INTERVIEW Uyghur activist seeks talks with Beijing
By Catherine Makino
TOKYO - Following the bloody clashes in July in Urumqi, the capital of the
restive Xinjiang region in China, Uyghur activist Rebiya Kadeer found herself
in the midst of another controversy, having been accused by the Chinese
government of instigating the riots.
The violent incidents stemmed from an incident in June when a brawl broke out
between Uyghur and Han workers at a toy factory in Guangdong province in
southern China. The Han are China's majority ethnic group.
In 1953, the Uyghurs made up 75% of Xinjiang's population, but their population
has dwindled to 45% since Han Chinese began to
settle in the area. Urumqi is now 70% Han, resulting in a lot of resentment
among the Uyghurs, especially in the capital city.
Rebiya Kadeer, president of the Washington-based World Uyghur Congress (WUC),
denies having been behind the riots that left nearly 200 dead and more than
1,000 injured.
The WUC is a federation of exile groups claiming to represent the interests of
the Uyghurs inside and outside their homeland in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region
of northwest China, which is rich in mineral resources and of strategic
importance to Beijing.
The 11 million-strong Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim minority in China that
has allegedly been subject to systematic oppression by the Chinese government.
Kadeer, 62, spent six years in prison for criticizing the Chinese government's
policies in Xinjiang. She was freed in 2005 after pressure from the George W
Bush administration, and moved to Virginia in the United States.
Dubbed "the millionairess", Kadeer has been ranked China's 34th richest person
with a fortune of US$25 million. She built up and ran a multi-million dollar
trading company and a department store in Urumqi.
Until her falling out with Beijing, she was on China's top political body - the
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference - which represents people
who are not members of the ruling Communist Party.
Her third visit to Japan last week to speak at universities and before
non-profit groups coincided with the publication of her biography, Dragon
Fighter: One Woman's Epic Struggle for Peace, in Japanese.
Reporter Catherine Makino caught up with her on Friday in Tokyo.
Inter Press Service: What have you been able to accomplish for
your people?
Rebiya Kadeer: I brought optimism and encouragement to my nation.
My people are always worrying about China's ethnic policy. Many Uyghurs have
been killed, and they are anxious about being driven out from their lands. We
need one voice, and my voice is my nation's voice. I travel around world and
ask the international community to protect the Uyghurs. I explain our problems
to the world.
IPS: But how can your voice be heard when your people cannot
reach you by Internet or by phone?
RK: We can't contact them by international phone or [the]
Internet. In fact, more than 1,500 websites have been closed and their members
arrested. They hear my words through Radio Free Asia [which also interviewed
her in Tokyo]. Some people in Shanghai and Beijing hear my voice and then send
it inside Xinjiang.
IPS: What do you hope to achieve in the next few years for your
people?
RS: I want the release of 10,000 political prisoners from jail in
Xinjiang, and to stop the torture and random killing of the Uyghurs. I want
Chinese groups who are roaming the streets killing Uyghurs for no reason to
stop. I also want Uyghur women to be returned back to Xinjiang.
IPS: What do you mean when you say Uyghur women should be
returned?
RK: China moved more than 300,000 girls between the ages of 14
and 25 outside the Xinjiang province to work and assimilate into Chinese
society. Some were sent to factories while beautiful girls were sent to work in
hotels and bars. The Chinese government says it's for economic opportunities,
but it's not true.
The girls are miserable and crying. They don't have any freedom and have no
contact with their families. They are supported [by the government] if they
want to marry inside China. Maybe the riots of July 2009 happened because of
this policy.
IPS: Are more Han Chinese coming to Xinjiang?
RK: Yes, every day more and more Chinese migrants are coming to
live in Xinjiang. They are the ones who reap the economic benefits.
I believe there are 20 million people comprised of various ethnic groups living
in Xinjiang and 10 million Han Chinese, although the Chinese government denies
it. The Chinese government must change their ethnic policy. I hope they will
come on the table and talk with us. We want self-determination.
IPS: But the Chinese government alleges you have terrorist links
- the reason perhaps why Taiwan refused to give you a visa?
RK: It wasn't the Taiwanese people, it was some people in their
government with ties to the Chinese government - the Chinese told them I was a
terrorist. I never ever had any links to terrorism. I am against all terrorists
groups.
IPS: Why then are they claiming you are a terrorist?
RK: Because people are listening to my voice and I'm telling them
the reality about what's going on in my country. The Chinese government wants
to stop my voice. They can influence other countries by telling them I'm a
terrorist.
I am a Muslim, so it is easy for them to say I am a terrorist, and maybe some
people in other countries will believe it. They also say the Uyghurs are
terrorists. More than 10,000 are in jail accused of being terrorists.
IPS: Is that what happened to the author of the short story Wild
Pigeon? He was sentenced in 2005 to 10 years in jail for inciting
Uyghur separatism.
RK: Yes. Nurmuhemmet Yasin wrote about a young pigeon - the son
of a pigeon king trapped and caged by humans when he ventured far from home. In
the end, he committed suicide rather than sacrifice his freedom.
Yasin wrote about freedom, so the Chinese government put him in prison for
talking about it. They branded him a terrorist.
IPS: You used your wealth to provide for your fellow Uyghurs'
education, employment and training through various programs. You ran the 1,000
Families Mothers' Project that helped women start businesses. Now that you are
in exile, what is happening with these programs?
RK: The Chinese government completely destroyed and stopped my
programs. Our children can't study and our people can't get jobs.
I hope [United States] President [Barack] Obama will talk to China about the
Uyghur's problems.
IPS: Since you are living in the US now, are you worried about
being assassinated? You were surrounded by heavy security in Japan.
RK: Yes, I worry about my security and I don't feel safe. In
fact, when I was in America, I was involved in a car accident.
IPS: Are you saying the Chinese were responsible for the
accident?
RK: Maybe. The Chinese are always giving me trouble. I'm not an
enemy of the Chinese people or the government. I am only asking for the Chinese
government to give the Uyghurs a chance to live our lives in peace.
IPS: How do you feel about having lost your businesses and living
in exile?
RK: I am not sad and I don't regret anything. I am so happy that
I opened the international community to the Uyghur voice.
IPS: Having sacrificed a lot for your people, what else are you
willing to do for them?
RK: I hope to travel around the world to explain Uyghurs'
problems, so they will begin to support our issues. I hope the whole world
support our people's rights.
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