TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Boycotting cotton from China’s Uyghur region of Xinjiang is no longer just a political issue, it has become a human rights issue, Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) said Saturday (March 27).

After several prominent international fashion brands expressed doubts about using cotton from Xinjiang, Chinese netizens launched a boycott of their products this week. The Chinese campaign was supported by several entertainers in Taiwan and Hong Kong, earning scorn from fellow Taiwanese and Hongkongers more concerned with human rights.

As human rights have become a global democratic value, products tainted by forced labor, child labor, or civil war have become the target of boycotts, You wrote on his Facebook page Saturday. Since China was seriously violating the human rights of the Uyghur people, it was certain that many consumers would no longer be able to accept products containing Xinjiang "blood" cotton, he said.

International reports show that China is conducting a cultural genocide against Xinjiang. This has led to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union passing legislation to protest these crimes, You said.

In addition to the campaign against Xinjiang cotton, over 150 human rights groups are advocating a boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, putting pressure on sponsors. A move to another location should be considered, You said.

He also quoted Dr. Martin Luther King's statement that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” You said this meant that everyone should actively support the Uyghurs.

"Protecting human rights is not enough, people should also point out the violators, as only when human rights are respected will there be peace," the legislative speaker said.