Volvo Car’s country head sees huge growth potential for electric luxury cars

Swedish luxury brand Volvo Car feels that the business case for electric luxury cars in India is better than that for internal combustion engine luxury cars. Given the high taxes and import tariffs which have constrained volume growth in the luxury ICE segment, it is betting big on EVs in India.

It expects the EV segment to be a volume driver for the country, a top company official said.

The current high tax structure will continue to hamper volume growth in the luxury ICE car segment which, coupled with the favourable government policies on EVs, is influencing Volvo Car India to invest heavily in EVs, Charles Frump, Managing Director, Volvo Car India, told BusinessLine. 

While a luxury ICE car attracts a GST of around 50 per cent, the GST for electric cars is just 5 per cent. 

Globally, Volvo Car plans to have half of its car volumes to be fully electric by 2025. “In India, our plan is the same goal or maybe even more,” said Frump. Volvo Car India will be launching its first fully electric car, Volvo XC40 Recharge, in the second half of 2021. 

Emulating Norway

“With the current tax structure, volumes are not going to be significant for any ICE luxury car (company). But, the opportunity is very much there for EVs. As the percentage of EVs grows, I see our opportunity growing a lot,” Frump said. 

On the importance of the Indian market for the company, he said: “I would say, at the moment, because the luxury business for Volvo and all luxury car companies is so small — 1 per cent in India of the total cars versus 10-40 per cent of all cars in other markets — to be honest, it hasn’t been a very big market for Volvo. But, we have seen what has happened in Norway. Electric cars have taken off in Norway and that has been huge for us as at Volvo. For Volvo, perhaps, India can be the next Norway.”

Norway’s EV story is famous. As per reports, almost 60 per cent of the new cars sold in the country in September were electric, and this goes up to 89 per cent when hybrids are included. There are far more EVs on Norwegian roads as a proportion of total vehicles than anywhere else in the world, according to a Forbes article dated June 2019. 

Norway’s goal is for all new cars sold in the country after 2025 to be electric.

Luxury advantage

“Luxury cars will lead when it comes to EVs,” said Frump. When asked about further EV launches, he said that there would be more, given that the current government policies on EVs — factors like the lower GST, road tax and import duties — remain in place. 

“I always ask the government officials to just keep the policy (the way it is) because the policy is good, (and) because I’ve built my entire forward EV strategy based on the very good policy that India has in line with their vision to be fully electrified,” said Frump.

Since EVs are currently more expensive than ICE cars, luxury car customers are more likely to purchase electric cars, said Frump, adding that the barriers in the adoption of EVs are fewer for luxury customers. 

“For example, all my customers own multiple cars. So, if there’s some worry about range anxiety, and they are going to go a really long way, they will take their other car. The majority of luxury customers can afford to have their own charging point at their house and at work. So, for luxury customers, some of the barriers are lower than for non-luxury customers.”

While this has been a “very tough” year for the luxury car business, Frump said that the company is extremely optimistic about 2021 and expects growth also to happen then. Safety is also going to be one of the primary focus areas for the company, he added.

73^rd Remembrance Day of Pakistan`s brutal invasion of Jammu & Kashmir on 22 October 1947 and to observe this day as “Black Day”.

A webinar was organized by Indian Community in Oslo, Norway on 25 October 2020 from 1400hrs. to mark the 73^rd Remembrance Day of Pakistan`s brutal invasion of Jammu & Kashmir on 22 October 1947 and to observe this day as “Black Day”.

During the webinar people from Indian community expressed their view on the subject.  They accepted that this part of the history was removed in a planned way and not many people are aware of this tragic incident.  

One of the speakers explained in details about the background of the incident.  He said that – Once the US President Mr.Roovelt quotes “The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.” This is an opportunity to recap the history of the great princely state of Jammu & Kashmir. Before our independence, the British Crown made Standstill agreement to protect the interests of princely states. Our neighbouring Pakistan had entered into a Standstill Agreement with the Maharaja of Kashmir on August 12, 1947. 

At the beginning of September 1947, Major General Akbar Khan was asked by leaders of the Muslim League to prepare a plan to take over Kashmir. Then operation Gulmag has started with inflating tribal into Kashmir with the complete support of the neighbouring army. The entire operation was described by Major General Akbar Khan in his book “Raiders in Kashmir“. 

On October 22, 1947, Pakistan unilaterally broke the Agreement and launched an invasion to forcibly capture Jammu and Kashmir using tribal raiders. In the process, many people were killed and women were raped. For the past 70 years, the refugees of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir marked this as a black day in Kashmiri history and pay their respects to the people who have sacrificed their lives. For the past couple of years, the untold story is coming into mainstream media. 

Even the European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS), a think-tank, has said the intervening night of October 21-22, 1947, was the darkest day in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. On October 26 (1947), the Pakistani forces captured Baramula where only 3,000 survived out of 14,000. The troops were now only 35 miles from Srinagar. 

Then Maharaja (Hari Singh) was shaken and asked for help. Then Governor-General Mountbatten advised then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to get all the legal requirements done before sending the troops to Jammu and Kashmir. With that incident, India has rescued ¾ of Jammu & Kashmir from Tribal raids. On the other side, Pakistan marked October 27th as a black day for Jammu & Kashmir. We must not forget the sacrifices made by the people of Kashmir in the fight against the tribal groups.

During the webinar it was decided to continue the observance of 22^nd October as BLACK DAY every year by the Indian community that too in large scale as this year it was not possible due to covid19 pandemic. During the webinar two videos were also played.  

Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide on October 14 delivered a presentation on multilateralism amid rising global geo-political tension and pressure on multilateral system

Co-organised by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) and the Norwegian Embassy in Vietnam, the event was held both online and offline in Hanoi and Oslo. 

In her opening speech, DAV Deputy Director Pham Lan Dung said it contributes to strengthening bilateral ties and reflects the two countries’ strong commitment to multilateralism to effectively cope with challenges amid changes in the region and the world. 

Assistant to Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu affirmed that multilateral diplomacy is an important strategic orientation in Vietnam’s foreign policy. 

With a long-standing relationship as well as shared interests and concern, the two countries’ commitment to supporting multilateralism will lay a solid foundation for them to boost collaboration not only via bilateral channel but also international forums, especially at the United Nations when Norway will become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the 2021-2022 tenure. 

He wished that Norway would continue bolstering cooperation with ASEAN and supporting its central role in the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific for the sake of peace, stability and prosperity in the region. 

Søreide, in her speech, said Vietnam’s commitments to ASEAN are of significance to strengthening internal solidarity and the bloc’s role in the world. 

She affirmed that both Norway and Vietnam strongly believe in multilateralism and rules-based international cooperation. 

As challenges become increasingly serious when the world is experiencing unprecedented medical and socio-economic crises due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said only international solidarity and cooperation could bring about recovery and development. 

According to her, during its tenure as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, Norway will focus on peace-building diplomacy, strengthening women’s role in building sustainable peace, protecting people amid conflicts, and coping with security risks related to climate. 

In order to effectively address challenges in the near future, the UN needs to develop partnership with regional mechanisms such as ASEAN and the EU, she said. 

Her presentation concluded with a strong affirmation about the value of multilateralism spirit that countries need to develop amid current and upcoming challenges. 

Participants also discussed promising cooperation fields between the two nations and highlighted determination to reinforce multilateral system for the benefit of the two countries, regions and the world./.

Meetings took place in Pakistan, Russia, Norway, Denmark, Kazakhstan, and Belarus from Sept. 24 to Oct. 7 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK).

At a meeting held in Pakistan, a reporter and speakers said that the WPK is a great and dignified party which has advanced along the ever-victorious road since its foundation, holding aloft the banner of the Juche idea and weathering stern trials of its revolutionary struggle.

The first secretary of the Khabarovsk Territorial Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation said that the WPK, founded by President Kim Il Sung and strengthened by Chairman Kim Jong Il, is a popular party, which solves every problem by relying on the people, adding that it is the faith of the WPK that there is nothing impossible to do if it believes in the people and relies on them.

The chairman of the Ostfold County Committee of the Communist Party of Norway said that the Juche idea, the guiding idea of the WPK, serves as the best cornerstone for developing socialism in the DPRK.

The chairman of the Denmark-DPRK Friendship Association said that the WPK is enjoying absolute support and trust by the revolutionary parties and progressives in the world as well as all the Korean people.

The chairman of the Kazakh Kim Jong Il Association for the Study and Dissemination of the Juche Idea said that although the DPRK was recently battered by natural disasters, the Korean people have pushed forward with the campaign to remove their aftereffects under the leadership of the great Party.

The chief of the Belarusian Group for Solidarity with the DPRK hoped that the Korean people would accomplish the cause of building a powerful socialist country without fail under the guidance of the WPK.

Messages of greeting and congratulatory letters to Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un were adopted at the meetings held in Norway and Denmark.

The United States is “actively working” on sanctioning Myanmar military officials responsible for the oppression of the Rohingya minority, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Richard Albright told reporters on Thursday.

“We are taking actions, including the imposition of visa sanctions and financial sanctions, on Myanmar military officials,” Albright said at the telephonic press briefing after the virtual conference on the support of Rohingya refugees.

The United States’ approach of supporting affected people is based on providing humanitarian assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons and holding accountable those who are responsible for atrocities, Albright added.

Earlier on Thursday, the United States announced a new aid package worth USD 200 million to support Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar.

According to data provided by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), more than 800,000 Rohingya have fled from Myanmar’s Rakhine State to Bangladesh between 2017 and 2019 amid clashes there.

Below is a full rush transcript of the press conference with Richard Albright Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration at U.S. Department of State And Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon Minister for South Asia and the Commonwealth UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office And Janez Lenarčič Commissioner for Crisis Management European Commission And Indrika Ratwatte Director of UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific.

DAS Albright:  I would like to start really by just stating how pleased we, the United States, has been to partner with the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to co-host today’s conference.  I want to recognize the governments and people of Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and others for their responsiveness to the needs of Rohingya refugees.   

This conference sought to sustain the international response to the Rohingya crisis and the international community has come together once again to help alleviate the suffering of those in need and to invest in the generous host communities that help them as well.  We’re very pleased with the turnout and to know that nearly 200 million in additional – $200 million in additional humanitarian assistance the United States announced today is part of nearly $600 million in total assistance announced by the international community today.   

Looking forward, the most immediate step is for the Government of Myanmar to permit humanitarian aid to flow to those in need and to create the conditions for sustainable returns of displaced persons in line with the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State.  And we support the work of the UN Special Envoy Christine Schraner Burgener to press for solutions to the crisis. 

In the coming weeks and months, we look forward to following up on efforts to provide Rohingya refugees and other displaced Rohingya with expanded opportunities to live lives with dignity and to resolve the root causes of the crisis.  The international community could play an important supporting role, but it is essential to understand that the Government of Myanmar is at the heart of a permanent solution, and we stand ready to support concrete improvements in Rakhine State in parallel with continuing to respond to the needs of Rohingya refugees in the region.  

