Washington DC, March 31
The Uyghur Human Rights Project has expressed deep concern over recent remarks made by Canadian Member of Parliament Michael Ma, which, according to the organisation, appear to dismiss well-documented evidence of forced labour in China, including that involving Uyghurs.
As cited in a UHRP press release, the comments were made during a parliamentary hearing on March 26, 2026, where Ma repeatedly questioned Margaret McCuaig-Johnston of the China Strategic Risks Institute regarding whether she had personally witnessed forced labour in China. In response to her reference to research conducted by Human Rights Watch, Ma reportedly stated, "I don't believe reports, I only believe in things that I can see with my own eyes."
According to the UHRP, this remark reflects either a "willful disregard" for extensively documented evidence or a concerning alignment with efforts by Chinese authorities to deny and obscure ongoing human rights abuses. The press release notes that China has consistently restricted international investigations and concealed evidence of alleged atrocities from outside observers.
The UHRP press release highlights that Uyghur forced labour has been widely documented through multiple credible reports and investigations. These include a 2024 study by Adrian Zenz and I-Lin Lin, which examined forced labour in agricultural production, and a 2025 joint investigation by The New York Times, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, and Der Spiegel that reported an expansion of state-led labour transfer programmes targeting Uyghurs.
Further, research led by Laura Murphy pointed to the involvement of industries such as solar energy, cotton, and automobile manufacturing in the use of forced labour. The Coalition to End Uyghur Forced Labour has also stated that more than 17 global industries, from agriculture to toys, are linked to state-sponsored Uyghur forced labour.
The press release also notes that as recently as January 2026, United Nations experts raised concerns regarding ongoing forced labour affecting Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other minority groups in China.
UHRP further underscored that Canada is among a group of countries that have formally recognised the Chinese government's treatment of Uyghurs as genocide, making any remarks perceived as downplaying these abuses particularly significant.
Although Ma later issued an apology, clarifying that his comments were specifically referring to Shenzhen rather than the Uyghur region, the UHRP press release states that he declined to directly respond to follow-up questions from CBC News on whether he believes forced labour exists in China.
The organisation also pointed out that the controversy coincides with the 20th anniversary of the deportation and imprisonment of Canadian Uyghur activist Huseyin Celil by Chinese authorities.
Condemning the remarks, UHRP Executive Director Omer Kanat stated, "We strongly condemn Mr Ma's remarks, which ignore the overwhelming body of evidence documented by international experts, human rights organisations, investigative journalists, and victim testimony. It is deeply troubling and frankly shameful to downplay or dismiss such well-established findings without offering any credible evidence to the contrary."
The UHRP has called on Ma to fully disavow his comments and reaffirm his commitment to human rights. It has also urged Canadian officials to counter misinformation, rely on evidence-based policymaking, and take concrete steps to prevent goods produced through forced labour from entering Canadian markets.
- ANI
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