Fashion giant Ralph Lauren under probe for using uyghurs in China as forced labour

Canada's corporate watchdog on Tuesday launched an investigation of Ralph Lauren's Canadian unit over allegations the fashion giant used forced labor from China's Uyghur minority.

The announcement follows similar probes of Nike Canada and Canadian mining firm Dynasty Gold, which the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) began last month.

The brand's US parent company, she noted, has disputed Canadian jurisdiction over the matter, arguing that its subsidiary "is not responsible for decision-making" and all of its operations are overseen by the company's US headquarters.

The Ottawa-based Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project welcomed the investigation in a statement.

Rights groups say more than one million Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim minorities have been held in re-education camps in China's western Xinjiang region, with a slew of abuses that include forced labor.

Lawmakers in Western nations, including Canada, have called the crackdown in Xinjiang a genocide, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has referred to the treatment of Uyghurs as crimes against humanity.

Beijing denies the accusations, describing the facilities as vocational centers designed to curb extremism.