Aussie Uighurs rally for exiled leader

7 Aug 2009, 11:28 am   -   Source: AAP
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About 100 members of Australia's Uighur community have gathered outside the Chinese consulate in Melbourne to show support for exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer.

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About 100 members of Australia's Uighur community have gathered outside the Chinese consulate in Melbourne to show support for exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer.

Kadeer arrived in Australia from Washington this week amid controversy over the screening of a film about her life, called The Ten Conditions of Love, by Australian filmmaker Jeff Daniels.

The protesters gathered outside the consulate in the inner city suburb of Toorak, chanting "We want justice, we want freedom".

Around 30 police, some on horseback, attended the peaceful protest.

The Chinese consulate last month asked the organisers of the Melbourne International Film Festival to dump the film, a request which festival organisers declined.

The film is expected to screen before an audience of 1300 at the Melbourne Town Hall on Saturday.

Beijing has blamed Kadeer for inciting last month's riots in Urumqi, western China.

China says 197 people were killed in the ethnic riots as Han Chinese clashed with Uighurs. Kadeer says hundreds more have vanished and are possibly dead.

No member of Australian government has met with Kadeer during her stay in Australia.

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