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Case of Rebiya Kadeer from East Turkestan : answer
given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission
(E-2067/02EN) (2 August 2002)
The EU has raised the case of Rebiya Kader in the
context of the human rights dialogue with China and
has been informed about her sentencing and
imprisonment. Unfortunately, the Chinese authorities
have not given any information concerning her present
situation. The Commission will continue to raise this
case at every opportunity.
The Commission also emphasises the need for China to
respect cultural and linguistic rights, religious
freedoms and the protection of minorities throughout
China.
The Commission has no co-operation programmes in
Xingjiang.
Written question E-2067/02 by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to
the Commission (3 July 2002)
Subject: Case of Rebiya Kadeer from East Turkestan
Rebiya Kadeer, a businesswoman, is one of the most
prominent members of the Uighur people in the occupied
region of East Turkestan (Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous
Region). She has made significant contributions to
securing women's rights in China and founded the "Thousand
Mothers Movement" to promote employment for Uighur
women. The Chinese government itself has recognised
her contributions by appointing her to its delegation
for the 1995 United Nations World Conference on Women
in Beijing.
Two years after the Beijing Conference, however,
officials confiscated her passport. Police harassment
followed, placing further restrictions on her
movements. The Chinese authorities were attempting to
silence her husband, an outspoken critic of the
government living abroad, by intimidating her.
In August 1999, while she had an appointment to
discuss Human Rights issues with delegates from the US
Congressional Research Service, Chinese authorities
arrested her and took her to a local prison notorious
for torture. In September 1999, the government charged
Rebiya Kadeer with "providing secret information to
foreigners", although the "secrets" turned out to be
publicly available in local newspapers in her
possession. Following a trial held in secret, a
Chinese court sentenced her to eight years'
imprisonment. Her secretary, arrested shortly after
she was taken into custody, received a three-year term
of "re-education through labour" for his association
with her. He was reportedly beaten in custody and is
now in poor health.
What information can the Commission provide about the
situation of Mrs Kadeer and her secretary? What kind
of initiatives has the Commission undertaken or will
it undertake to obtain from the Chinese authorities
the immediate and unconditional release of these
prisoners of conscience, the respect of the
fundamental rights and freedoms of the People of East
Turkestan and the opening of negotiations between the
Chinese government and representatives of the Uighur
people, including the East Turkestan (Uyghuristan)
National Congress (ETNC), a democratic umbrella
organisation which seeks peaceful political solution
to the problem in view of a political and equitable
solution of the issue of occupied East Turkestan ?
Furthermore can the Commission assure the European
Parliament that no programme financed by the EU in the
occupied East Turkestan is used by Beijing to increase
or implement the policy of colonisation, repression,
destruction and apartheid imposed against the Uighur
people by the Chinese authorities since their invasion
and occupation of Turkestan in 1949?
Olivier Dupuis
Member of the European Parliament
http://www.radicalparty.org/
tel. +32 2 284 7198
fax +32 2 284 9198
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