Wen's 3 meetings with Uygur farmer

Submitted by admin on Thu, 09/17/2009 - 07:44

Uygur farmer Hashim Dawut felt quite touched as he was guided into Premier Wen Jiabao's office at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in downtown Beijing on Monday.

The 57-year-old man had been looking forward to the moment for more than five years.








Wen's three meetings with Uygur farmer Hashim Dawut

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) meets with Dawut Haxim, a farmer of the Uygur ethnic group of Bachu County in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2009.


Premier Wen met Hashim Dawut for the first time in his village in Bachu county of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on March 28, 2003, when Wen was inspecting and directing relief work after an earthquake measuring 6.8 jolted Bachu and Jiashi counties, killing268 people on Feb. 24 that year.


Hashim Dawut lost five loved ones in the earthquake, but still worked hard to save his fellow villagers. On hearing his story, Premier Wen paid a special visit to him.


"You lost your family members in the quake, and now you are a family member of all the people in China, including me." No sooner had the Premier's words ended than warm tears welled up in Hashim Dawut's eyes.


Nearly a year later, early February in 2004, when Hashim Dawut went to Beijing to attend an awards ceremony honoring heroes who inspired the nation in 2003. He expressed his wish to meet Premier Wen, who gladly invited him to the Zhongnanhai compound.



Wen asked Hashim Dawut about the reconstruction of his village and asked him to come to the Zhongnanhai again.


China on Monday paid tribute to 100 heroes and model citizens who made outstanding contributions to the founding of New China and 100 more who have inspired the nation during the past six decades.


Hashim Dawut was one of the model citizens and was invited to the event in Beijing on Monday. Before he left for the capital, he wrote a letter to Premier Wen reading: "We have not seen each other for years, and as your younger brother, I miss you so much and want to take this opportunity to meet you again."


And Hashim Dawut was invited into Zhongnanhai again.