After Canberra failed to consider Beijing's objections over an exiled Uighur leader's visit to Melbourne, Chinese foreign ministry summons Australia's ambassador.
- China says it strongly opposes the visit by the US-based Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer. Chinese authorities blame Kadeer for instigating the recent unrest in Xinjiang which left about 200 people dead.
- The 62-year old activist is scheduled to attend an international film festival in Melbourne on August 8 during which a documentary about her life will be screened.
- Beijing has repeatedly called on the Australian government to deny Kadeer a visa, accusing her of "colluding with terrorists". Australia's foreign ministry, however, says there was no evidence proving that she's a terrorist and that " she has been granted a visa in accordance with Australia's usual immigration procedures."
- Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun told Ambassador Geoff Raby that Australia must not allow Kadeer --leader of the World Uighur Congress-- to engage in any anti-Chinese separatist activities during her visit.
- All the seven Chinese-language films have withdrawn from the festival in protest at the screening of a documentary about Kadeer entitle Ten Conditions of Love by Australian documentary-maker Jeff Daniels.
- During her visit to Japan last week, Kadeer claimed that over 10,000 Uighur protesters had disappeared after the riots, and called for an international investigation.
- Beijing has denied the allegations, saying unrest left 197 people dead, most of them Han Chinese killed by Uighur mobs.
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