Toribiong in an interview denied that there was an offer of up to $200 million in development, budget support and other assistance in exchange for accepting the Uighurs.
“This is news to me,” Toribiong told reporters regarding whether the decision was swayed by financial assistance from the U.S.The president reiterated that the decision was out of humanitarian gesture. “When we talked to the U.S. representative, we were on the same understanding that this is not linked to the Compact review,” Toribiong said.“We took this seemingly radical position at the time the Compact review is ongoing but it is not linked,” he said.He however admitted that the acceptance could have an impact on the Compact review but the president stressed that the decision “demonstrates Palau’s commitment to be a partner of U.S.”He said in his meeting with Daniel Fried, U.S. representative, there will be financial support for the transition of the detainees from Guantanamo but this will not reach up to $200 million.A report from the Associated Press stated that two U.S. officials said that the U.S. was prepared to give Palau up to $200 million in return for accepting the Uighurs .The financial provision of Palau’s Compact is due to be renegotiated this year. The lapsing of the provision translates to grants and subsidies from the U.S. of up to $15 million a year.The president said however that the move of the Uighurs to Palau is “not definite yet.”He said that the community is made to understand that the 17 detainees will not be a “security threat to us.” The 17 Uighurs are members of a Muslim group from China that received weapons training in Afghanistan.The U.S. did not want to send them back to China for fear that they will be executed. Several lawmakers in the U.S. are against the move to close the Guantanamo Bay and send the detainees to Palau.
