UN labor agency cites concerns about China’s Xinjiang region

By JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press

GENEVA (AP) — An annual report from the United Nations labor agency has highlighted the work conditions of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in China’s western Xinjiang region. The report by an International Labor Organization committee of experts issued on Friday noted signs of “coercive measures” that deprive workers of free choice in selecting jobs. The committee   emphasized the labor rights aspect of China’s policies in Xinjiang. Advocacy groups and Western governments, among others, have voiced human rights concerns over the treatment of the region’s Muslims. The 870-page report also chronicled an array of concerns about scores of countries that in effect were urged to improve workplace and job conditions.