Board

Mrs. Rebiya Kadeer is the President of both the International Uyghur Human Rights and Democracy Foundation and the World Uyghur Congress. Mrs. Kadeer has been fighting for the Uyghur human rights cause for her entire life, proclaimed by most Uyghurs to be the mother of the Uyghur people, and thus brings decades of knowledge and experience about the plight of the Uyghur people to the IUHRDF. She has been called upon to testify against Beijing’s brutal repression of the Uyghur people, and has committed herself to advocating for the freedom and human rights of her people. Originally from Altay, Mrs. Kadeer has lived in exile in the United States since her release from Chinese prison in March of 2005.

Dr. Sean Roberts is the Director of the International Development Studies Program and Associate Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at the Elliot School of International Affairs, the George Washington University. Dr. Roberts is a cultural anthropologist, and received his Ph.D in social anthropology from the University of Southern California, where he specialized, and continues to specialize, in the study of Uyghur communities in Central Asia. Dr. Roberts has published riveting articles and book chapters on Uyghur issues, and continues to probe this often overlooked area of the world. His unparalleled expertise on the Central Asian region, specifically the Uyghurs, makes him of paramount importance to the IUHRDF.   

Mrs. Suraya Ablimit is one of the founders of the IUHRDF. She was a close assistant to Mrs. Kadeer during 2005 and 2006, and she is also one of the Uyghur women’s community event coordinators, organizing events, UAA/IUHRDF social gatherings and the like. Her contributions to the Uyghur community and human rights movement are innumerable. Suraya graduated from Shanghai Normal University with a BA in history (focused on Chinese history) from Shanghai Normal University in 1990.  After completing her undergraduate coursework, she worked for a publishing house in Urumqi, East Turkestan (XUAR) as an editor. Suraya came to the United States in 1999. Since her arrival to the USA, she has actively participated in all Uyghur activities, and currently serves as a board member of the IUHRDF.

Dr. Kutluk Kadeer teaches English literature in the Department of Economics and Humanities, International University of Kagoshima, Japan. Mr. Kadeer has written and published extensively on Uyghur and English literature and culture. Mr. Kutluk is involved in Uyghur activities in Japan, and closely assists Mrs. Kadeer with her human rights advocacy in Japan. In the capacity of a board member, Mr. Kadeer hopes to continue to contribute to the Uyghur human rights movement both within and outside of Japan.