Exiled Uighur leader returning to Australia
Originally published by ABC News Mar 17 2011
Rebiya Kadeer is due to speak at a forum at Parliament House in Canberra. (User submitted: James Fehon)
The Department of Foreign Affairs says China has not asked Australia to block a visit by the exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer next week.
Ms Kadeer is due to speak at a forum at Parliament House in Canberra and hold a workshop at Parliament House in New South Wales.
China says Ms Kadeer is a terrorist and asked the Federal Government not to allow her into the country in 2009 for the screening of a documentary about her, The 10 Conditions Of Love.
But it has made no representations about this trip so far, and Labor backbencher Michael Danby, who is hosting the forum, says he welcomes the visit.
“She’ll be hear to talk about the continuation of Uighur culture under the current circumstances where China has a fairly hardline attitude towards political dissent and human rights,” he said.
“Australia’s a free country. The Foreign Minister gave her a visa last time. Her visit was entirely peaceful.
“She got a great deal of publicity thanks to her opponents in the Chinese government when they tried to stop the showing of The 10 Conditions Of Love, but I imagine she’ll get a visa for a seminar at the NSW Parliament on Monday.”