President Johnson Toribiong said although the United States government has approached other countries to take in the detainees, he said that the Palau’s accommodation to accept the temporary resettlement of the detainees “ is a humanitarian gesture intended to help them be freed from any further unnecessary incarceration and to restart their lives anew in a normal fashion as possible.”
The president said although they agree to take them in, it is still not definite whether they will be coming to Palau.The president said agreeing to the U.S. request is not in exchange of the Compact of Free Association upcoming review but rather due to Palau’s close relationship with the U.S.In a letter to President Toribiong, U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said that Palau share with the U.S. its “commitment to humanitarian values.”“We believe that Palau may be in good position to consider positively our request for assistance with the critical task of resettling certain detainees currently held at Guantanamo Bay,” Clinton said in her letter.The group of Uyghurs has spent seven years at Guantanamo Bay, though the U.S. government no longer considers them enemy combatants.The U.S. is considering the closure of the detention facility.Last week, Toribiong met with the U.S. Special envoy Dan Fried and his delegation regarding the matter.The Uyghurs ( are a group of Chinese Muslim separatists who had weapons training in Afghanistan under the Taliban, as part of their effort to fight for independence from China. They were picked up in Afghanistan and Pakistan after September 11 and taken to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba President Toribiong said that these detainees have been approved for releases from incarceration because they are no longer considered enemy combatants.“Palau’s decision is consistent with its age old cultural tradition of accommodating and helping people in need as explained by Palau’s two traditional Paramount Chiefs and is a recognition of Palau’s long standing and strong relationship with the U.S., “ Toribiong said.The president said that he has authorized State Minister Sandra Pierantozzi, Health Minister Stevenson Kuartei and Palau Community College President Patrick Tellei to travel to Guantanamo Bay to review the situation and verify the status of the detainees.The president said providing the detainees with temporary resettlement will not pose any security problems.He said the decision was made in consultation with the community.The president said the decision will further deepen the relationship between the two countries.
