Tomoko A. Hosaka
Palau president: Gitmo detainees still fear China
MELEKEOK, Palau — Some Chinese Muslims detained at Guantanamo Bay who have been offered resettlement in Palau are leery of moving to the tiny Pacific island nation for fear that it cannot protect them from China, Palau’s president said Tuesday.
Palau sent a fact-finding team to the Guantanamo Bay detention center earlier this month to assess the needs of the 13 Uighurs, Turkic Muslims from the far west of China — where they are wanted as alleged terrorists.
President Johnson Toribiong said the men were concerned about the island nation’s size and ability to provide for their safety.
“Some said (Palau) is too small,” he 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.”
Some shops and infrastructure projects bear Chinese signs because Palau has a significant Taiwanese presence.
The Uighurs (pronounced WEE’-gurs), from Xinjiang region, are considered separatists by Chinese authorities who have demanded they be sent home for trial. However, U.S. officials have said they fear the men would be executed if they returned to China.
The men were captured in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2001, and the Pentagon determined last year that they were not “enemy combatants” — but the men have been stuck in legal limbo since.
Palau consented earlier this month to President Barack Obama’s request to take the Uighurs as part of plans to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba.
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, which China claims as its own territory. The United States is responsible for Palau’s security.
Lawmaker Marhence Madrangchar said he was a bit surprised at the detainees’ reactions.
“They’ve been in Guantanamo for many years,” he said. “I thought they’d like to get away and maybe come to Palau.”
He suggested the men would maybe prefer to live in a larger country where they could access the media and bring attention to their cause.
“Being in Palau is being isolated,” Madrangchar conceded.
It remains unclear when, if ever, the Uighurs might arrive. Toribiong has said Palau has already accepted the men and now awaits confirmation from the United States.
The fact-finding team is now drafting a written resettlement proposal and its responses to the detainees’ questions, the government said. The documents will be sent to U.S. officials and to the detainees or their attorneys.
Stevenson Kuartei, a Palauan physician who evaluated the detainees’ medical condition in Guantanamo, said detention appears to have 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.”
Related News
Obama administration says 6 to 8 Uighurs will soon leave Guantanamo for freedom in PalauSeptember 24th, 2009 Up to 8 Uighurs soon leaving Guantanamo for PalauWASHINGTON — The Obama administration says at least six, and as many as eight, Chinese Muslims held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will soon leave their island prison for freedom in another island nation, Palau. Word of the upcoming transfer to the tiny Pacific country, planned for sometime after Oct.
Lawyer: 2 more Uighur detainees at Guantanamo agree to move to PalauSeptember 18th, 2009 2 more Uighur detainees at Gitmo heading to PalauKOROR, Palau — Two more Chinese Muslim detainees held at Guantanamo Bay have agreed to be relocated to the tiny Pacific nation of Palau, their lawyer said Saturday, bringing to six the total who will resettle. Palau has offered 13 ethnic Uighurs held at the U.S.
4th Guantanamo Bay detainee agrees to move to Palau, and US says more may accept offerSeptember 14th, 2009 4th Guantanamo detainee agrees to move to PalauKOROR, Palau — A fourth Chinese Muslim detainee held at Guantanamo Bay has agreed to be relocated to the tiny Pacific island nation of Palau, officials said Tuesday. Relocating the Uighurs would bring the Obama administration a step closer to its goal of finding new homes for terrorism suspects and others captured in Afghanistan who have been cleared of wrongdoing but cannot go home for fear of persecution.
First batch of Uighur detainees at Guantanamo agree to go to PalauSeptember 10th, 2009 First Guantanamo Uighurs agree to go to PalauKOROR, Palau — Three Chinese Muslims detained at Guantanamo Bay have formally accepted an offer to take up new lives in the Pacific island nation of Palau and could be moved there as early as next month, lawyers say. They are the first among a group of 13 ethnic Uighurs being held at the U.S.
Lawyer says some Uighur Guantanamo detainees have agreed to go to Palau, formal deal is closeAugust 5th, 2009 Palau deal close for Uighur Guantanamo detaineesKOROR, Palau — Some Chinese Muslims still detained at Guantanamo Bay have overcome reservations about being sent to the remote Pacific nation of Palau, and a final deal on their relocation was close, a lawyer for two of them said Wednesday. The Uighur detainees met with U.S.
Guantanamo detainees worry that Palau is too small to protect them from China, president saysJune 23rd, 2009 Palau president: Gitmo detainees scared of ChinaMELEKEOK, 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.
