The Australian Uyghur Tangritagh Women’s Association takes legal action against Kmart to come clean about whether its suppliers are connected to Uyghur forced labour.

"Kmart markets itself as an ethical business, but two of its suppliers have been linked to Xinjiang in China, where the mass internment, repression and forced labour of Uyghur people is rife," the rights group says in a statement.

This case is the first of its kind in seeking to bring real accountability home to Australian retailers about the risk of Uyghur forced labour in their supply chains.

This is an important step in making Kmart back up its words with actions when it comes to its ethical sourcing claims.

This case also highlights the weaknesses in Australia’s modern slavery laws. It shouldn’t be left to members of the public to compel companies to open their books through legal action where there are suspicions of links to modern slavery.

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