Washington, Jan 27 – The United States will press Beijing to free jailed Uyghur businesswoman Rebiya Kadeer, a U.S. senior official said Jan. 26 at a ceremony at Capitol Hill in which Kadeer was honored in absentia with Norway?s Rafto Prize for Human Rights. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Randall Schriver said that Washington?s concerns over Kadeer, 58 and a prominent member of China?s Uighur ethnic group in the largely Muslim Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, would be raised with the Chinese government. (02-FEB-2005)
Schriver said Kadeer?s case and other human rights questions would remain on the U.S.-China agenda because “the human face is important” in relations between the two powers.
T. Kumar, Amnesty International?s Washington-based advocacy director for Asia and Pacific, said President George W. Bush should give top priority to Kadeer?s case because she was arrested while on her way to meet with a US Congressional staff delegation in August 1999.
“President Bush and newly appointed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice owe this to her and should treat this as their main case with the People´s Republic of China,” he said.
Kadeer was charged a month after her arrest with “providing secret information to foreigners” and ordered jailed for eight years after a secret trial. Kadeer must serve another one and a half years of her jail term.
Frank Wolf, co-chairman of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, asked the US envoy in Beijing to visit Kadeer, a prisoner of conscience, who reportedly is suffering from heart and gall bladder ailments.
“She is like the mother and the voice of the oppressed Uyghurs,” said Nury Turkel, president of the Uyghur American Association.
Through this award, the Rafto Foundation directs a strong appeal to the Chinese government to respect and protect the civil, economic and cultural rights of the Uyghurs as well as other minorities in the People´s Republic of China. The Rafto Foundation is concerned about Ms. Kadeer?s health and urges her immediate and unconditional release.
Sidik Rouzi, Kadeer?s husband and a former prisoner in the People´s Republic of China, and their daughter, Akida Rouzi, accepted the Rafto Prize on her behalf. The prize is named after Norwegian human rights advocate professor Thorolf Rafto.
The Thorolf Rafto Foundation for Human Rights, the Uyghur American Association and, the National Endowment for Democracy in conjunction with the Congressional Human Rights Caucus organized the award ceremony and reception in honor of 2004 Rafto Memorial Prize laureate Ms. Rebiya.
