As many as 1 million Uighurs, besides members of other minority groups, are believed to be held without charges in internment camps. The camps have marked an escalation in tensions that have existed for decades between the staunchly secular Chinese government and Uighurs. “For the whole Volkswagen Group, respecting human rights is one of the fundamental basic principles for all business relationships,” a statement read. The statement contradicted the company’s CEO, who had told the BBC earlier when asked about the treatment of Uighurs: “I can’t judge this, sorry. Researchers also argue that leaders of European Union countries have encouraged corporations’ silence on Chinese human rights by urging China to provide more market access and dropping some of their criticism of Beijing in return.

Source: Washington Post April 17, 2019 12:12 UTC