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Australia media brushes off China Uighur 'plight similar to Tibet'
(about 5 hours later)
The Chinese government has tried to pressure Australia's National Press Club in Canberra to cancel an address by the Uighur leader, Rebiya Kadeer. An exiled leader of China's Uighur ethnic minority, Rebiya Kadeer, has given a speech in Australia despite pressure from Chinese diplomats not to.
But the event, to be carried live on national TV, will go ahead as planned. Speaking at Australia's National Press Club in Canberra, she compared the plight of her people to the Tibetans.
China views Ms Kadeer as a terrorist, and has tried to stop other appearances during her trip to Australia. China says that Mrs Kadeer was behind ethnic unrest in July in Xinjiang region, home to the Uighur minority, in which at least 197 people died.
It is a sensitive time in Australian-China relations, after China's arrest of an Australian Rio Tinto executive on suspicion of corporate espionage. She denies being involved in the worst ethnic unrest in China for decades.
Diplomats from the Chinese embassy in Canberra tried to exert pressure on the National Press Club to cancel Tuesday's speech from the Uighur leader, Ms Kadeer, which, like most of the addresses at the club, will be broadcast live on national television. "The situation of Uighur people is very similar to the situation of the Tibetans," she said.
"We suffer the same suffering, under the same government, and it has been a long while that the Uighur people have not been able to raise our voice in the world as much as our Tibetan brothers did."
Controversial visit
It is a sensitive time in Australian-China relations, says the BBC's Nick Bryant in Sydney, after China's arrest of an Australian Rio Tinto executive on suspicion of corporate espionage.
Diplomats from the Chinese embassy in Canberra tried to exert pressure on the National Press Club to cancel Tuesday's speech from Ms Kadeer, which, like most of the addresses at the club, was broadcast live on national television.
"You must withdraw the invitation," an official reportedly told the club."You must withdraw the invitation," an official reportedly told the club.
Hundreds of people are still detained in Xinjiang
The official then warned that it would be "regrettable" if relations between China and Australia were harmed by her appearance.The official then warned that it would be "regrettable" if relations between China and Australia were harmed by her appearance.
If the speech did go ahead, then it should not be broadcast on national television, the official was reported as saying.If the speech did go ahead, then it should not be broadcast on national television, the official was reported as saying.
The National Press Club made it clear that it would give a platform to Ms Kadeer, the president of the World Uighur Congress, a group which the Chinese government views as a terrorist organisation. Her visit to Australia has been dogged by controversy. Chinese officials earlier demanded the withdrawal of a documentary about her life which was screened at the Melbourne Film Festival.
Her visit to Australia has been dogged by controversy.
Hundreds of people are still detained in Xinjiang
Chinese officials demanded the withdrawal of a documentary about her life which was screened at the Melbourne Film Festival.
When organisers refused, the festival's website came under cyber-attack from hackers in China who replaced film information with the Chinese flag and anti-Kadeer slogans.When organisers refused, the festival's website came under cyber-attack from hackers in China who replaced film information with the Chinese flag and anti-Kadeer slogans.
Rebiya Kadeer said of the latest controversy that China could not impose its authoritarian will on the whole world.Rebiya Kadeer said of the latest controversy that China could not impose its authoritarian will on the whole world.
She said that Australia was a democratic country and not a province of China.She said that Australia was a democratic country and not a province of China.