The dark side of the auto industry is the persecution of Uyghur Muslims, child labor and forced labor!

The automotive industry is considered one of the most complex in the world, although at the same time the most widespread. There are many large companies entering this industry, and each of them seeks to create its own differentiation in production and marketing methods.

But almost without exception, all companies agree on the violation of human rights in their dealings with employees and workers during all stages of the manufacturing process, right up to marketing; from the completion of the first piece, to the presentation of the luxury car for sale.

When we say the violation of human rights, we are talking here about forced labor, child labor, with the theft of workers ' rights, in addition to fighting trade unions, and others.

Uyghur oppressors are making cars for the whole world

In December 2022, the British University of Sheffield Hallam published an extensive 80-page report, prepared by a team of researchers led by Laura T. Murphy, professor of human rights and contemporary slavery at the University.

The report discussed the link between Chinese companies operating in East Turkistan and the Giants of the automotive industry in the world that rely on these Chinese companies in their supply chains, such as metals, batteries, wires, and wheels.

The report, entitled " driving force: automotive supply chains and forced labor in the Uyghur region," highlighted the forced labor programs imposed by the Chinese authorities on millions of Uyghur Muslims.

According to Dr. Murphy, the head of the team that prepared the report, "there was not a single part of any car we looked at that was not contaminated with Uyghur forced labor", which means in short that it is "a problem at the level of the entire automotive industry".

The report found that nearly 100 Chinese companies are mining or processing materials used in the automotive industry in Uyghur concentration areas, and at least 38 of them have announced their participation in state-sponsored "forced labor" programs.

For example, the Bao Group-which manufactures car suspensions, axles and the steel that feeds the supply chains of most global companies - said it was "committed to the policy of the Chinese leader and the Communist Party".

It added that its branch in Xinjiang (East Turkistan) "fully implemented the party's ethnic policy, reorganized 364 workers from poor families in the villages of southern Xinjiang (East Turkistan), and integrated them into the labor system"; all euphemisms referring to forced mass transfers of Uyghur workers to factories.

This involvement includes almost all the Giants of the automotive industry, including "Mercedes","BMW","mg","Ford","Toyota", and also includes the giant of the electric car industry "Tesla".

What is happening is that some companies, including the Chinese company "Catel" in East Turkistan, are processing lithium needed for the manufacture of rechargeable batteries; it is the basis of the electric car industry, and the world's largest companies rely on it in this field.

Many human rights reports have talked about the repressive Chinese government policies against Uyghur Muslims in East Turkistan, including the report published by human Rights Watch in April 2021, entitled "China's crimes against humanity targeting Uyghurs".

The report details the "widespread and systematic attack (by the Chinese authorities) directed against the Muslim population of the territory, which included mass arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearance, mass surveillance, cultural and religious erasure, family separation, forced return to China, forced labor, sexual violence and violations of reproductive rights".

"Small hands" provide the necessary metals for the automotive industry

In July 2016, the British newspaper The Guardian published a report that put several large car manufacturers-especially BMW, Volkswagen, Audi - in serious embarrassment, after they linked the supply chains of Mica metal to illegal mines in India that rely mainly on child labor.

Mica is a metal, although unknown to consumers, but it is widely used in many industries, due to its great ability to reflect and refract light. And in the automotive industry, it is used for painting.

Through its correspondents ' visits to several mines in different Indian states, the British newspaper documented children-as young as 12 years old - mining Mica underground in dangerous mines.

It also documented children hammering rock chips into walls, and then carrying heavy rocks through unsafe tunnels to the surface of the Earth. And what is really surprising is that there were girls as young as 10, working on sorting mica from other materials.

Mica from illegal mines is sold to local dealer networks; they sell the metal to Indian export companies, which in turn manufacture various dyes and then sell them to major companies, especially automakers.

Despite strong denials and official denunciations, these companies practically do not pay attention to these criticisms. Accordi