> What will it take to get Apple to stand up for the rights of the oppressed in China
Economically speaking, the standard of living for the average Chinese person has improved dramatically in recent decades, precisely because of foreign manufacturers locating operations there. Would you rather have the Chinese regime oppressing the people with their current level of wealth, or the same regime oppressing a people with 1% of their current wealth (e.g. North Korea)? Please note, I am in no way supporting the Chinese state or oppression of any kind. I'm merely saying that removing manufacturing from China would definitely have a negative impact on the people.
> They stand for rights and privacy only when it does not interfere with their revenue stream
Their "stand for rights and privacy" helps improve their revenue stream: it is marketing. Same story for any green initiatives, diversity initiatives, etc. It's all marketing to cast a positive corporate image with consumers.
Now for the flip side: if enough people raise a stink about Chinese manufacturing to the point that revenues begin to decline due to that fact, then the corporation will relocate its operations.