Uighur Activist Calls for Probe on Unrest in China
Uighur activist calls for UN probe into unrest in China; 100 protest in
Melbourne
MELBOURNE, Australia August 7, 2009 (AP)
The Associated Press
Uighur activist called Friday for a U.N. investigation of recent violence
in western China, as 100 people demonstrated outside the Chinese consulate in
Melbourne.
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Police watch over members of the
Uighur community in Melbourne, Australia, as they
Police watch over members of the Uighur community in Melbourne,
Australia, as they cheer their support for Uighur activist
Rebiya Kadeer outside the Chinese consulate Friday, Aug. 7,
2009. About 100 flag-waving protesters gathered at the consulate
to demand an independent investigation into last month's
violence in western
Rebiya Kadeer told protesters waving the light blue flags of the
World Uyghur Congress that Beijing had blamed her for inciting
the violence in Xinjiang province in order to cover up "their
heinous crime."
China says July clashes between minority Muslim Uighurs and
members of the dominant Han Chinese group left 197 people dead
and more than 1,700 injured. The 62-year-old exiled activist
said many more died, including at the hands of government
forces, but has provided no proof for her claims.
"We'd like to call on the international community, the United
Nations and also the Australian government, to call on the
Chinese government to reveal the truth of the people who were
killed, wounded, injured, imprisoned and those who died in
Chinese government custody," Kadeer said in her native Uighur
language to the crowd.
"There should be an immediate independent investigation of what
transpired on July the 5th," she said.
The violence broke out after police stopped an initially
peaceful protest by Uighur youths. Uighurs then smashed windows,
burned cars and attacked Han Chinese. Two days later, the Han
took to the streets in retaliation.
The rioting in Xinjiang province's capital of Urumqi was the
worst ethnic violence in China in decades.
Kadeer's visit to Australia is the source of some controversy,
as China had requested that Australia deny her a visa and had
asked the festival to drop her movie from the program. "The 10
Conditions of Love," by Australian filmmaker Jeff Daniels, will
be screened on Saturday.
Seven Chinese-language films were withdrawn from the festival in
protest.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Chinese authorities had
urged Australia to deny Kadeer a visa but the government decided
not to interfere with the approval process.
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