Uighur activist calls for UN probe into unrest in China; 100 protest in Melbourne

Uighur activist calls for probe on unrest in China

MELBOURNE, Australia — A 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.

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Seven Chinese-language films were withdrawn from the festival in protest.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.

“I’ve made the point myself to Chinese authorities that just because we allow someone to come to Australia to visit doesn’t mean that we agree necessarily with any or all of the views that that person articulates,” he told reporters.

He said Australia “respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of China over the western provinces.”