Zumret Obul

Zumret Obul (Uyghur: زۇمرەت ئوبۇل‎; Chinese: 祖木热提·吾布力; pinyin: Zǔmùrètí Wúbùlì; born May 1965) is a Chinese Uyghur politician who has served as chair of the Standing Committee of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regional People's Congress since 2023 and as a member of the 13th National People's Congress. Prior to this, she worked in finance and in department stores, serving as manager of Minmao Department Store (1992-2001), before serving as mayor of Yengisar County (2008-2012) and Hami (2017-?) and in several local Chinese Communist Party (CCP) positions within her native Kashgar.

Zumret Obul
Obul in 2024
Chair of the Standing Committee of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regional People's Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 January 2023
Preceded by	Shewket Imin
Member of the National People's Congress
In office 2018–2023
Mayor of Hami
In office February 2017 – ?
Mayor of Yengisar County
In office December 2008 – March 2012
Secretary of the Kashgar Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection
In office June 2006 – September 2008
Member of the Standing Committee of the Kashgar Municipal Party Committee
In office January 2001 – September 2008
Personal details
Born	May 1965 (age 59) Kashgar, Xinjiang, China
Political party	Chinese Communist Party (since 1995)
Alma mater	Kashgar Finance and Trade School Tianjin University
Occupation	Politician department store manager

Biography

Zumret Obul, an ethnic Uyghur from Kashgar, was born in May 1965 and educated at Kashgar Finance and Trade School,^[1] and later at the Tianjin University School of Management (1998-1999).^[2] After a brief stint at the Shufu County Pharmaceutical Company's pricing department, she started a long career in department stores, including as manager of Minmao Department Store (1992-2001) and deputy manager of Kashgar Prefectural Department Store (1995-2001).^[2]

In 1995, she joined the Chinese Communist Party.^[1] In January 2001, she became part of the Standing Committee of the Kashgar Municipal Party Committee, and in June 2006, she became secretary of the city's Commission for Discipline Inspection, serving in both positions until September 2008.^[2] In September 2008, she served as acting mayor of Yengisar County, being promoted to mayor in December 2008.^[2] In March 2012, she stepped down as mayor and joined the Kashgar Prefectural Administrative Office, serving as its deputy commissioner from her first month with them until May 2016 and then serving as secretary of their party leadership group until February 2017.^[2] In May 2016, she became deputy secretary of the Hami Municipal Party Committee and in February 2017, mayor of Hami.^[2] In 2014, she spent a few months at an ethnic cadres training class in the Central Party School of the Chinese Communist Party.^[2] In 2018, she was elected as a Xinjiang deputy to the 13th National People's Congress.^[3]

In February 2021, she was promoted to vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional People's Congress [zh].^[4] In October 2021, she was elected as a member of the Standing Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.^[5] In November 2021, he was appointed Minister of the regional committee's United Front Work Department,^[6] and resigned from the post of Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region People's Congress.^[7]

On 18 January 2023, he was elected chair of the Standing Committee of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regional People's Congress.^[8] In December 2023, she led a Chinese government delegation visiting Senegal and South Africa ostensibly for "telling the story of Xinjiang well"; United States-based dissident Hu Ping said that the visit was likely a part of the government's campaign to sway regional attention from its own human rights abuses against Uyghurs.^[9]

References

1. "最年轻女性省级党委统战部部长就位". China Women's News. 13 November 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2024 – via The Paper.
2. "资料：哈密市市长祖穆热提·吾布力简历". Economic Daily. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
3. "（受权发布）中华人民共和国第十三届全国人民代表大会代表名单-中新网". China News. Xinhua. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
4. "李宁平、祖木热提·吾布力等4人当选新疆维吾尔自治区人大常委会副主任". Economic Daily. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
5. "新一届新疆维吾尔自治区党委领导班子亮相". The Paper. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
6. "新疆党委常委祖木热提·吾布力任党委统战部长". Economic Daily. Archived from the original on 17 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
7. "祖木热提·吾布力辞去新疆维吾尔自治区人大常委会副主任职务". Economic Daily. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
8. "祖木热提·吾布力当选新疆维吾尔自治区人大常委会主任 艾尔肯·吐尼亚孜当选新疆维吾尔自治区主席". news.cn. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
9. "زۇمرەت ئوبۇلنىڭ ئافرىقا زىيارىتى خىتاينىڭ ئۇيغۇر ئىرقىي قىرغىنچىلىقىنى يوشۇرۇش تەشۋىقاتىغا يانتاياق بولالامدۇ؟". Radio Free Asia (in Uyghur). 18 December 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2024.