Anti-Volkswagen protests in Berlin

Volkswagen, which has factories in East Turkistan under the auspices of the Chinese authorities, was protested in Berlin; Because it forced the Uyghurs into forced labor as slaves in its factories.

The Chinese authorities are notorious for their genocidal practices against the Uyghurs, and they are also a target of criticism regarding the Uyghur workers forced into forced labor as slaves in the factories of famous brands in East Turkistan.

One such criticism was the protest against the famous German car brand Volkswagen in Berlin. Uyghurs and German human rights activists protested in front of the company building, arguing that Volkswagen is exploiting Uyghur labor in East Turkistan. Activists carried an effigy of the head of genocidal criminal Xi Jinping, drew attention to the conditions of the chained Uyghurs, and donned the blue uniform and mask of Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schafer.

Volkswagen defended its plant in Urumqi

In December 2022, US Senator Ron Wyden, Chairman of the Finance Committee, launched an investigation into whether cars sold in the US to popular automakers, including Volkswagen, used parts assembled through the forced labor of Uyghurs.

In March, Ralf Brandstätter, head of Volkswagen in China, defended the company, claiming there was no indication that workers had been mistreated at the plant in Urumqi, which is run by a subsidiary of his joint venture with state-backed SAIC Motor. .

Targeting Turkish and Islamic values

However, pressures against the Uyghurs are not limited to forced labour.

In East Turkistan, national and religious cultural heritage has been destroyed, and books on Uyghur history and culture have been burned. Mosques, Turkish-Islamic architecture, cemeteries, and statues of historical figures were destroyed, Qurans were burned, and freedom of religion was banned. Praying is also considered a crime for detention in Chinese concentration camps. It is also known that a Chinese officer has been appointed to each family under the so-called "sister family" project, and these officers stay overnight in the homes of the Uighurs, and oversee the loyalty of family members to the Chinese communist regime.