Dharamsala, September 26 – Taiwans’ Kuomintang government has decided not to allow exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer to visit the island in December.
The government said Kadeer’s visit would harm Taiwan’s national interests, citing terrorist links. “We have found out that Rebiya’s World Uyghur Congress is related to terrorist groups,” Interior Minister Jiang Yi-huah said in parliament. “Since the government doesn’t want the hint of a terrorist group to visit Taiwan … we decided to ban her visit.”
China has accused Ms. Kadeer of masterminding the Xinjiang riots in July but Ms. Kadeer has denied the allegations.
The relation between Beijing and Taipei had improved since Ma Ying –jeou became the President of the island. However, Taiwan recently allowed a visit by the Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama to pray for Typhoon Morakot victims irking China.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama recently expressed his support for Kadeer on the sidelines of the Asian human rights conference in Prague. “I’m very much impressed. Unlike some other local people… she (acted) totally, strictly non-violently,” His Holiness the Dalai Lama said. “And second, unlike some other local people who want independence, she fully agreed with my stand – she also prefers a meaningful autonomy, not separation,” 74 year old Tibetan the Dalai Lama added.
Ms. Kadeer was invited by Freddy Lim, lead vocalist for the Taiwanese black metal band Chthonic and founder of the pro-independence organization Guts United, Taiwan. Dr. Chen Wen-cheng Memorial Foundation, the Taiwan Association for Human Rights and the Taiwan Youth Anti-Communist Corps also joined in extending invitation to the Uighur leader.
