Along with her mother and siblings, she moved to Wensu County of Aksu to join her elder sister, who already lived there. Rebiya Kadeer was born in the city of Altay in Xinjiang. After she fled to the United States in 2005 on compassionate release, Kadeer assumed leadership positions in overseas Uyghur organizations such as the World Uyghur Congress. Kadeer held various positions in the National People's Congress in Beijing and other political institutions before being arrested in 1999 for, according to Chinese state media, sending confidential internal reference reports to her husband, who worked in the United States as a pro- East Turkistan independence broadcaster. Born in Altay City, Xinjiang, Kadeer became a millionaire in the 1980s through her real estate holdings and ownership of a multinational conglomerate. Rebiya Kadeer ( Uighur: رابىيە قادىر, romanized: Rabiye Qadir born 15 November 1946) is an ethnic Uyghur businesswoman and political activist.