Allison Addicott

Launching again into a vibrant  discussion of globalization and its worldwide waves, here we can simply outline  the long and important story of Rebiya Kadeer.  Anyone with an interest in the  freedom of religion,  issues of autonomy and self-determination will find Kadeer a compelling  figure.  Along with such charismatic leaders as  Aung San Suu Kyi, in Burma, and the Dalai Lama, in July of this year Kadeer rose to a higher level of notoriety on the international stage.  During July, her story and that of the Uighur people appeared in numerous places. One of the most recent was an interview in Foreign Policy (July 2009 by Anne Lowery).

Rebiya Kadeer by flickr user European Parliament

During the month of July riots exploded in the western part of China (Urumqi) between the majority population (Han Chinese) and the Uighur (wee-gur) minority. The level of violence and the number of deaths remains a highly disputed figure. Both Chinese officials and representatives of Uighurs abroad indicate that many hundreds of people either lost their lives or were wounded in the clashes.

How does Kadeer fit into the current discussion about religious freedom and human rights? In this case, Kadeer is considered to be an international leader, as the President of the World Uighur Congress, with its most central concern as that of Xinjiang, a Western region of China. Uighurs are a both an ethnic and religious Muslim minority, and they seek freedom of speech, religion, and autonomy under the current rule of Beijing.

Formerly a highly successful business woman in the Xinjiang region of China, Kadeer spent more than 5 years jailed in China. Many in the US, including Congress, called for her release. Kadeer was granted her freedom in 2005 as a result of the international attention given her imprisonment.  She now lives in exile on the East Coast. Still, many in the West remain unfamiliar with Kadeer. In her self-penned piece that appeared in the July 8th, 2009 issue of  The Wall Street Journal, Kadeer explicitly spoke out to U.S. authorities,  “The US has a key role to play in this process. It has always spoken out on behalf of the oppressed; this is why it has been a leader in presenting the Uighur case to the Chinese government. At this critical juncture, the US must condemn the violence in Urumqi and establish a consulate in Urumqi. A consulate can act as a beacon of freedom in an environment of fierce repression and monitor the daily human rights abuses perpetrated against the Uighhurs.”

Kadeer is also the subject of a documentary, Ten Conditions of Love by Australian filmmaker Jeff Daniels. She has also written an autobiography.

We encourage all readers to be well informed and to draw his or her conclusions based upon personal research. Many resources are available for further information about Rebiya Kadeer.  Wikipedia offers an extensive bibliography. For purposes of balance we provide a link to one China-based report from that week in July.