Rahile Dawut (Chinese: 热依拉·达吾提; pinyin: Rèyīlā Dáwútí; Uyghur: راھىلە داۋۇت; b. 1966) was a professor at Xinjiang University in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is internationally recognized as an expert in Uyghur

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

and traditions. She has received awards and grants from China’s Ministry of Culture, and is the founder of a folklore institute. She is suspected of being held by state authorities at an undisclosed location. She was

disappeared An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person by a state or political organization, or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organiza ...

by the Chinese government in 2017 and has not been seen since.

Early life and career

She has been a member of the

Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victoriou ...

for more than 30 years. She taught at

Xinjiang University Xinjiang University (XJU) ( ug, شىنجاڭ ئۇنىۋېرستېتى, ; zh , s = 新疆大学 , p = Xīnjiāng Dàxué ) is one of the major universities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China and is a national ke ...

prior to her detention. At Xinjiang University she founded the Minorities Folklore Research Center and served as its director. She has published a number of significant articles and books.

Disappearance

In December 2017, Professor Rahile reportedly told a relative of her plans to travel from

Ürümqi Ürümqi ( ; also spelled Ürümchi or without umlauts), formerly known as Dihua (also spelled Tihwa), is the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the far northwest of the People's Republic of China. Ürümqi developed its ...

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. Since that time, however, her family and friends have lost contact with her. Professor Dawut’s family and friends announced her disappearance in August 2018. By 2018, it was known that she was in the hands of Chinese state authorities. State authorities have not publicly disclosed Professor Rahile’s whereabouts or details of her well-being, access to legal counsel, or any charges against her. Professor Rahile’s family, along with human rights groups, suspects that she is among a growing number of Uyghurs who have been reportedly taken into custody by authorities and are being held at so-called “re-education camps,” in prisons, or at other detention facilities. She was one of a number of prominent intellectuals targeted as part of China's campaign to erase Uyghur identity.

Award in 2020

Rahile received the Courage to Think award for the year 2020 by

Scholars at Risk Scholars at Risk (SAR) is a U.S.-based international network of academic institutions organized to support and defend the principles of academic freedom and to defend the human rights of scholars around the world. Network membership includes over 5 ...

. Rahile's daughter Akida Pulat received the award on her mother's behalf.

References

Chinese anthropologists Chinese prisoners and detainees Educators from Xinjiang Missing people Missing person cases in China Xinjiang University faculty 1966 births Enforced disappearances in China {{China-bio-stub

Early life and career

Disappearance

Award in 2020

See also

References