Rebiya Kadeer

Rebiya Kadeer was a very busy woman.

She ran many big businesses. She became very rich by trading goods. She also helped many people in her town. She gave money to help women and children.

Later, she had a hard time with her government. She was sent to prison for a while. Eventually, she moved to a new land. Now, she leads a group to help her people. She works hard to speak for them.

Rebiya Kadeer is a businesswoman and an activist. She was born in Xinjiang, China.

In the 1980s, she became very successful. She owned many large companies. She was one of the five richest people in China. She even had the nickname "the millionairess." Kadeer used her wealth to help others. She started a group to help Uyghur women. This group helped them start small businesses. She also helped children in need.

Later, Kadeer had a hard time with the government. She was arrested in 1999. The government said she shared secret reports. Kadeer spent time in prison. While she was in prison, she won a prize for human rights. In 2005, she was released to go to the United States.

Now, she leads groups that speak for the Uyghur people. She meets with world leaders to talk about her people. She works to make sure their voices are heard.

Rebiya Kadeer is a famous businesswoman and political activist. She was born on November 15, 1946, in Altay City, Xinjiang, China. Kadeer belongs to the Uyghur ethnic group.

She is known for her work in business and her fight for her people. Her life story shows how one person can move from being a local leader to a global figure. She has lived through many big changes in her home country.

Kadeer became very successful in business during the 1980s. She started with small tasks like making and selling clothes. Later, she opened a laundry service in 1976. She eventually ran a large trading company that worked in China, Russia, and Kazakhstan. Her business assets were worth more than 200 million yuan at their peak. This success made her one of the five richest people in China. People even gave her the nickname "the millionairess."

Kadeer used much of her money to help her community. She founded the Akida Industry and Trade Co. This company owned buildings like the Akida Trade Center in Ürümqi. She also started a charity called the 1,000 Mothers Movement. This group helped Uyghur women start their own small businesses. It also provided support for orphaned or poor Uyghur children. She even helped people after the 1997 Jiashi earthquakes destroyed many homes.

Her life changed when she faced trouble with the Chinese government. Kadeer held many official roles, but she was arrested in August 1999. The government accused her of passing secret reports to her husband. Her husband worked in the United States as a broadcaster. Kadeer was convicted in a court in Ürümqi in March 2000. While she was in prison, she won the Rafto Prize for human rights. She was eventually released in March 2005 for medical reasons.

After moving to the United States, Kadeer took on new leadership roles. She became the president of the World Uyghur Congress in 2006. She also led the Uyghur American Association. She has met with world leaders, including President George W. Bush, to discuss her work.

Her story is often told in films, such as the documentary "The 10 Conditions of Love." Today, she continues to speak for the rights and voices of the Uyghur people.

Rebiya Kadeer is an ethnic Uyghur businesswoman and political activist from China. She was born on November 15, 1946, in Altay City, Xinjiang. Kadeer rose from a life of poverty to become a powerful economic leader. Later, she became a global figure for Uyghur rights. Her life involves a complex journey through business, politics, and international conflict.

Kadeer's early life was shaped by family movement and economic hardship. Her ancestors moved across the Tianshan Mountains to reach Gulja. In 1962, she married Abdurehim Tohti to help support her family. During the Chinese cultural revolution, she faced significant pressure from the government. She was accused of conducting "secret business" while working as a housewife. This period forced her to find new ways to earn income for her six children.

Her career as an entrepreneur began with small, independent steps. In 1976, she opened a laundry service to build her wealth. She later remarried Sidik Haji Rouzi in 1981 and moved to Ürümqi. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, she expanded into cross-border trade. Her trading company operated across China, Russia, and Kazakhstan. At its peak, her assets were valued at over 200 million yuan. This success made her one of the five richest people in China. She earned the nickname "the millionairess" because of this massive wealth.

Kadeer used her business success to build community infrastructure and support people. She founded the Akida Industry and Trade Co. This company owned major properties like the Akida Trade Center and the Tuanjie Theatre. She also established the 1,000 Mothers Movement. This charity helped Uyghur women start local businesses and supported orphaned children. When the 1997 Jiashi earthquakes leveled 100 villages, she organized vital aid. Her work earned her positions in several official Chinese political institutions.

Her relationship with the Chinese government changed from cooperation to conflict. Kadeer served as a delegate to the National People's Congress and the Communist Party. However, her husband began working in the United States as a broadcaster. The government accused Kadeer of passing "neican," or internal reference reports, to him. These reports contained sensitive information regarding national security and police operations. In August 1999, she was arrested and later convicted of leaking state secrets. She served time in the Liudaowan prison in Ürümqi.

Kadeer's imprisonment drew significant attention from the international community. While in prison, she won the Rafto Prize for human rights. In March 2005, she was released on compassionate medical grounds. The United States government had pressured for her release. After arriving in Washington, D.C., she took on new leadership roles. She became the president of the World Uyghur Congress in 2006. She also served as president of the Uyghur American Association.

Her later years have been marked by intense political tension and family struggles. The Chinese government describes her as a separatist who colludes with extremists. In 2007, she met with President George W. Bush in Prague. The U.S. House of Representatives also passed a resolution regarding her family. Her sons, Alim and Ablikim, faced prison sentences and charges of secessionist activities. In 2009, the government claimed her organization planned riots in Xinjiang. Kadeer has consistently denied these allegations, stating her movement is peaceful.

Kadeer's life connects the worlds of global economics and human rights activism. Her story is documented in the film "The 10 Conditions of Love." This documentary explores her personal struggles and her political mission. Her experiences highlight the difficult intersection of ethnic identity and state power. She remains a central figure in the discussion of Uyghur rights worldwide.