The Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) and the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) called upon Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume today, to comment on the role of Uyghur forced labourers in the VW Group’s supply chains, during his visit to China which is scheduled to begin on Sunday: “Volkswagen has a moral responsibility not only because of its dark past. The group must ensure that it does not profit directly or indirectly from the genocide of the Uyghurs and other Turkic people. Mr. Blume must finally take serious and sustained action to ensure that VW’s supply chains are free of Uyghur forced labour,” said WUC President Dolkun Isa.
Recently published research from the University of Sheffield shows the extent to which Uyghur forced labour is part of the supply chains of companies like Volkswagen. “Under no circumstances should Mr. Blume repeat the mistakes of his predecessor Herbert Diess. He preferred to pretend that the crimes of the Chinese state against the Uyghurs did not exist. In fact, the group has had a responsibility to review its supply chains not just since the Supply Chain Act came into force. After his return, Blume should meet with Uyghurs whose relatives have disappeared or died in the camps,” demanded Hanno Schedler, GfbV consultant for genocide prevention and responsibility to protect.
