Peace Prize and Human Rights

Now that Al Gore has received the Nobel Peace Prize, he is likely relegated to obscurity as the “curse of the Nobel Peace Prize” takes its toll. Hopefully, there is an inverse property of the curse that elevates the runner-ups to renown. With that in mind, it seems appropriate to highlight one of those also-rans, a courageous human rights activist.

ABC News, last week, identified Rebiya Kadeer as a known nominee for the Peace Prize. “Kadeer has gained recognition for fighting for the rights of the Uighur Muslim minority” in China. She sacrificed a comfortable life as a successful entrepreneur to speak up for the rights of her people.

The Uighur are a Turkic Muslim ethnic group living in western China in an area once part of the sovereign nation of Turkestan. The Uighur have experience much discrimination and loss of human rights under the Chinese government. “Considering them a separatist group, Beijing has used a variety of means to crush any sign of restiveness among Uighurs.” There have been several waves of Uighur refugees leaving China for other countries through out modern times. The Uighur Diaspora has generated communities of Uighur people in other countries including Turkey, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan.

The refugees are not safe, even outside of the Chines territories. Using international anti-terrorism laws, China has successfully extradited Uighurs from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan. Many times those Uighurs captured and returned to China face executions. Ismail Semed captured in Pakistan and accused of being a member of a terrorist group was handed over to China. He was executed in February of this year. International human rights groups say that “the case was marred by a lack of evidence”.

A Uighur seeking asylum in Kazakhstan described being beaten by police just walking in the marketplace. He claimed that although China calls them terrorists, the only evidence is that they are Uighur. According to Sharon Hom, Executive Director of Human Rights in China, the treatment of the Uighurs is based in religious persecution. “Religious regulation in Xinjiang is so pervasive that (the authorities) can catch just about anyone."

In this volatile environment, Rebiya Kadeer dared to ask for justice and human rights. For her role in exposing the rights abuse, Kadeer spent five and a half years in prison. She was arrested on her way to speak to a delegation of US Congressional staff members who were visiting China. Released on March 17, 2005 through negotiations between the American and Chinese governments, she was warned as she left prison not to associate with other Uighurs and not to discuss their plight. She bravely ignored these warnings. Her family in China have been regularly harassed and arrested.

Kadeer still carries on with her cause. As president of the Uyghur American Association, she is based in Washington, DC. However, she gives speeches wherever she is invited, as she did in Edinburgh, Scotland earlier this month, to encourage solidarity with the Uighur people.

There are those who think that the Peace Prize should be awarded as originally intended. There are those who believe that someone who risks his/her life should receive the award.

...And then there are those who think someone like Rebiya Kadeer should be held up as an example for future generations whether she receives a meaningless award or not.

Published by East West Services, Inc.
WorldTribune.com
Geostrategy-Direct.com
East-Asia-Intel.com