New accusations

Uyghurs forced to work at VW plant?

VW cooperates with the Chinese company SAIC in the province of Xinjiang.

(Bild: AFP)

According to a media report, Volkswagen is once again facing allegations of forced labor by Uyghurs in the western Chinese province of Xinjiang. Forced laborers are said to have been used in the construction of a VW test track in Turpan. The major German corporation intends to "investigate" the allegations.

The "Handelsblatt" newspaper refers to statements by Adrian Zenz, a researcher specializing in human rights violations in China.

"On the website of the companies that built the VW Saic test track, there is clear evidence that Uyghur forced laborers were used during the construction phase, who were hired through worker transfer programs and so-called poverty reduction measures," said Zenz, who works at a foundation for victims of communism in the USA. During the construction of the test track, there were measures to control and suppress Uyghurs.

VW wants to investigate allegations
Volkswagen did not initially respond to a request for comment. A VW spokesperson told "Handelsblatt" that the company had no information about human rights violations during the project, but wanted to investigate.

At the end of last year, the car manufacturer presented the results of an investigation into human rights violations at its Urumqi plant in Xinjiang. Following the audit, which was carried out under pressure from investors, no evidence of forced labor or human rights violations was found on site.

Withdrawal from the region demanded
The chemical company BASF announced last week that it was withdrawing from a joint venture in Xinjiang due to the human rights situation. Uyghur researcher Zenz then demanded to the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" that Volkswagen should also withdraw from Xinjiang.

According to earlier information, almost 200 people work at the VW plant, which is operated jointly with the Chinese partner company SAIC, around 50 of whom belong to the Muslim minority.