Assets worth over 200 million yuan positioned Rebiya Kadeer as one of the five wealthiest individuals in China during the 1990s. Before transitioning into an international human rights defender, she operated a vast multinational conglomerate from her base in Xinjiang, managing properties ranging from trade centers to theaters while maintaining deep ties to the nation's political elite.
Early Ventures and Economic Rise
Born in Altay City in 1947, Kadeer faced significant economic constraints throughout her early adulthood. Following a divorce, she launched a laundry service in 1976. By the 1980s, her business acumen flourished through cross-border trade spanning China, Russia, and Kazakhstan. She established the Akida Industry and Trade Company, which secured control over prime real estate in Ürümqi. During this period, she founded the 1,000 Mothers Movement, a philanthropic initiative designed to support underprivileged women and orphans within the Uyghur community.
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Kadeer initially operated within the structures of the Chinese state, securing appointments to the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. She served as vice chairwoman for the Xinjiang Autonomous Region Federation of Industry and Commerce. In 1995, she represented her country at the UN Fourth World Conference for Women in Beijing, actively participating in governance and internal policy discussions until her political standing deteriorated.
Criminal Charges and Detention
In 1999, authorities arrested Kadeer while she traveled to meet with a delegation from the US Congressional Research Service. The government accused her of violating article 111 of the criminal code by leaking state secrets, specifically alleging she provided internal reference reports to her husband, an activist in the United States. Following a trial at the Ürümqi Intermediate People's Court in 2000, she received a prison sentence. During her time in Liudaowan prison, she was awarded the 2004 Rafto Prize.
Exile and International Activism
The United States government secured her release on medical grounds in March 2005, coinciding with a visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Upon her release, Kadeer relocated to Washington, D.C., to reunite with her family. Since arriving in the United States, she has assumed leadership roles within international Uyghur advocacy organizations, most notably the World Uyghur Congress, focusing on human rights and political representation for her people.
Fast facts
- Born: 1947, Altay City
- Religion: Islam
- Languages: Mandarin, Uyghur
- Key Award: Rafto Prize (2004)
- Former Business: Akida Industry and Trade Co
- Citizenship: People's Republic of China
- Political Body: National People's Congress
Questions readers ask
What led to Rebiya Kadeer's arrest in 1999?
She was charged with leaking state secrets by sending internal reference documents to her husband, who was a broadcaster based in the United States.
When did Kadeer move to the United States?
She arrived in the United States on 17 March 2005 following her release from prison on medical grounds.