World Uyghur Congress, 17 April 2019

Dear Mr. Diess,

We hope that this letter finds you well. We write to you in response to your recent comments on April 16^th to a BBC reporter in Shanghai, where you state that you are unaware of China’s treatment of Uyghurs or the use of ‘re-education’ camps in the Uyghur region where Volkswagen operates a large manufacturing plant. We are particularly dismayed and concerned by the comments given that many now consider China’s treatment of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in the region as tantamount to crimes against humanity.

We would like to take this opportunity to provide you with some basic facts on the ground in the region today, now widely available for those interested. China has a long history of repression of Uyghurs in particular, primarily along religious, linguistic and cultural lines dating back many decades. In early 2017, however, treatment dramatically, worsened culminating in mass arbitrary detention on an almost unfathomable scale in political indoctrination camps.

The camps are aimed primarily at forcing inmates to accept the authority of the Communist Party and President Xi Jinping, and to renounce adherence to core aspects of the Uyghur identity. Religious and cultural practices are prohibited along with use of the Uyghur language. In addition to the clear illegality of the camps under international law, there are widespread reports of mistreatment and torture from former inmates as well as countless deaths under mysterious circumstances. Reporting has been backed up by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination during their review of China in 2018. By April 2019, estimates of those detained stand at 1.5 million.

Outside the camps, Uyghurs live in a surveillance state – their every move carefully scrutinized by a dense network of cameras supported by grid-style policing on the ground. The current climate of intimidation and fear has been described by the few journalists still able to gain very limited access, who are not able to speak to residents for fear of reprisal.

While we find it deeply troubling that you may be unaware of such gross human rights abuses perpetrated outside the walls of your plant in Urumqi, we would like to remind you of your own support for applicable guidelines like the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which “apply to all States and to all business enterprises, both transnational and others, regardless of their size, sector, location, ownership and structure.”

In addition, Volkswagen AG’s Code of Conduct, to which you are a signatory, states clearly that Volkswagen “respect[s], protect[s] and promote[s] the applicable regulations for the protection of human and children’s rights […] as fundamental and universal requirements worldwide.” In order to live up to this clear standard, you obligate yourself to understand fully the context and environment in which Volkswagen operates.

In a globalised world, it is no longer the narrow imperative of states to respect, protect and promote human rights. The responsibility extends increasingly to non-state actors like transnational corporations whose actions—or inactions—and their repercussions are felt by local populations across the globe. Volkswagen openly supports these principles on paper, but our concern is that little is being done to back up these pronouncements with concrete action in response.

We would therefore kindly ask you to address the following questions:

1. Is Volkswagen’s Sustainability Board or CSR & Sustainability Steering Group aware of the conditions in the Uyghur region where you operate a manufacturing plant?
2. What steps have been taken by Volkswagen AG to ensure its operations do not contravene, directly or indirectly, human rights norms for local populations?
3. How does Volkswagen AG ensure non-discrimination in its hiring practices?
4. Have Uyghur employees been removed from their positions to be sent to political indoctrination camps?
5. Does Volkswagen AG currently hold contracts with the regional government or public security bureaus for security and policing?

Although many may wish to close their eyes and cover their ears in the face of these crimes, it remains the role of the international community as a collective to stand up to rights abuses on such a vast scale. The business world in particular cannot escape complicity if it continues to play the role of innocent bystander.

Many Uyghurs have relocated to Germany after fleeing China and we recognize and appreciate the care and compassion of the German government and people towards our community. It is this tolerance and respect for human rights that we have come to expect and we hope that Volkswagen can echo these principles.

We would therefore appreciate confirmation of receipt of this information and await a response to our questions. If you have any questions or concerns please let us know and we would be happy to respond.

Yours sincerely,

Dolkun Isa

President

World Uyghur Congress