Photo: Panel_-_Guaranteeing_the_Rights_of_Minority_Women.jpg: United States Mission Geneva derivative work: FishInWater (talk) / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Rebiya Kadeer is a human rights defender, merchant and politician, born on November 15, 1947 in Altay City, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, People's Republic of China. Rebiya Kadeer is 78 years old as of 2026. Listed accolades include Rafto Prize (2004).
My Take
Rebiya Kadeer is a figure I find hard not to admire. She built a fortune from nothing in 1980s Xinjiang, becoming one of the wealthiest women in China through real estate and a sprawling conglomerate, and then spent that standing advocating for the Uyghur people rather than retreating into comfort. That choice cost her dearly, and her 2004 Rafto Prize recognizes a courage that goes far beyond business acumen. What moves me most is the arc itself: someone who could have stayed quiet and rich instead became a voice for a marginalized community. Whatever one's politics, that kind of personal sacrifice for a cause demands a serious second look.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Rebiya Kadeer
- Name (Japanese)
- ラビア・カーディル
- Reading
- らびあ・かーでぃる
- Born
- November 15, 1947 (age 78)
- Origin
- Altay City, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, People's Republic of China
- Occupation
- human rights defender / merchant / politician
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Boar
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 2004 Rafto Prize
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Rebiya Kadeer born?
Rebiya Kadeer was born on November 15, 1947 and is 78 years old.
Where is Rebiya Kadeer from?
Rebiya Kadeer is from Altay City, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, People's Republic of China.
What does Rebiya Kadeer do?
Rebiya Kadeer works as human rights defender, merchant, politician.
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