Faulty Transmission
For years, the Myanmar military has relied on back-alley trade with global entities to support its brutally violent campaign of terror against its own population — including business with notorious Chinese truck manufacturer Sinotruk and, through it, German Volkswagen subsidiary Traton SE.
Faulty Transmission is a joint investigation by C4ADS and Justice for Myanmar, and is also available on their website here.
Executive Summary #
The Myanmar military junta’s continued campaign of repression and violence against the people of Myanmar is reliant on a fleet of military trucks that transport troops and weapons across the country. There is substantial evidence that the military obtains and assembles these trucks through the support of the Chinese state-owned company Sinotruk, which, in turn, benefits from the investment and collaboration of the German company Traton SE. Sinotruk claims to have never conducted business with the Myanmar military junta or sold trucks to the military. However, recent reporting and publicly available information indicate that Sinotruk’s vehicles are widely used during military operations and that the company has directly engaged with the Myanmar military through sales and manufacturing support. If so, Sinotruk should immediately cease business with the Myanmar military. Not doing so exposes the company to the risk of liability for aiding and abetting the junta’s war crimes and crimes against humanity. Traton should ensure that Sinotruk ends any and all business with the Myanmar military junta or divests from the company in accordance with its international human rights responsibilities.
