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Rebiya Kadeer

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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.

Bush Wei Jingsheng
Bush Wei Jingsheng

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.

Bush Wei Jingsheng
Bush Wei Jingsheng

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.

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