Uzb Forced Child Labour and its complicity of Korean Companies

During October 2011, after the U.N. Committee on the Right of Child deliberated on forced child labor happening in Uzbekistan cotton fields and the connection between Korean enterprises, APIL has been focusing also on this issue. Through working with the Cotton Campaign, we found out that  Korean enterprises was involved with the forced child labor that was happening in Uzbekistan. Revealed in this Inspection of Strategy and Finance Committee of Parliament, a public enterprise Komsco and Daewoo International jointly established an affiliated company in Uzbekistan and brought in pulp that was made by cotton that was collected by victims of forced child labor.

With that cotton pulp, Komsco printed banknotes and a large company made fibre and textiles. The money that we use and the clothes that we wear were made by forced child laborers which means that we cannot be unaffected by inhumane child labor.

The children of Uzbekistan are becoming wounded not only psychically but also emotionally as they are forced to work in terrible and unstable working conditions. During the harvest season (September~November), the children are able to attend school, rest or play until they have meet their harvest quota. Uzbekistan is losing their chance of raising talented children.

Whose fault is this? First of all, the Uzbekistan government that relies on forced children’s labor to raise national profits is the worst. But also Korean enterprises that buy that cotton pulp and make banknotes and clothes should be criticized. Lastly, The Korean government that did not realize this situation and kept on pour overseas development aid fund to Uzbekistan cannot be said to be free of responsibility.

Therefore, for the first time in Korea, APIL, Korean House for International Solidarity, Parliament Member Park Won Seok, Citizens Politics Forum are opening a debate about the reality of Forced child labor in Uzbekistan’s cotton fields and the responsibilities that Korean enterprises should take.

In this debate, the coordinator of Cotton Campaign, Matthew Fischer-Daly will be visiting to tell his story of what he witnessed in the cotton fields of Uzbekistan while he was a field reporter. Also, the campaign director of the International Labor Rights Forum, Sean Rudolph will talk about how he manages this international campaign.

The Convention on the Right of Child provides that a person under 18 years is classified as a child. Who better to take interest in the Uzbekistan forced children labour issue and the human rights responsibility of Korean enterprises than the people who are raising a child, people who want to raise a child , and people who once were a child !! We hope to see you at 2:00pm 13th of December at the National Assembly Hall.