Rights group Justice for Myanmar (JFM) and data analysis organization C4ADS have called on well-known German truck manufacturer Traton and its parent company Volkswagen to cut ties with Chinese state-owned firm Sinotruk, which supplies military trucks to the Myanmar junta.
The organizations said in a joint statement released on Thursday that the military junta relies on a fleet of military trucks to transport troops and weapons across the country as it continues its campaign of terror against the people of Myanmar.
The groups said there was substantial evidence showing the regime’s military is obtaining and assembling military trucks with the support of Sinotruk. In turn, the Chinese company is benefiting from Traton’s investment and collaboration, their report says.
Sinotruk claims it has never conducted business with the military junta or sold trucks to its armed forces.
According to the findings by JFM and C4ADS, however, recent reporting and publicly available information show that Sinotruk’s vehicles are widely used by the junta in its military operations, and that the company has directly engaged with the junta through sales and manufacturing support.
The groups urged Sinotruk to “adhere to its responsibilities under international law and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights”. They also called on the Chinese truck company “to cease all ongoing business with the military regime and its partners”, and to “block the regime’s access to Sinotruk vehicles, parts, technology and support”.
“Not doing so exposes the company to the risk of liability for aiding and abetting the junta’s war crimes and crimes against humanity,” the report said.
The groups also urged Traton and Volkswagen to conduct a thorough investigation into Sinotruk’s business links to the military regime, and demanded that Traton take “immediate action to ensure it cuts all business ties to the junta military”.
“Failing that, Traton should divest from and end business relations with Sinotruk to avoid further complicity,” JFM and C4ADs said.
The groups called on the German government and European Commission to exercise their authority over Traton and Volkswagen to ensure their products do not fall into the hands of the junta and their investment does not support war crimes and crimes against humanity.
They also urged foreign governments to impose coordinated, targeted sanctions to block the junta’s sources of funds, arms, military equipment, technology and jet fuel, and called on the United Nations Security Council to impose a global arms embargo on the military junta and targeted sanctions on the junta’s business interests.
