Interview: Rebiya Kadeer

In the month since protests in China’s west turned deadly, the Chinese government has pointed a finger at one woman as an instigator of racial discord. Rebiya Kadeer, a 60-year-old mother of 11 who lives in the United States, planned and organized racial dissent among China’s Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang, they charge. China has protested Kadeer’s recent visit to Japan and the showing of a documentary about her at an Australian film festival.

The tactic is similar to that used against the Dalai Lama last year after Tibet erupted — criticizing countries that accepted visits from him and attacking him personally as a dangerous outside force intent on harming China.

But Kadeer does not have the same high-level global profile as the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. It’s unclear whether the move against her will take hold, either in or outside of China.

In a recent email interview, GlobalPost asked Kadeer about the situation, the Chinese response to Xinjiang, and the appropriateness of the American response.

GlobalPost: Beijing has accused you and your organization of being the "outside forces" that organized the protests in Xinjiang. How do you respond?

Rebyia Kadeer: The Chinese government accusations are absolutely false. Neither I nor the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) had any part in the protests. The Chinese government always accuses me for anything that happens in East Turkestan just like it always accuses His Holiness the Dalai Lama for anything that happens in Tibet. The Chinese government should stop blaming His Holiness and me for the problems its 60-year long repressive policies have created. Outsiders had no influence in the protest on July 5th. It was a reaction to the Chinese government’s inaction in punishing those Chinese who were responsible in wounding and killing innocent Uyghur workers at the Shauguan toy factory.

How do you feel about being targeted for what has happened in Xinjiang and the aftermath?

In fact, I am not surprised for being targeted probably because I have been targeted for so long. The Chinese government always finds a scapegoat to blame and divert the attention of the Chinese people from its own political failure. I think it is a shame. Demonizing His Holiness or me in China and before the international community is not going to resolve China’s fundamental problems in Tibet or East Turkestan.

What should China do to prevent further outbreaks of violence among ethnically diverse people?

China has never done any educations programs or discussions to promote knowledge or awareness between different ethnic groups. If China has done it, we would not have seen the Chinese mob attack and killing of Uighur workers at Shauguan toy factory and the ensuing protest in Urumchi a week later. In order to prevent further outbreaks of violence, the Chinese government should tone down Chinese nationalism, stop inflaming and manipulating Chinese people’s sentiments to target a particular ethnic group as it did after the July 5th protests, and start educating the Chinese people to respect other groups’ culture, language, religion, traditions, and way of life. Furthermore, the Chinese government should stop demonizing Uighurs, Tibetans and others, calling them "barbaric, violent, backward, superstitious, dirty, lazy, ungrateful, separatist and terrorist." Such education and change of policy on the part of the Chinese government will facilitate an atmosphere of reconciliation.

Do you believe the situation for Uighur people in China will improve or worsen following these incidents?

It has already worsened to an unbearable point. For many Uighurs, East Turkestan is like a big prison. It is a police state for them. The region has already been flooded by the Chinese security forces. An additional 130,000 will be deployed before October 1st, China’s national day. Now it is like a war zone.

How do you assess President Obama’s response to the Xinjiang protests? 

It would have been great if President Obama issued a stronger statement and demanded the Chinese government respect the fundamental human rights of the Uighur people. But I am pleased that President Obama asked the Chinese government to respect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities in his speech this week in the beginning of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. I certainly want to see more from the U.S. government as China takes the U.S. position on Uighurs, or any issues, more seriously.

More on China’s Uighurs:

Life on Planet Uighur

Uighur workers held behind locked gates

Confused about the Xinjiang riots? Follow the money.

Irreconcilable forces in China