Human Rights Watch alerts automakers to the dangers of forced labor in China

Human Rights Watch alerts automakers to the dangers of forced labor in China

SHANGHAI: On Thursday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on Chinese manufacturers, including Tesla, Volkswagen, and BYD, to take more steps to prevent the outlawing of vehicles built using Uyghur forced labor. Stay away from their supply network.

According to a study released by the rights organization, there is proof that aluminum firms in Xinjiang have hired laborers via labor transfer programs supported by the Chinese government. The group claims that these programs force Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims to work in Xinjiang and other places. was charged with coercion.

According to HRW, Xinjiang aluminum is used to build vehicle components in China that are marketed to automakers across the world. These manufacturers are accountable to uphold UN standards by making sure that supply chains do not include forced labor.

Due to their significant sales volumes, HRW identified and contacted Tesla, Volkswagen, BYD, General Motors, and Toyota, according to senior researcher Jim Wormington. However, no specific instances of forced labor were discovered.

Human rights organizations, such as HRW, have charged Beijing of mistreating Uighurs, an ethnic minority of around 10 million people in western Xinjiang that is mostly Muslim. These charges include the extensive use of forced labor in detention camps. China has refuted these claims.

In order to properly prepare their supply chains, the organization encouraged major automakers to immediately cut off any direct suppliers in Xinjiang until further investigation could be completed.

China's second-largest producer of aluminum is Xinjiang.

Wormington said that automakers are unaware of the full scope of their ties to Xinjiang's forced labor in the aluminum supply chains.

"Consumers need to know that materials in their cars could be connected to Xinjiang's forced labor or other abuses."

Volkswagen told Reuters that it immediately looked into any claims of forced labor and had a firm position against it.

Under intense pressure from investors, the business initiated an investigation last year and found no evidence of forced labor in Xinjiang, where it has a joint venture. However, the technique has generated controversy since auditors have pointed out difficulties in gathering data.

A question from Reuters was not answered by Tesla. According to Human Rights Watch, Tesla informed them that it had "in many cases" traced its supply chains down to the mining stage and that it had not discovered any proof of forced labor.

Toyota said that it would examine HRW's findings carefully and that it expects its suppliers to uphold human rights.

Requests for response from General Motors, BYD, the Xinjiang administration, and China's State Council Information Office—which answers questions from the media on behalf of the Chinese government—were not answered.

It is anticipated that in 2023, China would surpass Japan to emerge as the foremost global automobile exporter, mostly attributable to its nimble domestic enterprises such as Chery, SAIC, Geely, and BYD.