White House spokesman won't rule out bringing Guantanamo detainees to USJune 12th, 2009 Obama won't rule out releasing detainees in USWASHINGTON — A White House spokesman says the Obama administration hasn't decided whether or not to release Guantanamo Bay detainees in the United States. Spokesman Robert Gibbs said President Barack Obama has made clear "we're not going to make any decision about transfer or release that threatens the security of this country."
Asked if that meant he was ruling out releasing any detainees in the United States, Gibbs said: "I'm not ruling it in or ruling it out."
A tentative plan to release some Guantanamo detainees in the United States drew fierce opposition from Republicans and many Democrats in Congress, forcing the Obama administration to shelve the plan to bring some Chinese Muslims known as Uighurs to Virginia.
Public backlash mounts in Palau against accepting Chinese Muslims from Guantanamo BayJune 12th, 2009 Chinese Muslims trigger public backlash in PalauKOROR, Palau — The tiny Pacific nation of Palau's decision to allow 13 Chinese Muslims from the Guantanamo Bay prison camp to resettle there has sparked anger among islanders who fear for the safety of the tranquil tourist haven. The U.S. government determined last year that the Chinese Muslims, or Uighurs, were not enemy combatants and should be released from the U.S.
Beijing demands return of 17 Muslim detainees being sent to Palau, calls them terroristsJune 11th, 2009 Beijing demands return of 17 Muslim detaineesBEIJING — Beijing says the 17 Chinese Muslims the United States is sending to Pacific island nation of Palau are terrorists and should be handed back to China instead. Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Thursday that the United States should "stop handing over terrorist suspects to any third country, so as to expatriate them to China at an early date."
Palau President Johnson Toribiong said earlier this week that Palau had agreed to a U.S.
China says Palau-bound detainees from Guantanamo should be handed overJune 11th, 2009 China rejects move to send detainees to PalauBEIJING — Beijing said Thursday that the 17 Chinese Muslims the United States is sending to Pacific island nation of Palau are terrorists and should be handed back to China instead. Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said the United States should "stop handing over terrorist suspects to any third country, so as to expatriate them to China at an early date."
Palau President Johnson Toribiong said earlier in the week that Palau had agreed to a U.S.
Palau leader did not consider China reaction in offering to resettle Guantanamo detaineesJune 11th, 2009 Palau cites human rights in resettling detaineesWELLINGTON, New Zealand — Palau's president said Thursday his tiny Pacific nation will take in 17 Chinese Muslims who are in limbo at Guantanamo Bay because they have become "international vagabonds" who deserve his country's age-old tradition of hospitality. President Johnson Toribiong noted, however, that the Uighur detaines from China's arid west would start their new lives in a half-way house to test how they acclimatize to his tropical archipelago west of the Philippines.
Remote Pacific state Palau agrees to take Uighur detainees from GuantanamoJune 10th, 2009 Pacific state Palau to take Uighur detaineesWELLINGTON, New Zealand — The tropical Pacific island nation of Palau announced Wednesday it will accept up to 17 Chinese Muslims who have languished in legal limbo at Guantanamo Bay despite a Pentagon determination that they are not "enemy combatants."
China's Foreign Ministry had no immediate reaction to the decision by Palau to grant Washington's request to resettle the detainees from China's Uighur minority who had been incarcerated at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba.
Pacific state Palau agrees to take Uighur detainees from Guantanamo Bay detention centerJune 10th, 2009 Palau to take Uighur detainees from Guantanamo BayWELLINGTON, New Zealand — The tropical Pacific island nation of Palau announced Wednesday it will accept up to 17 Chinese Muslims who have languished in legal limbo at Guantanamo Bay despite a Pentagon determination that they are not "enemy combatants."
China's Foreign Ministry had no immediate reaction to the decision by Palau to grant Washington's request to resettle the detainees from China's Uighur minority who had been incarcerated at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba.
US looks to remote South Pacific island to take Uighur detainees from GuantanamoJune 9th, 2009 US eyes South Pacific to resettle Uighur detaineesWASHINGTON — The Obama administration is in talks with the remote South Pacific island nation of Palau to resettle a group of Chinese Muslims now held at the Guantanamo Bay detention center, The Associated Press has learned. As they attempt to fulfill President Barack Obama's order to close the Guantanamo facility by early next year, administration officials are looking to Palau to accept some or all of the 17 Uighur detainees due to fierce congressional opposition to releasing them on U.S.
US urges EU to receive Guantanamo detaineesApril 4th, 2009 BRUSSELS - The US has urged the European Union (EU) to take over some of the detainees who would be freed from its Guantanamo Bay facility, officials said. Information on each of such detainees would be provided, US officials said.
Loading ...