Uyghur leader back in Australia
ABC News, 7 October 2011
By Jeff Waters
MARK COLVIN: One of the world’s best known freedom activists has warned Australia that Malaysia has a record of sending refugees back to China.
Rebiya Kadeer is the exiled president of the World Uyghur Congress, and is herself a former Chinese political prisoner.
Last time she came to this country it resulted in protests from Chinese officials; this time she’s slipped in quietly for a human rights conference in Brisbane.
Rebiya Kadeer made a full-time job of fighting for the ethnic Uyghur population in north-western China.
She says the so-called Malaysia solution is that very risky because of that country’s track record with deporting her countrymen back to China.
Jeff Waters reports from Brisbane.
JEFF WATERS: When Uyghur leader, Rebiya Kadeer, last visited Australia in 2009 it caused a bit rift with China.
Beijing cancelled a visit by a vice minister of foreign affairs and issued complaints against this country granting a visa to a woman they regard as a dangerous separatist.
This time, few people seem to have noticed her arrival in Brisbane for a conference being held by Amnesty International, the organisation which helped free her from prison and then helped her set up a life in exile in Washington DC.
Ms Kadeer says she’s grateful to the Australian Government for its support in allowing her to visit again, but is expressing caution about the proposed asylum seeker deal with Malaysia. That’s because Malaysia recently deported a group of Uyghur asylum seekers back to China with little warning.
Rebiya Kadeer spoke to the ABC with the help of an interpreter.
REBIYA KADEER (translated): Of course recently the Malaysian government has deported at least 11 innocent Uyghurs, in violation of international law, to China. So I’m really worried with Malaysian government’s treatment of asylums seekers.
So from my point of view is, if the Australian Government genuinely trusts the Malaysian government, then maybe it is a good idea to have the deal. Otherwise, then it is very risky.
Once the Uyghurs were deported back to China they all disappeared for good. And in spite of international pressure on Malaysia, the Malaysian government still deport the Uyghurs back to China. So that is really worrying from our point of view and because of China’s ongoing, heavy-handed repression of the Uyghurs and the Uyghurs have no choice but to flee the country and seek asylum in other countries.
Among them is Australia is also one of the countries, and we are grateful for Australia helping in the Uighur refugees. But in light of Malaysia’s deportation, my advice is that Australia should really seriously think about whether Malaysia could be trusted. If Australia indeed believes Malaysia can be a partner in this, maybe, maybe Australia could go ahead with the agreement. Otherwise Australia should really seriously think about this.
JEFF WATERS: Rebiya Kadeer says nobody really knows what happened to the 11 Uyghurs who were returned home from Malaysia. But she says China is consistent in the way it treats such cases.
REBIYA KADEER (translated): I believe once the Uyghurs were deported back to China usually they were imprisoned and tortured to confess alleged crimes they had never committed. Then through sham trials they would be sentenced, some to life, some, in worst cases, even to death.
MARK COLVIN: An interpreter with the words of the World Uyghur Congress president, Rebiya Kadeer. Our reporter was Jeff Waters in Brisbane.