Mr. Ahmad:  Today’s conference, as we’ve just heard, has brought together the international community in solidarity to show that the world has not forgotten the plight of the Rohingya people.  It’s hard to grasp the size of the humanitarian crisis faced by the Rohingya community.  But more than 740,000 were forced to flee their homes in the face of horrific brutality over three years ago.  Three years later, they are no closer to going home, despair is setting in, and they’re also dealing, of course, with the realities of the coronavirus. 

Today at the conference, the United Kingdom on our part announced a further £37.5 million to stop the suffering for hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar.  That brings our total UK commitment to the Rohingya response since August 2017 to close to 300 million pounds sterling.  This UK aid will – new UK aid will provide vulnerable people with food, healthcare, water, and sanitation.  And it also importantly improves access to education for 50,000 young people, as well as isolation and treatment centers for people suffering severely from coronavirus. 

Also recognizing the important role of the Government of Bangladesh and the Bangladeshi people, the UK has also announced £10 million of support to Bangladesh to help their country respond to the coronavirus and natural disasters, such as flooding, bringing our total new announcements today to 47.5 million.   

The UK stands at the forefront with international partners of providing life-saving aid, food and water and shelter, as well as education and counseling.  In addition to that, the UK has also sanctioned two generals in the Myanmar military as recommended by the UN independent investigation, which found them responsible for atrocities against the Rohingya community which is tantamount to ethnic cleansing. 

We have also made it clear along with the entire UN Security Council that Myanmar must take solid and constructive steps to create the conditions that will allow for the Rohingya to voluntarily return to Myanmar, of course, keeping in mind their safety and dignity.  And as well as being the second-largest donor to the Rohingya crisis, the UK continues to provide aid in Myanmar itself, including health, clean water, sanitation within the Rakhine State as well.  That amounts to about £44 million to all communities since 2017. 

And finally, we stand with other international partners in the need to support this event as a co-host with the United States, the European Commission, and UNHCR, to working together and committing ourselves once again to decisive action that will allow the Rohingya community to return safely back home.  Thank you. 

Mr. Lenarčič:  Ladies and gentlemen, today we have come together to demonstrate again our solidarity and support of the Rohingya people.  We are very much grateful to the government and the people of Bangladesh, as well as other host countries, for their continued support of Rohingya refugees. 

After this conference, many countries and institutions have reiterated their commitment towards the Rohingya community.  And for its part, the European Union has agreed to step up its efforts, pledging 96 million in support of the Rohingya crisis in the year 2020.  But of course, as we all know, humanitarian aid is not enough.  First, we must pursue a sustainable, durable solution to this crisis.  And this means we have to continue to seek and facilitate the safe and voluntary return of the refugees to their places of origin or choice.  And in this context, I would say that the recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission are a good basis for this. 

Second, we must continue to support the Rohingya people’s aspirations for a better future, including, in particular, providing access to education to all Rohingya children. 

And finally, we must ensure that this crisis does not become a forgotten tragedy.  The European Union continues to stand ready to assist with its efforts.  The Rohingya people and their host communities can count on our support also in the future.  Thank you. 

Mr. Ratwatte:  I’d like to start by thanking our co-hosts, the governments of the United States, the UK, and the EU for the collaboration in pulling together this very important meeting.  And as the High Commissioner expressed in his closing remarks, we are grateful for all of those who have participated today and the strong financial support for the Rohingya refugee situation and the displaced Rohingya within Myanmar.   

Most of all, we’re grateful for the contributions of the refugees themselves, who are at the heart of the humanitarian response and show us all daily how capable they are as individuals and as a community, as we heard from the refugee voices and the powerful film clip in Omar’s Film School. 

We must also particularly express the thanks to Bangladesh, who continues to host 860,000 Rohingya, as well as Malaysia, India, Indonesia, and Thailand, as generous hosts despite the challenges imposed with COVID, as we see today.   

Ultimately, we must live up to the hope that the Rohingya refugees themselves still maintain, even after more than three years of exile.  We are concerned by the risks that many are taking on perilous journeys, as we have witnessed this year with the tragic loss of life.  And we are grateful to those countries who have allowed them to disembark safely, and urge all that the strategy must remain on the safe, predictable disembarkation to save lives and to prevent the tragic loss of life we have witnessed in the recent months. 

As you have heard, the Rohingya wish to go back to Myanmar when it is safe and sustainable to do so.  As such, we must renew our efforts together with the Government of Myanmar to realize the recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission, which is the roadmap that we have collectively agreed to pursue, and to make the aspirations and the hopes expressed by the refugees themselves into reality.  To this end, UNHCR stands committed in solidarity and in partnership to work with the international community, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the host countries in the region and beyond to make this a reality.  Thank you very much. 

Question:  Did I understand correctly that the total raised today was $600 million? Is that what you expected?  Is it less or more? 

Mr. Ahmad:  It’s Lord Ahmad here, minister of state from the UK, and perhaps others could follow.  I think if you look at the backdrop of today’s donor conference and the fact that the world itself is going through the incredible challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, and of course the increased challenges posed on economies around the world and of course domestic challenges, I think the fact that over $600 million, over half a billion dollars, has been raised at today’s event I think is a testament to both the solidarity and the common humanity we share in standing up for the Rohingya community.   

So I’m very much not just encouraged but delighted and also quite humbled by the generosity of countries from across the globe who have once again come forward and made generous contributions.  

