[Since the 7-5 Event in Xinjiang, Chinese media have repeatedly blamed the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) for supporting Rebiya Kadeer — ed.] On August 12, 2009, the Global Times, a state newspaper under People’s Daily with a focus on international news reporting, published a lengthy article to detail how the NED propped up Rebiya Kadeer to form an anti-China group. It reported that NED’s President, Carl Gershman, identified the value of Kadeer even when she was in China’s prison and worked through his connections with the US State Department to pressure China into releasing her to the US. Once Kadeer came to the US, Gershman provided funding and pushed her into the position of spiritual leader for Xinjiang separatists. From 2004 to June 2009, the NED has provided nearly $2.24 million to support the “East Turkistan” separatist groups including the World Uyghur Congress, Uyghur American Association, International Uyghur Human Rights and Democracy Foundation, and International PEN Uyghur Center. NED provided near $600,000, about 13% of its China budget in 2008 and has confirmed over $500,000, or 15% of its China budget for 2009.
Global Times further reported that the U.S. government is behind the scenes. It lets NED take front stage to create turmoil in Xinjiang to reduce Xinjiang’s strategic position in China’s cooperation with countries in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). “The violent event occurred shortly after the SCO’s historical meeting (referring to the SCO Summit in June 2009). It is not a coincidence.”
By Global Times, August 12, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-08/12/content_11866990.htm