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Letter: We decry “forced” labor — when it’s happening abroad

FILE - In this Dec. 22, 2019, file photo, a man holds a sign during a rally to show support for Uighurs and their fight for human rights in Hong Kong. People from western China who are targets of a Chinese government crackdown say they have been threatened and harassed in the United States. Those fleeing the crackdown on the predominantly Muslim Uighur ethnic group typically receive U.S. asylum. But Uighurs tell The Associated Press and human rights groups they still afraid amid threats aimed at them and their families back in China. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)

We openly criticize and sanction the Chinese government for their “forced” labor practices on the Uyghur people. Nobody is using the term “slave” labor, so we can assume that the Uyghur workers are compensated. Yet recently, the Utah Legislature voted to reduce the federal contribution to our unemployed to “force” these folks back to the workplace to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads. Without arguing the merits of full gainful employment, it sounds like hypocrisy to me.

Rudi Kohler, Heber City

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