Ayinur Tusongtuoheti, daughter of a cotton field manager in Hotan County, Hotan Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang

My name is Ayinur Tusongtuoheti and I am from Hotan County in southern Xinjiang, China. Recently some western companies smeared and slandered Xinjiang, making up the rumor that there was “forced labor” in Xinjiang and claiming to stop using cotton produced in Xinjiang. Hearing this, I was extremely outrageous. Here, I want to tell the stories of my family and I want to tell them from the bottom of my heart, so that we can see through the malicious and shameless actions of these western companies that hold vicious intentions.

Several years ago, my father was seriously ill and his body was worse than before. For some time, he could not find a job. Fortunately, a friendly cotton planter, who has been planting over 100 mu of cotton in Aksu, asked my father to go and help in managing the field. The work was easy and my father was mainly engaged in taking care of the growing of the cotton and see the machines are working properly. In winter, he would come home and rest for 2 months. Now it is high time to pick up the ripe cotton, so my father is exceptionally careful. He not only manages the field attentively, but also helps the cotton pickers to tidy up the picked-up cotton. My father cherishes the work dearly and all our family holds a profound emotion to cotton.

Recently, some western companies made up the rumor that there was “forced labor” in cotton produced in Xinjiang. Hearing this, my father was also extremely outrageous, because it is a well-known fact that Xinjiang cotton is really excellent in quality. All ethnic groups in Xinjiang are living happily and all the world can see this. There is no such thing as “forced labor” at all in Xinjiang. What these western companies are saying is just nonsense. I want to tell the world loudly: these western companies are daydreaming if they try to sabotage Xinjiang people’s ethnic solidarity and to stop Xinjiang people’s steps in pursuit of happiness.