From Kiki Lindenau, Freedom United

As a German, I am deeply troubled by how our auto industry’s reputation is being tarnished by Volkswagen’s association with Uyghur forced labor. 

Volkswagen’s annual general meeting just concluded minutes ago. Despite fierce demands from stakeholders and activists like ourselves at the AGM, Volkswagen remains silent on eliminating Uyghur forced labor from their supply chains.  

It’s time to show our collective outrage and demand immediate action from Volkswagen!  

Make your voice heard

Today in Berlin, I went out by myself to protest during the AGM. I hope that tomorrow I have your name beside mine when I hand in Freedom United’s petition to Volkswagen executives.  

For years, the Chinese government has subjected Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim communities to forced labor in the Uyghur Region, where materials Volkswagen uses for car manufacturing, such as aluminum, steel, and batteries, are produced.  

Despite our strong campaign, Volkswagen still hasn’t taken responsibility. They commissioned a flawed audit that gave them a clean bill of health at their Uyghur Region plant. Furthermore, there are allegations that one of their sub-contractors used Uyghur forced labor to construct a Volkswagen test track. 

Instead of exiting the Uyghur Region and holding China accountable, Volkswagen is bending over backward to execute its “In China, for China” strategy, maintaining business ties with suppliers known to use forced labor as well as retaining a manufacturing plant in the Uyghur Regionitself! 

We have had enough!

Tomorrow I’m handing in our petition carrying tens of thousands of signatures to Volkswagen.  

We must hold them accountable by uniting our voices against this exploitation.  

Sign and share our petition—time is running out.  Tomorrow, Thursday, May 30th, at noon EST, I will hand in our petition. 

Act now to ensure your voice is heard! 

Sign the petition

Our efforts alone are not enough to force change. Your support is crucial. Together with our partners, we’ve collected over 80,000 signatures but we need yours to ensure Volkswagen can’t ignore us.  

Every additional voice strengthens our demand to end this inhumane practice. Add your signature to amplify our message. Every signature counts!   

Add your signature

I hope you will join us to send an unmistakable message to Volkswagen:Leave the Uyghur region and make your cars forced-labor-free!  

Please, take action before noon EST on May 30th.

Together, we can advocate for a world where commerce does not come at the cost of human dignity. 

In solidarity, 

Kiki and the team supporting the Freedom United community