Thermo Fisher To Stop Selling Genetic Sequencers In Xinjiang, China

(RTTNews) - Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO) said it will no longer sell or service genetic sequencers in China's Xinjiang region, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The decision follows criticism that its products were used for state surveillance of citizens in the region that enabled human rights abuses.

The company said the decision to stop supporting customers of its human identification technology in the area was consistent with its values, ethics code and policies. The company said it recognized the importance of considering how products are used - or may be used - by customers.

The police in Xinjiang, a Muslim region, have rolled out one of the most extensive and intense state surveillance programs ever built. It was reported that as many as 1 million Muslims are detained in political education camps in the region.

Thermo Fisher had faced criticism from human rights groups and American lawmakers for supplying the equipment.