DAS Albright:  I would add to – I would concur with that.  Coming into the conference today, the humanitarian response plans were nearly 50 percent funded for the year.  So this is added, additional, new funding to a much more sustainable level, which is where we were hoping to achieve.  Thank you. 

Mr. Lenarčič:  If I may add from Brussels, Janez Lenarčič from the Commission, this amount almost doubles what was available or pledged so far toward the Rohingya crisis.  That’s one point.  Second point, you cannot compare different situations because there are different numbers of people who are in need of humanitarian aid.  So there is no reason for a comparison in absolute figures of pledged sums with some other situation.  

We are happy with the result of today’s pledging event, with today’s conference.  It demonstrated the solidarity of the international community, the continued solidarity of the international community with the plight of the Rohingya refugees and the needs of the host communities. 

Question:  Do you have any comment on the reaction of China and Russia?  Do they still support the Burmese Government ?  

DAS Albright:  Well, what I can say is that these other countries were invited to the conference.  They chose not to participate.  We are working very hard with our partners, UN agencies, NGOs, and other governments, to stop the cycle of violence in Rakhine, including by cooperating to end trafficking of weapons and narcotics that have contributed to instability so far in Rakhine and other parts of Myanmar.  And we believe that the permanent five members of the UN Security Council have a special obligation to contribute to ending conflict and aiding the victims of violence.  

We certainly recognize the contributions of other regional partners, and encourage responsiveness to the needs of the Rohingya refugees and the displaced Rohingya inside of Myanmar.  And we are trying to develop a multifaceted approach to resolve this crisis in adherence with international humanitarian principles, and avoid any kinds of unilateral measures, so that I would just stress that returns to Myanmar should be safe, should be voluntary, dignified, and well-informed.  Those are the principles that we adhere to in this response. 

Question:  First of all, the 597 million that were announced as the amount being raised today, are you satisfied that that is all new funding?  That wasn’t announced by donors before today?  Second of all, there’s been quite a bit of talk about the security situation in the camps in Cox’s Bazar.  Recently, I’ve spoken recently with Rohingya refugees who are very scared of violence occurring within the camps by criminal groups, and more recently by Bangladeshi security forces.  What that something that’s factoring into thinking of the humanitarian response?  And what’s being done to alleviate that?  

Mr. Ahmad:  I mean, every country, obviously, would need to speak for itself.  This is part of an additional monies to what we had announced previously for support for the Rohingya, and as I said in our contribution from the UK, we’ve sought to also recognize the challenge on Bangladesh in providing support to the Rohingya community both within Cox’s Bazar but also outside Cox’s Bazar as well. 

On your specific issue of the escalation of violence, I’m sure I speak for everyone on this call.  We’re all concerned, I think, about the escalation of violence.  And my last information was that since the 4th of October, I think seven people had also sadly died in this respect.  And the situation we understand from the Bangladeshi authorities – and Bangladesh were on the call today as well – and it has calmed down somewhat.  And we’re obviously supportive of ensuring both the welfare within those people within the camps, but also ensuring that the environment is both safe and secure.   

And in terms of humanitarian partners, of course we need to ensure that the partners we work with within Cox’s Bazar are also able to operate both unhindered, but also putting their safety and security first.  So while it is a – anyone who’s visited Cox’s Bazar, and certainly I have, it’s an incredibly – I termed it as one of the worst cases of humanity coming together, yet you put it into context that that is – that they are the lucky ones who have escaped with their lives.  So it’s incumbent on all of us to seek to improve both the health, safety, and security of people within Cox’s Bazar and work with Bangladesh to ensure the security of people within Cox’s Bazar as well. 

Question:  The first question I’d like to pose to UNHCR:  If they have a position on the security fencing that is being put up in Cox’s Bazar and the implications around freedom of movement?  And the second question is for PRM:  It’s interesting that the UK has pledged an additional $10 million to the country of Bangladesh as the host community.  Has the U.S. Government considered doing something similar to the UK? 

Mr. Ratwatte:  UNHCR has been working closely with the Government of Bangladesh, while acknowledging that the maintenance of security and law and order is the prerogative of the government.  We have underscored two points regarding their present response.  One, that systemically the best approach to security within the refugee camps and settlements is to really engage the refugees themselves through community participation and through the elders and systems instructed within the community together with law enforcement authorities as the best way forward. 

While we recognize that criminality, trafficking, and narcotic trafficking is an issue in the region, we have also worked together with elders in the community and refugees themselves to articulate their concerns to the government, and also put in a system with the community with protection and monitoring where issues related to security is fed into the government.  And enhanced also reporting, particularly for the vast majority of the population, who are women and children. 

And lastly, I think another way to look at the mid- to long-term issue related to security, stability, and well-being of the refugees is really to have opportunities, skills, and education within the camps that engage young people.  And as we all know, criminality is only for a few in these camps.  The vast majority are law-abiding individuals, and that we give opportunities for the young people in particular that we are able to build a future for them, and we dissuade any actors who may be pursuing other intents away from the population. 

Question:  Are you concentrating more on humanitarian assistance than on accountability and repatriation?  Are you giving more focus on Bangladesh than Myanmar?

DAS Albright:  Just let me first just respond to the previous question just about humanitarian and versus development resources.  I mean, in today’s conference we announced we were focused on humanitarian response and we announced over 200 million of new humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya crisis.  That brought our total for the year to $437 million, and that brings our total for the whole response since 2017 to $1.2 billion for this humanitarian response.   

We also have a longstanding and significant development program in Bangladesh, and we can provide you additional details on the scope of that program.  But a significant portion of that program is also geared toward supporting host communities in Cox’s Bazaar and Bandarban, and so we can provide you more – a bit more information on that.   

