Palau president: Gitmo detainees scared of China

MELEKEOK, Palau — Some Chinese Muslims detained at Guantanamo Bay are hesitant about accepting this tiny Pacific nation’s offer to take them in because they fear it cannot shield them from China, Palau’s president said Tuesday.

An American official in Palau described the concerns as unwarranted, pointing out that Beijing has no political influence over the island country. It was also unclear whether the detainees even have a say in where they will be resettled.

The 13 Uighurs, Turkic Muslims from the far west of China, have been held by the United States since their capture in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2001. The Pentagon determined last year that they were not “enemy combatants” — but the men have been stuck in legal limbo ever since.

China considers them separatists and has demanded they be sent home for trial. U.S. officials have said the men could be executed if they are returned to China and have refused to send them there.

This month, Palau stepped in, agreeing to President Barack Obama’s request to take the Uighurs as part of plans to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba.

But when a Palauan fact-finding team went to Guantanamo to assess the needs of the 13 men, they found them highly concerned about their post-detention safety, President Johnson Toribiong said.

The Uighurs, who knew nothing about Palau, grew anxious after they saw the country on a map and its relative proximity to China — although the islands lie deep in the Pacific Ocean, more than 1,700 miles (2,735 kilometers) southeast of the Chinese coast.

Toribiong said the men were nervous about Palau’s ability to protect them from Beijing.

“Some said (Palau) is too small,” Toribiong said. “And when they showed pictures of Palau, there was a photo showing some Chinese signs. And that led them to ask, ‘Do you have an army? Do you have a navy?’ because they are concerned about their safety from the Chinese.”

The president said his delegation tried to assure them that the country was well protected by the U.S.

Mark Bezner, the top U.S. representative in Palau, called the Uighurs’ concerns unfounded. He said there have been no discussions about possible security for the Uighurs once they arrive and that such arrangements are unnecessary.

“There are no major concerns locally for their safety,” said Bezner, U.S. charge d’affaires in Palau.

The fact that Palau does not recognize China “makes it a more attractive option” than other countries with diplomatic relations with Beijing, Bezner said. There is no vehicle for China to exert political pressure on Palau to turn the Uighurs over, he added.

Ngiraibelas Tmetuchl, special assistant the president, said Palau would never hand the Uighurs over to Beijing.

Palau is one of the word’s smallest countries. It does not have diplomatic relations with China and instead has developed strong ties with Taiwan.

Some shops and infrastructure projects bear Chinese signs because of the sizable Taiwanese presence in Palau.

Palau does not have its own military but as a former U.S. trust territory it operates under a Compact of Free Association, which makes the United States responsible for its security and defense.

It remains unclear when, if ever, the Uighurs (pronounced WEE’-gurs) might arrive. Both Palau and U.S. officials have previously said that the transfer was not guaranteed and that meetings were still being held on the topic.

It is also not clear how much say the Uighurs have in their final destination and whether they could reject a move to Palau.

Toribiong has said Palau has already accepted the men and now awaits confirmation from the United States and the attorneys of the men.

George Clarke, an attorney who represents two of the Uighurs, said his clients shared similar concerns about China before he explained the geopolitical picture of the Pacific region. Those who remain unconvinced harbor genuine yet baseless concerns, he said.

“There’s an impression that China is a big bogeyman in the region and that they can do whatever they want,” Clarke said.

He said the more serious concern for his clients is their potential legal status and documentation in Palau. He said a final decision on their transfer had not yet been communicated to him.

Stevenson Kuartei, a Palauan physician who evaluated the detainees’ medical condition in Guantanamo, said detention has taken a mental toll.

The deeply religious men, who would be unable to travel abroad while in Palau, also told the delegation that they would still feel confined if they were unable to undertake the Hajj; under Islam, all able-bodied Muslims are obligated to make the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, at least once in their lives.

“There’s something that’s making them feel like they are in detention regardless of the fence,” Kuartei said. “In coming to Palau, they still feel like it would be detention.”