Ralph Lauren's Canadian unit under investigation for alleged use of Uyghur forced labour

Ottawa: Canada's corporate watchdog has initiated an inquiry into the Canadian unit of fashion giant Ralph Lauren over allegations of employing forced labour from China's Uyghur minority.

This development follows similar investigations into Nike Canada and Canadian mining firm Dynasty Gold, launched by the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) last month. A coalition comprising 28 civil society organisations filed a complaint with the watchdog last year, asserting that "Ralph Lauren Canada has supply relationships with Chinese companies that use or benefit from the use of Uyghur forced labour."

Ombudsperson Sheri Meyerhoffer stated, "I have decided that the Ralph Lauren complaint warrants an investigation."

However, Ralph Lauren's US parent company contested Canadian jurisdiction, arguing that its subsidiary "is not responsible for decision-making" and that all operations are overseen by the company's US headquarters.

The Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project based in Ottawa welcomed the investigation, noting, "There is credible evidence that Ralph Lauren is linked to numerous Chinese companies that use Uyghur forced labour in their supply chains," reported AFP.

The ongoing controversy is rooted in concerns raised by human rights organisations, stating that over a million Uyghurs and other primarily Muslim minorities have been confined in re-education camps in China's western Xinjiang region, where numerous abuses, including forced labour, have been reported.

Several Western nations, including Canada, have labeled the situation in Xinjiang as a genocide. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has also categorised the treatment of Uyghurs as crimes against humanity.

Despite these claims, Beijing has consistently denied the accusations, asserting that the facilities in Xinjiang are vocational centres aimed at countering extremism.