I would say that in response to the latest question, I mean, we are – we’re focused on – both on immediate life-saving humanitarian assistance for the affected refugees and internally displaced Rohingya and looking for solutions that would facilitate their return, looking to create conditions for return in Rakhine State.  But we are also working for accountability for atrocities that have occurred and supporting the processes in the International Court of Justice and other approaches for accountability.  And we have also taken action, including the imposition of financial sanctions and visa sanctions, on Myanmar military officials.  

DAS Albright:  I just wanted to thank all of our co-hosts – the United Kingdom, the European Union, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.  I would like to thank all of the donor countries that participated in making this conference a success in, as Commissioner Lenarčič noted, nearly doubling the resources available for the humanitarian response.   

I would like to thank all of the countries of the region that have played and continue – will continue to play a critical role in working together to achieve solutions for this crisis, and thank you all for listening. 

Mr. Lenarčič:  I would also like to add my voice to the words of thanks just announced by Deputy Assistant Secretary Albright.  Our thanks go first to the host communities in Bangladesh and to Bangladesh Government.  Our thanks go to all the participants of today’s event that have pledged additional funding.  And I would like to underline that the European Union will remain committed to, first, immediate support for refugees and IDPs, Rohingya; and second, to the efforts to find a sustainable and durable solution, which, as many have said already today, is in their homeland, and that is Myanmar. 

Mr. Ratwatte:  I’d like to echo the comments by the Commissioner and Deputy Assistant Secretary Albright, and again, thank the co-hosts and all the participants, particularly also the host countries, namely Bangladesh and the others.  But also frame it, as others have done, as a regional problem that requires strong regional participation and the international community here, because I think what we heard from the refugees and everybody today is that status quo is something that cannot be sustainable in the long to mid term, and that the work we have to do together with the Myanmar Government to create conditions for solutions – namely sustainable, voluntary return in safety and dignity – should be an investment to be undertaken collectively.  Because that is, at the end of the day, the aspiration of the Rohingya which we have to work towards.   

The United States is calling on Kazakhstan to increase efforts to fight human trafficking and resolve the rights of refugees from China’s Xinjiang province, US State Department officials said during a virtual press briefing on Friday. The United States is calling on Kazakhstan to increase efforts to fight human trafficking and resolve the rights of refugees from China’s Xinjiang province, US State Department officials said during a virtual press briefing on Friday.

“We call on the Kazakh government to do more to fight human trafficking,” US Ambassador-at-Large John Cotton Richmond told reporters.

The Kazakh government should pay particular attention to ethnic Kazakhs who have became victims of human trafficking, Richmond said.

The government should amend its laws and reverse the four-year decline in convictions for human trafficking, he added.

Assistant Secretary of State Robert Destro called on Kazakhstan to resolve the legal status of refugees from China’s Xinjiang province and allow non-governmental organizations to advocate for the refugees’ their rights.

“Central Asian countries should really stand up for these victims,” Destro said.

Below is a full rush transcript of the press conference by Assistant Secretary Robert Destro Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor And Ambassador-at-Large John Cotton Richmond Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons

Ambassador Richmond:  The United States has made the global fight against human trafficking a policy priority across government agencies.  Human trafficking is, of course, an umbrella term that includes both sex trafficking and forced labor.  And when we think about human trafficking, we normally think of individual criminals, gangs, or networks of conspirators.  In these cases, we rely upon governments to enforce laws to stop traffickers and protect victims.  But what do we do when the government itself is acting as the trafficker?  Far too often, governments have a policy or pattern of trafficking people.  And in the 2020 Trafficking in Persons Report published by the U.S. State Department, the Secretary of State found that there was a government policy or pattern in 10 countries.  Those 10 countries include China, along with Afghanistan, Belarus, Burma, Cuba, Eritrea, North Korea, Russia, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan.  

The United States condemns the Chinese Communist Party’s egregious and widespread practice of trafficking its own people as part of its campaign of repression against Muslim Uyghurs and members of ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang and throughout China.  The Chinese Communist Party has intensified its repression, arbitrarily detaining more than 1 million Uyghurs and members of other ethnic religious minority groups, subjecting them to compulsory political and ideological indoctrination and forcing many in work camps, factories, and sweat shops to labor.

Since 2017, the Chinese Communist Party has reportedly transferred many thousands of detainees forcibly from internment camps in Xinjiang to factories producing textiles, electronics, and other items in provinces throughout China where their abuse continues under the guise of poverty alleviation or vocational training programs.  Although the Chinese Communist Party at various times has claimed that it began to close the internment camps and scaling this horrific program back, recent reports indicate it actually criminally charging many detainees and moving them into new or expanded, higher security prisons, and in some cases transferring them to and forcing them to work in manufacturing sites.

We’re further dismayed to learn of reports that these abuses may exist at an alarming scale in the Tibetan Autonomous Region: the forceful relocation and reeducation, quote, “vocational training and poverty alleviation,” of many thousands of Tibetans coupled with allegations of compulsory participation in vocational training programs and forced labor.  We will continue to monitor this situation as we assess China’s complicity in 2020 and 2021.

As the government’s practice of forced labor continues to spread beyond Xinjiang, it is increasingly difficult for well-intentioned international companies to track exactly which products in their supply chain are made with forced labor, and if the suppliers or other entities they work with are involved in these abuses.  

