(CNSNews.com) – When asked about the U.S. State Department’s assertion that Communist China is committing “genocide and crimes against humanity,” Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) said, “I have no reason to doubt the State Department’s conclusion.”
On Feb.16 at the U.S. Capitol, CNS News asked Sen. Ossoff, “The State Department says China is committing “genocide and crimes against humanity” against the Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities in Xinjiang. Do you have any doubt China is committing genocide?”
“I have no reason to doubt the State Department’s conclusion,” said the senator. “It’s one of the reasons that I wrote and led to passage the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act, which is helping to establish a U.S.-based solar supply chain.”
In 2021, Sen. Ossoff introduced the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act. The legislation allows for “a new tax credit for the production of solar property in the taxpayer’s trade or business. The credit is allowed for certain solar components, including photovoltaic cells and wafers, solar grade polysilicon, and a non-integrated solar module able to generate electricity when exposed to sunlight.”
Ossoff continued, “The reason that is relevant to your question is that much of the polysilicon, which is a key part of the solar supply chain that’s used around the world to produce solar cells, is sourced from Xinjiang. So there are very serious concerns about forced labor in that supply chain, which is just one of many reasons that we need to ensure that we are making these products in America.”
When asked what Congress could do about China committing genocide against its own people, Sen. Ossoff said, “One of the things that we need to do is strengthen the enforcement of prohibitions on forced labor. That’s a travesty in the Xinjiang province, and it’s also going on in other parts of the world.”
The 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: China published by the State Department says, “Genocide and crimes against humanity occurred during the year against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang [China]. These crimes were continuing and included: the arbitrary imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty of more than one million civilians; forced sterilization, coerced abortions, and more restrictive application of the country’s birth control policies; rape; torture of a large number of those arbitrarily detained; forced labor; and draconian restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, and freedom of movement.”
The report further states that “significant human rights issues included credible reports of: arbitrary or unlawful killings by the government.”