4/13/2016

Uzbekistan:WhiteGold,DirtyBusiness|TheDiplomat

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Uzbekistan: White Gold, Dirty Business

Forced labor and nancial opacity are the greatest sins of Uzbekistans cotton
industry.
By Catherine Putz
April 01, 2016

In2014,ateacherinAndijanpaidareplacementworkertopickcottoninhername.Shepaid
10,000soumperday.Butwhenthe2015harvestcamearoundinthefallshewenttothefield
thepriceofareplacementhadgoneuptobetween15,000and25,000soumperday,plus
another100,000soumfor10daysworthoffood.
Anditshardtofind[replacementworkers].Itstheonlywaytogetoutofpickingcotton
unlessyouhavecloserelationshipswiththeauthorities,shetoldamonitorfromtheUzbek
GermanForumforHumanRightsinNovember2015.
CottonisoftenreferredtoasUzbekistanswhitegoldbecauseitisanimmenselyprofitable
industryforthecountry.TheUzbekauthoritieshavebeencriticizedfordecadesbyhuman
andlaborrightsgroupsforchildandforcedlabor.Thedramaticdeclineinchildlaborsince
2012beliesthefactthatforcedlaborsystemsremainentrenchedinUzbekistan.Andbecause
oftheUzbekgovernmentsnearcompleteopacity,especiallyregardingrevenuesfromcotton,
itsdifficulttodefinitivelydeterminewhoisreallybenefitingfromthismassiveindustrybut
itscertainlynotthefarmersorworkers.

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4/13/2016

Uzbekistan:WhiteGold,DirtyBusiness|TheDiplomat

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April 2016 Issue Out Now!
This month experts from around the region assess the presence of ISIS in
Asia. We also preview the upcoming Philippine elections, look at
Uzbekistan's controversial cotton industry, and report from Khorgos,
China's new gateway to Europe.
Click here for extracts

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