Meanwhile, the People’s Republic of China injects these products made with forced labor into global supply chains through its exports.  And we will not allow those products to enter United States markets.  U.S. companies do not want to unwittingly support forced labor, and neither do U.S. consumers.  We will continue to help them connect with labor rights advocates, NGOs, governments, and others to create solutions, to call attention to forced labor abuses in China, and ensure that Beijing is not profiting from forced labor.

In 2017, the State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report ranked China as Tier 3, the lowest possible tier, because of state-sanctioned forced labor.  In 2020 in the TIP Report, we called upon China to abolish the arbitrary detention and forced labor of persons in internment camps and affiliated manufacturing sites in Xinjiang and other provinces immediately, and to release and pay restitution to individuals whom they detained, end forced labor in government facilities and nongovernmental facilities converted to government detention centers, and by government officials outside the penal process.

We commit to working with our government and private sector partners to ensure the Chinese Communist Party can no longer profit from its own human rights abuses, including human trafficking in the form of forced labor.  We call on all nations, business, and consumers to demand global supply chains that are free from forced labor.  This is an important issue because at the heart of human trafficking is the inherent right of every individual to be free.  

Assistant Secretary Destro:  Ambassador Richmond has done a great job this morning talking about the human trafficking elements of the situation in China.  My job is to talk a little bit about the shocking human rights abuses generally being perpetrated by the Chinese Communist Party in Xinjiang against Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, ethnic Kyrgyz, and members of other minority groups.  There’s also abuses are – that are going on constantly and now include forced abortions, sterilization, mass arbitrary detention, forced labor, high-technology surveillance, involuntary collection of biometric data and other genetic information.

Today, we want to focus on aspects of the campaign of repression that intersect with business and labor.  There are growing reports that Beijing’s state-sponsored labor practices in Xinjiang – the CCP says that these are vocational training or, quote, “poverty alleviation programs.”  But the reality is quite different.  It’s clear that people are being compelled to work against their will.  It’s also the case that these so-called programs frequently include transferring workers involuntarily from Xinjiang to other regions of China.  These forced labor programs separate families, leaving children as young as 18 months old in state-run orphanages, boarding schools, and other indoctrination facilities while the parents are forced to work full-time under constant surveillance with little or no pay and with limited freedom of movement.  

The CCP and Chinese businesses are blatantly profiting from their victims’ labor.  The strategy is predicated upon low-skilled, labor-intensive industries that only require a limited amount of job training, such as textiles and garments, electrical products, shoes, and furniture.  The companies take advantage of the free or low-cost forced labor of Xinjiang residents.  These businesses then export their goods around the world.  This puts businesses in other countries and consumers like you and me at risk of unknowingly supporting forced labor and the CCP’s human rights abuses.

So, to address this problem, the U.S. Government is launching a coordinated response against these abuses, including closing off opportunities to do business in the United States for companies that do not respect human rights, and kicking off a clean supply chain effort.  Over the last several months, the U.S. Department of Commerce added dozens of commercial and government organizations to the PRC – in the PRC to their Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List.  These companies provide technology that perpetrates Beijing’s campaign of repression in Xinjiang, including the development of artificial intelligence applications that allow for the high-tech surveillance of Uyghurs and other ethnic Muslim minorities.  The effect being – of being on the entity list is the imposition of a license requirement on the export of U.S.-origin items to these companies.  

Last month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued five withhold release orders on goods produced in China, four of which were directly linked to products produced in Xinjiang.  These new actions are in addition to five other withhold release orders previously issued related to goods produced in China since last September.  These orders prevent goods from being imported into the United States when made with forced labor.  If there’s a withhold release order, that means that Customs and Border Protection will detain any shipments of goods from the company or a location named in the order, and not let those goods enter the United States, in line with U.S. customs laws.  

The United States is also trying to help businesses make sure that they are not unknowingly complicit in human rights abuses in Xinjiang and other places, including the use of forced labor.  In July, the U.S. Department of State, along with three other U.S. federal government agencies, issued a business advisory for U.S. businesses about the risks of having their supply chains linked to entities complicit in forced labor and other human rights abuses throughout China.  We’re also helping businesses concerned that their companies’ products are being sold overseas that can be misused as a tool for human rights abuse.  For example, over the last several years, we’ve seen a large rise in foreign governments such as the PRC misusing products or services with surveillance capabilities; concerning trends, including government use of spyware to target journalists and human rights advocates; and the use of DNA sequencers and facial recognition technologies to suppress human rights and human rights advocates in China and elsewhere.

Businesses in the United States and all around the world don’t want to be complicit in this type of human rights abuse, nor, I might add, do most ordinary consumers.  To help minimize this risk, last month the U.S. Department of State issued guidance to help U.S. businesses evaluate the human rights impacts of their products or services with surveillance capabilities and to understand the risks associated with engaging in transactions with various government end users.  The guidance also recommends a human rights safeguard if the U.S. business considered proceeding with the transaction, developing a grievance mechanism, or publicly reporting on sales practices.

We all have a role to play in stopping business rights – business-related human rights abuses, including forced labor.  Businesses should conduct human rights due diligence on their supply chains and business partners before entering into contracts.  Consumers should speak up with concerns about the money they spend buying apparel, electronics, or food going into the pockets of human rights abusers.  And governments should engage with companies and restrict imports of goods made with forced labor.

Question:  Wonderful.  On September 26th, Chinese President Xi called the Xinjiang policy, and I quote, ‘correct,’ end quote.  Does this mean that China will continue to ignore the international community?  What other sanctions on China can we expect? 

