FILE - A man and a woman walk past the Rebiya Kadeer Trade Center, center, on Sept. 6, 2009, in Urumqi, in China's western Xinjiang region. The building, once once a vibrant hub for more than 800 mostly Uyghur-owned businesses, was recently demolished.

WASHINGTON — 

Unannounced, China recently demolished a center for Uyghur culture and commerce, erasing the legacy of a prominent Uyghur rights dissident and sparking outrage among Uyghur rights groups.

The long-vacant Rebiya Kadeer Trade Center, located in the capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, had been empty since 2009 but was once a vibrant hub for more than 800 mostly Uyghur-owned businesses.

Local business owners near the site reported being ordered by authorities to close their shops for two days at the end of last month.

“When we returned, the buildings were already gone,” said a former perfume shop owner from the trade center, who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. “We were not allowed near the area during the demolition.”

Uyghur activists see the destruction of the trade center as part of Beijing’s sustained effort to suppress Uyghur identity and heritage.

Mounting criticism

Since 2017, China has been facing mounting international condemnation for its actions in Xinjiang, including allegations of mass detentions, forced labor, and the systematic erasure of Uyghur cultural and religious landmarks.

The U.S. government and other international bodies have designated these actions as crimes against humanity and genocide.

China has consistently denied these accusations, framing its policies as necessary measures to combat terrorism, extremism and separatism.

“The measures carried out in Xinjiang have effectively curbed the rising and frequent occurrences of violent terrorist activities, safeguarded national unity and security to the greatest extent possible, and protected the fundamental rights of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, including their rights to life, health and development,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in June 2020.

However, critics argue that these justifications served as a facade for a campaign aimed at assimilating Uyghurs into a homogenized Chinese identity, effectively dismantling their distinct culture and historical presence.

Sealed off and shrouded in secrecy

Zumret Dawut, a U.S.-based Uyghur rights activist, was the first to confirm the demolition after speaking with sources in Urumqi. She posted the news on her social media account on November 30, revealing that Chinese authorities had secretly demolished the trade center building the day before.

“They told me the area was sealed off, and no one could take pictures or videos,” Dawut told VOA in a phone interview. “The Chinese government treated it as a state secret. Sharing any evidence could lead to persecution.”

The trade center once drew international attention, including a visit by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in 1995. The building’s owner, Rebiya Kadeer, recalled preparing a warm reception for Gates, who toured the center as part of efforts to foster U.S.-China business ties.

Kadeer sees the demolition as a calculated move to erase her legacy. “They want to wipe out every trace of my contributions,” she said in an interview with VOA. “But I will not be silenced. My fight for Uyghur justice continues.”

From entrepreneur to exile

The trade center’s destruction adds another chapter to the life of Kadeer, 78, a prominent Uyghur dissident now living in exile in northern Virginia in the United States. Once celebrated as the wealthiest woman in Xinjiang, Kadeer has become a lasting symbol of Uyghur resistance to Beijing’s policies.

Kadeer’s rise began during China’s economic reforms in the 1980s. Her business, Akida Industry and Trade Co., grew into a vast enterprise, spanning textiles, trade centers and factories. She built the Rebiya Kadeer Trade Center in 1991, and within four years it had housed up to 800 mostly Uyghur-owned businesses, making it a thriving cultural and economic hub.

“The building was more than just a business space — it was a gathering place for Uyghur intellectuals,” Kadeer told VOA.

Her entrepreneurial success earned her a seat on the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, where she was celebrated as an exemplary minority leader.

However, her growing advocacy for Uyghur rights, particularly her efforts to draw attention to the 1997 Ghulja massacre, or what China calls the Ghulja incident, marked the beginning of her fall from favor with Beijing.

On February 5, 1997, Chinese security forces brutally suppressed a peaceful demonstration in Ghulja, a city near Xinjiang's border with Kazakhstan. The protests were sparked by Uyghurs calling for cultural rights, religious freedom and an end to repressive policies.

Arrest, sentence

In 1999, Kadeer was arrested and accused of “illegally providing national intelligence to overseas organizations” after attempting to send evidence of China’s crackdown on peaceful protesters to visiting U.S. congressional staff in Urumqi.

Sentenced to eight years in prison, Kadeer said she endured harsh treatment.

“I witnessed young Uyghur prisoners being brutalized,” she recalled.

Released in 2005 through U.S. diplomatic efforts, Kadeer moved to the United States.

Upon arrival in the U.S., Kadeer became a leading voice for Uyghur rights, detailing her ordeal and advocating for her people. In 2006, she was elected president of the World Uyghur Congress, a position that put her at odds with Beijing.

She said in retaliation for her activism, China imprisoned two of her sons who were living in Urumqi on charges including tax evasion. Kadeer said the charges are all false and her sons are being used against her in an attempt to keep her quiet.

"They used my children to punish me," she said. "But I couldn’t abandon the fight."

Since her exile, Beijing has been telling a different story about Kadeer’s legacy. In 2009, Chinese authorities blamed her for inciting riots in Urumqi that killed nearly 200 people.

“I had no involvement in the violence,” Kadeer said.

The 2009 unrest marked the beginning of the end for Kadeer’s business empire. The businesses that rented space at the trade center were relocated to a nearby building, The trade center owned by Kadeer stayed vacant until last month’s demolition.

Relatives held

Since 2017, at least 20 of her relatives living in Xinjing — including children, grandchildren and siblings — have been detained. Her children and grandchildren were released in late 2019 and early 2020 after pressure from the U.S. and international rights groups, according to Kadeer.

“My sister died in a detention camp,” Kadeer said. “The Chinese government made propaganda videos of my children speaking out against me, but I know they were coerced.”

In one video on Chinese state media outlet Global Times, Kadeer’s grandchildren and son praised Beijing’s policies and denounced her. “Grandma, we are living well,” one granddaughter claimed. “Don’t be deceived by bad people abroad.”

Kadeer dismissed the videos as propaganda. “The truth is hidden behind the cameras,” she said, expressing her heartbreak over her family’s forced participation.

VOA sought comment from the Chinese Embassy in Washington, asking whether the demolition followed legal procedures, including notification and compensation. Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu did not respond.

Kadeer confirmed she was neither informed nor compensated. “They might claim my children consented, but they have no rights to the property. Only I do,” she said.