Thirteen years ago, an exiled Uyghur human rights activist named Rebiya Kadeer applied to my government for a visa to visit Australia and speak at the Melbourne Film Festival on the Chinese government’s treatment of her fellow citizens in their homeland of Xinjiang.
- Kevin Rudd
- Τne New Daily
It had all the makings of a political spectacle. The Chinese government demanded we refuse Kadeer, labelling her a terrorist.
Activists and event organisers steadfastly supported Kadeer’s right to speak.
The Liberal Party sided with Beijing, demanding we stop the visit to avoid “offending China”.
Our position was clear:
Australia was governed…