Assistant Secretary Destro:  We don’t really comment on sanctions.  What we call on is for the PRC to respect – to respect all of its workers, to respect – to stop the brutal repression and repressive campaign against the Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities in Xinjiang.  The PRC still claims that these minorities, including Uyghur intellectuals and professionals, are enrolled in vocational training and has provided no evidence for its claim that 90 percent or more of the camp victims have graduated from this so-called training.  So what I want to emphasize here is that the Chinese Government’s actions speak far louder than its words.

Ambassador Richmond:  I think your point on sanctions is absolutely right.  We can’t comment on those.  But the first question really calls on a forecast, on a prediction of what the future conduct of the Chinese Communist Party will be.  And we can only hope and encourage them to align with international human rights standards and make sure that there is no state-sanctioned forced labor or other human rights abuses in Xinjiang occurring. 

Question:  What advice can the United States give to the Kazakhstan authorities who persecute ethnic Kazakhs who illegally cross the border with Kazakhstan for the sake of confidentiality? 

Assistant Secretary Destro:  Secretary Pompeo met with the foreign minister, Mukhtar Tleuberdi, on February 2nd and raised concerns about the more than 1 million Uyghur Muslims and ethnic Kazakhs that the Chinese Communist Party has detained in Xinjiang just across the border.  We encourage Kazakhstan to reserve – to resolve the legal status of asylum seekers from Xinjiang and encourage Kazakhstan to allow NGOs advocating for such individuals to operate freely. 

Ambassador Richmond:  Assistant Secretary Destro shared, that we have asked in the United States TIP Report, in the 10 recommendations that we provided for Kazakhstan, to include a remedy other than deportation for individuals that are found to be victims – victims of forced labor.  Obviously, Assistant Secretary Destro is thinking about a larger range of human rights abuses.  But we would note that we’ve called upon the Kazakh Government to do more to fight human trafficking, particularly that of individuals who include ethnic Kazakhs who are the victims of trafficking.  

And they can do it through a couple of ways.  One is by amending their law, amending the Kazakh law, to include force, fraud, and coercion as an element of the crime and not just an aggravating circumstance.  That’ll bring it into consistency with international law.  Another thing that they could do is reverse the four-year decline in convictions for human trafficking.  We’ve seen it fall all the way, over the last four years, to only eight convictions, which is a meager number given the scope of the problem in the country. 

Assistant Secretary Destro:  If I could just add one thing at the end, it’s also true that Central Asian countries should really stand up for these victims.  I mean, they should join us so that this is not simply an attack on China.  We’re simply pointing out what China’s doing.  And I’ve been trying to work closely with as many Muslim countries in the Organization of the Islamic Conference to get everybody together and to recognize this moral travesty for what it is. 

Question:  We’ve seen two DHS seizures of products that have come into the U.S. thanks to specific WROs.  Should there be a more regional WRO that applies to all products coming out of Xinjiang?  And is there any progress on the technology that could determine whether cotton comes from Xinjiang? 

Ambassador Richmond:  We’re incredibly encouraged by the increased number of withhold release orders that have been issued by Customs and Border Protection as part of Department of Homeland Security.  The whole point of these withhold release orders is basically to say, if there’s a good made with forced labor or prison labor, it’s not going to be able to be shipped in to disturb markets.  That is, product that is made with forced laborers shouldn’t be competing against products that are made with free laborers, who have to be paid market wages.  

So we’ve seen an increase, including several recent withhold release orders, focused on companies that are bringing things out of Xinjiang.  There has been a vigorous discussion about the application of a regional withhold release order and the pros and cons of that.  We obviously want to consider the merits of that.  But what we want to do as the United States is send a clear message that products that are made with forced labor are not going to be allowed to come into the United States.

To that end, we’ve issued a business advisory to encourage companies to consider due diligence and to try to determine what, if anything, they can determine regarding forced labor in the – in the companies that they are sourcing product, produce, or parts from. 

Assistant Secretary Destro:  And if I can address the parts of the question about the technology, there is really interesting technology out there that would allow you to find out where certain minerals and materials are sourced.  But I think the easiest and perhaps the most fruitful way to go about doing this is to reach out to the companies that are doing the importing and to encourage them to really get down into the depth of their supply chain and to find out what’s actually going on.  My experience in speaking with companies – and we’re scheduling meetings with companies as we speak – my experience is that most companies want to do the right thing.  They just don’t know how to get down far enough into that supply chain. 

And  when you actually look at the – what the supply chains look like, it’s bewilderingly complex, especially when you deal with something like cotton, which goes back and forth across borders several times as they’re spinning it, taking it from cotton, and ginning it, and spinning it into yarn, and you know.  So it’s a pretty complicated issue.  But boy, it’s a fascinating one, and we haven’t yet really even begun to encourage consumers to make these kinds of demands on the companies who are selling them goods. 

Question:  Muslim cheap labor is profitable for business.  Which U.S. companies have refused to cooperate with China?  And is there any official data as to how many Muslims are in labor camps in China today?

Assistant Secretary Destro:  Well, the numbers that we’ve seen, there’s more than a million ethnic Uyghurs and Kazakhs and other ethnic and religious minorities have been detained since April 2017.  We’re getting more and more reports about this happening to Tibetan Buddhists as well. 

And the question, “Which companies have refused,” if I get – if I have that question right, that’s not an easy question to answer.  What I would like an answer to – and if you can get it, we’d all appreciate what the answer is – is why have the members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference not come to the – to the defense of their fellow religionists?  We’re more than happy to work with them, and I stand ready to travel anywhere that needs to happen to get people organized. 

