REPORT: 80,000+ UYGHUR MUSLIMS FORCED INTO FACTORY LABOR FOR NIKE, APPLE 3MAR20

THE prc CORONAVIRUS FLAG IS A REMINDER THE prc IS RESPONSIBLE FOR UNLEASHING THIS VIRUS ON THE WORLD.

I have never bought anything from apple because I always thought steve jobs was a greedy arrogant pig who worked with the murderous thugs ruling the prc to exploit workers through low wage labor and slave labor to increase his personal wealth and apple's profit margins. SumOfUs sent activist to apple's shareholder meeting and got support for action by apple on human rights and worker rights in the prc and company transparency regarding apple's working relationship with the government of the prc. These reports and videos from SumOfUs and Democracy Now!.....

FROM SUMOFUS.....

We’re in the headlines after we stunned everyone at Apple’s big shareholder meeting this week!

Thanks to your signing, sharing and emailing your pension and investment funds, we got FOUR TIMES as many votes for human rights at the annual meeting than in any previous year.

It was an unforgettable day for Tibetan-American activist Sonamtso and SumOfUs’ very own Vicky. I couldn’t make the trip to California, so I stayed glued to my phone for updates!

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Shareholder proposal recap at the Apple general meeting

Armed with our 130,000 strong petition -- signed by SumOfUs members like you -- the intrepid pair made their way to the Steve Jobs Auditorium at Apple HQ, California.

Sonamtso was excited and nervous. It was up to her to make a speech to persuade Apple’s board to take action on free expression. She was speaking for us all directly to the top bosses of the world's second most valuable company. And she nailed it! 

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Apple AGM shareholder proposal speech [audiogram]

Minutes later, Sonamtso got her own face to face time with Apple’s big boss Tim Cook. She politely confronted him and delivered our petition!

When the vote came, a surge of support meant more than 40% of Apple investors backed us -- even though the company told them not to and tried to block us at every turn.

Two firms that advise the world’s largest investors on how to vote at company’s annual meetings -- ISS and Glass Lewis -- came out in support of human rights and recommended that investors vote for our proposal.

It looks like big investors listened to them, as well as to 5,479 SumOfUs members who sent emails to their pension and mutual fund managers, asking them to support our proposal.

Apple bosses know they have to respond. They’ve ignored us for years -- but hours before the meeting, maybe panicking at what was to come, we finally got an email from Apple. It’s a start -- and we’ll be pushing to meet them face to face.

Apple bosses haven’t agreed to stop backing the government of China -- yet. But it’s very clear we’ve rattled them.

Can you help build on this breakthrough? If you become a regular donor you’ll give us the financial security to step up the pressure on Apple. Can you chip in a few coins a month?

I’ll leave you with one final image from this week. Let’s remember why we’re doing this.

Tibetan activists in Dharamsala light lamps for the oppressed Tibetan, Chinese, Uyghur and Hong Kong peoples. 

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Butter lamp lighting action

Millions of people are living in fear of the government of China. Waiting for a knock on the door. Terrified of the concentration camps that await those who displease the authorities.

If we keep working together, we can build on our success this week. Together, we will make Apple see the light and stop helping the government of China hurt people.

Thanks for all that you do,
Sondhya and the team at SumOfUs

More information:

Apple Investor Vote Sounds 'Warning' Over China App Takedowns, New York Times, 26 February 2020
Apple survives shareholder revolt over free speech, The Telegraph 26 February 2020

Apple shareholders call for human rights transparency, Financial Times (paywall), 26 February 2020 

REPORT: 80,000+ UYGHUR MUSLIMS FORCED INTO FACTORY LABOR FOR NIKE, APPLE

Tens of thousands of Uyghur Muslims in China have been forcibly taken from prisons in Xinjiang province to work in factories that manufacture products and parts for companies including Apple, Nike and Volkswagen. That’s according to a new report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, which analyzed satellite imagery and public documents to uncover the scheme known as “Xinjiang aid.” Workers are forced to study Mandarin and are subjected to ideological brainwashing. They are also barred from observing their own religious and cultural practices. The report says at least 80,000 Uyghurs have been forced to work in the factories since 2017.