Canada's Subcommittee on International Human Rights spoke out against the persecution of the Uighur population in China on Thursday during a press conference in Ottawa.

Members of the subcommittee, including Members of Parliament Peter Fonseca and Sameer Zuberi, spoke about the human rights issues due to the persecution the community faces in China, and the forced labour and population control many of them endure.

The subcommittee stated Canada has a responsibility to protect Uighurs from human rights abuses, and added the federal government must take immediate action to help this vulnerable population.