Question:  Secretary of State Pompeo and Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Brownback publicly expressed concern for the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners by CCP, which has lasted for 21 years.  One of the cruelties done by the CCP is forced organ harvesting.  Would the Department of State step in and take specific actions to stop the forced organ harvesting by the Chinese Communist Party?

Assistant Secretary Destro:  I can’t think of a more horrific human rights abuse than stealing somebody’s liver.  I mean, this is – this is – we have had consistent reports of this.  We have actually looked into allegations of it.  And I encourage anybody who has information that we could use to nail this down to please be in touch with us.

Ambassador Richmond:  I’ll also say that the removal of organs is one of the forms of exploitation under the Palermo Protocol, the UN protocol against trafficking in persons.  And we continue to gather information about this, and like Assistant Secretary Destro, would call upon folks to provide information to the international community so that this issue can be raised with specifics and examples and any data that is available on the multilateral stage.

Question:  Last month, Malaysia said it would not entertain a request to extradite ethnic Uyghur refugees to China, and will allow them safe passage to a third country should they feel their safety is at risk.  How do you view this?  Would it encourage other Muslim-majority countries to do the same at a time when China is pouring huge investments into countries like Indonesia and Pakistan, to name a few?

Assistant Secretary Destro:  We always encourage countries to respect their international obligations with respect to refugees and people seeking asylum.  We applaud what the Malaysians have done; this is simply basic respect for human rights.  I mean, people are not fleeing to become economic refugees; they’re fleeing for their lives and for their families.  So we applaud what they do.  We encourage other countries, not simply Muslim countries but all countries, to recognize that this is a big problem and that these refugees have very serious problems and they should not be sent back. 

Ambassador Richmond:  And I think this is a larger pattern of doing the right thing.  We want to make sure that not only are the Uyghurs not sent back to their trafficker, the Chinese Communist Party in China, we want to make sure that no victims of human trafficking are sent back to their traffickers, regardless of what country that might be.  And so we want to make sure that there are alternatives to deportation, ways for refugees or human trafficking victims to find some sort of immigration status that allows them to remain and recover from the trauma that they’ve endured. 

Assistant Secretary Destro:  I’m only going to say a couple of words here.  I want to thank you today for participating in the press conference.  We take freedom of the press very seriously here, and we really welcome your inquiries.  

I think what we need to remember here, and this is the closing thought I’m going to leave you with, is that modern slavery still exists.  And every single one of us, every person of good faith no matter what religion, no matter what country, no matter what region, no matter what ethnicity, has an obligation to put a stop to it.

Ambassador Richmond:  I’ll just join Assistant Secretary Destro in expressing my gratitude for everyone who’s joined this call today.  Grateful for the role of the press in holding governments and culture to account.  And I’d also say that not only is there a great degree of urgency around the issue of human trafficking, when we think about just the sheer numbers that have been estimated of almost 25 million individuals who are currently victims; there is a sense of urgency around it that we need to do something right away. 

But there’s also a sense of doability.  These are – these are issues we could tackle.  These are issues that governments around the world are capable of addressing by just following the “three P paradigm”: that is, the P of prosecution – holding traffickers to account, governments or individuals; or the P of protection – how do we protect victims who have experienced this trauma; and then third, the P of prevention – how do we tackle the systems that make it easier for traffickers to operate.  And as we do that, I think we’ll see great success in this issue. 

By Adil Akhmetov, Kazakhstan’s former Ambassador to Norway – This year marks the 1150th anniversary of Abu Nasr al-Farabi – the great philosopher and scientist of the Middle Ages. Al-Farabi, born in present-day Kazakhstan, spent much of his life with Muslim and Christian scholars in Baghdad. Known in the West as Alfarabius, he thoroughly studied and developed the works of Plato and Aristotle. Islamic philosophical circles called him the “second teacher” (as Aristotle was considered the first).

Why is al-Farabi so crucial in today’s world? The philosopher seriously dealt with the issue of an ideal city-state and the model of the relationship between such cities. In particular, he developed the concept of the so-called “virtuous city”, that is, a state in which people live and work together in the name of achieving universal happiness. In a way, that was an advanced version of Plato’s “Republic.”

Al-Farabi saw an organic concept of the state, whose primary purpose is justice. He described important characteristics for residents and leaders of a virtuous city.

“A city, where the union of people is aimed at mutual assistance in matters, where people achieve true happiness, is a virtuous city, and a society where people help each other achieve happiness, is a virtuous society,” al-Farabi wrote in his famous treatise.

Interestingly, the philosopher further develops his thought from an ideal state to an ideal world where international cooperation is exceptional.

“People, since they belong to the human race, must maintain peace among themselves… The whole earth will become virtuous if all nations help each other to achieve happiness”.

Fast-forward to 2020, we are witnessing a crisis of idealism, which is necessary to stimulate further the progress towards universal prosperity. We hear fewer ideas and initiatives for a better world and rapprochement between nations. Enthusiasm, the hands-on, pro-active approach in solving global problems is waning amid increasing isolationism.

Obviously, al-Farabi realized his idea’s utopian nature, but at the same time, declared the importance of striving for this. Centuries would pass after him for humanity to develop a functioning democracy, a system of separation of powers, to ensure universal equality and education. What for? To achieve universal happiness, al-Farabi believed.

And the “virtuous global world” means a high quality of international cooperation, where “nations help each other to achieve happiness”.

If it seems distant in the current situation, we must nevertheless never let go of the ideal. What appears to be a utopia today may become a reality tomorrow.

Adil Akhmetov is a member of the International Academy of Science of Higher School, Doctor, Professor of Philology. Former Senator. He served as Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to the UK and Norway in 2000-2002.