The Chinese government has up to three million Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic groups in detention camps across China. They are locked up while the Chinese government systematically attempts to destroy their culture, subjecting them to mass surveillance, sterilization and other actions of persecution. Beijing is also moving thousands of Uyghurs to work in factories all over China, often supplying major international brands.
Some brands, such as Volkswagen, claim their due diligence procedures protect against use of slave labour, however it is impossible to carry out reliable diligence in China to ensure firms do not profit from the imprisonment of Uyghurs.
The subject is of particular sensitivity for Volkswagen, given its history of using Jewish Slave Labour in the Nazi era, and the recent diesel emissions scandal (More about Volkswagen’s Nazi and Xinjiang connections to forced labour here).
Together with Stop Uyghur Genocide campaign and many other partner organisations, we are asking our supporters to take action and ask Volkswagen to close its factory in the Uyghur region.
Activists across the UK and around the world are already protesting peacefully outside Volkswagen dealerships to put pressure on the company to pull out of the Uyghur region – see story of Rabbi Barbara Borts in Newcastle.
Proposed actions:
- Take part in a protest with other activists outside a Volkswagen dealership in their community on Sunday 13th June.
- Put leaflets on street parked Volkswagen cars in your neighborhood with campaign leaflets provided by Stop Uyghur Genocide.
- Share the campaign online and add your name to the Stop Uyghur Genocide petition at www.StopUyghurGenocide.org.uk/vwpledge
All activism should be polite and respectful towards anyone connected to Volkswagen. We want to put pressure on Volkswagen’s international management, not pester their local staff. We also want no part of any anti-Chinese sentiment. Our issue is with the Chinese Government, not the Chinese people
To order materials for the protest, email your name and address to contact@stopuyghurgenocide.org.uk
Please use the hashtag #VWStopUyghurGenocide on social media and share photographs of your protest.
You can also use this Activist Toolkit produced by Stop Uyghur Genocide to help guide you through the action aims, actions and frequently asked questions and answers.
