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A dull show by Rebiya Kadeer in film festival

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-08-10 11:04

MELBOURNE: On Saturday, 34 days after the July 5 riot in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region that claimed 197 lives, a controversial documentary depicting Rebiya Kadeer, a notorious Chinese separatist, was screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

Kadeer, 62, was among the several hundred viewers at Melbourne Town Hall to watch the 53-minute "The 10 Conditions of Love."

Related readings:  Chinese films quit Melbourne festival over Kadeer film  Family's open letter to Rebiya  Solemn representation lodgeed over Rebiya's visit to Japan  Rebiya's Japan visit will dent ties: Ambassador  Piercing through Rebiya's veil  Rebiya not entitled to represent Uygur people: former Xinjiang chief

The host at the screening had apparently expected praises and applauds at the end of the showing, but Kadeer appeared on the stage only to find that many in the audience had started to leave.

Allen and Dana, a couple who left the hall skipping the question-and-answer session, told Xinhua that they were not at all interested in what Kadeer would say after the screening.

They said they believed that Kadeer and her supporters intended to use the occasion to promote their views and influence.

Expressing deep disappointment, a university professor who identified herself as Catherine told Xinhua that the film was full of prejudices.

She said she had lived in China for two years and had been to Xinjiang, which enabled her to witness the great changes which have taken place in China and the huge progress in Xinjiang brought about by the Chinese government's preferential policies toward ethnic minorities there.

Rebiya Kadeer, with an education background of only elementary school, could not have been able to achieve her business success if she had not benefited from those policies, Catherine said.

Kadeer started from a small business in the 1980s and worked her way to the richest woman in Xinjiang. She had also been a delegate to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference,

China's top political consultative body, before she was found leaking state secrets to overseas separatists.

Kadeer was given a lot of honor by the government, but the ungrateful woman in the end turned against the government, Catherine said, adding that it put a question mark on her integrity and credibility.

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