedom of movement is restricted and there are reports that threats are often made to family members if staff do not voluntarily comply.
According to the report – supported by similar investigations, including one by The BBC – these reductions have been transferred in large numbers by the Chinese government from the western province of Xinjiang to factories across the country. It is estimated that over 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred from Xinjiang to factories between 2017 and 2019 alone, with some being sent directly from detention camps. A BBC report suggests that China builds large camps for adults, and children as young as three are placed in equally large camps where they are told that they can only speak Chinese.
The report states that "unveils a new phase in China's civil engineering reform effort targeting a few citizens, revealing new evidence that some factories in China are using forced Uyghur labor under a government-funded labor supply system that undermines global supply chains." While Nintendo apparently does not directly
On the other hand, the Chinese government says the report is inaccurate and that the camps are actually "educational institutions" that help fight terrorism in Xinjiang province and "ensure smooth economic transition."
