San Antonio Councilman Pushes For Resolution To Condemn Uighur Genocide, Commit To Not Using Taxpayer Resources

Press release from the City of San Antonio:

February 1, 2021

CONTACT: Erin Nichols, 210-207-2881
Erin.Nichols2@sanantonio.gov

SAN ANTONIO (February 1, 2021) — Today, Councilman Manny Pelaez filed a council consideration request which calls for a resolution to condemn the genocide of Uighurs, a Turkic ethnic group originating from Central and East Asia, in Xinjiang, China and commit the City of San Antonio to not spend tax dollars on products assembled by enslaved Uighurs. He issued the following statement on this push for a resolution:

I ask my colleagues to join me in calling for a resolution to condemn these acts of genocide and commit the city to review its contracts and ensure that taxpayer dollars are not going to the purchase of slave labor products from the region.

As a diverse city that is proud of its faith-based communities and robust Asian American and Muslim population, it is essential that the City of San Antonio stand for these groups and ensure that our local tax dollars are not directed toward entities that are dehumanizing others due to their religion or ethnicity.

I want to thank Councilwoman Rocha Garcia, Councilwoman Sandoval, Councilwoman Cabello Havrda and Councilman Treviño for supporting this call to the City of San Antonio to echo this message and assure neighbors that taxpayer resources will not be spent on products of Uighur slave labor.”

This press release was produced by the City of San Antonio. The views expressed here are the author’s own.