The states are asking voters whether to amend constitutions that have exceptions to slavery bans. Some hope that the changes could allow prisoners to challenge the practice of being forced into labor for little or no pay.
While it does not explicitly mention Xinjiang, the western Chinese region where Uyghurs are believed to be pressed to work in camps, the proposal is widely seen as being aimed at Beijing.
Former colonies have felt increasingly empowered to demand compensation from European powers. But even the successful efforts look like exceptions so far.
Brothers Home was supposed to help get people off the streets, but a government commission has confirmed its role in detentions and other abuses was a “grave human rights violation by the state.”