Uyghur American Association welcomes Attorney General Holder’s remarks on the possibility of releasing Guantanamo Uyghurs into the United States
For immediate release
March 19, 2009, 5:00 pm ESTContact: Uyghur American Association +1 (202) 349 1496
The Uyghur American Association (UAA) welcomes Attorney General Eric Holder’s remarks regarding the possibility of freeing the 17 Uyghur detainees at Guantanamo into the United States. UAA urges the Obama administration to prioritize the resettlement of the 17 men, and stands ready to provide assistance to the men to help them integrate into American society.
Attorney General Holder’s comments to reporters on March 18 were the first public statements on the part of an Obama administration official regarding the possibility of releasing the 17 Uyghurs onto American soil. Recent statements on the part of German and Portuguese government officials have also indicated interest in resettling the Uyghurs in their respective countries. UAA hopes that any among the 17 men who are not brought to the United States will be released to another Western democracy.
“I thank the Obama administration for this very encouraging statement,” said Uyghur democracy leader Rebiya Kadeer. “The administration’s refusal to send the Guantanamo Uyghurs to China shows its faith in the Uyghur-American community and its recognition of the dire consequences these men would face at the hands of the Chinese government.”
None of the 22 Uyghurs originally detained in Guantanamo were picked up on a battlefield, and most were captured by Pakistani bounty hunters and sold to American forces for $5,000 each. Since their detention, the U.S. government has determined that all of the Uyghurs are non-enemy combatants. Five Uyghurs were released into Albania in 2006, but no third country has expressed willingness to accept the 17 men remaining in Guantanamo, reportedly due at least in part to Chinese pressure. As early as 2003, most of the Uyghurs in Guantanamo were cleared for release. U.S. congressional representatives from both sides of the aisle have called for the release of the remaining 17 Uyghurs to the United States.
Chinese government officials have engaged in intensive lobbying to seek the return of the Uyghurs to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). UAA believes the 17 men would face a high risk of torture and execution if they were returned to the PRC. The execution of Uyghur political prisoners is common, and Uyghurs in Chinese government custody often suffer from physical abuse and other maltreatment.
See also:
Information for the Press on the Guantanamo Uyghurshttp://uhrp.org/docs/Information_for_the_Press_on_the_Guantanamo_Uyghurs.pdf
UAA welcomes moves toward accepting Uyghur detainees from Guantanamo, and urges nations not to repatriate Uyghurs to Chinahttp://www.uhrp.org/articles/1657/1/UAA-welcomes-moves-toward-accepting-Uyghur-detainees-from-Guantanamo-and-urges-nations-not-to-repatriate-Uyghurs-to-China-/index.html
UAA Celebrates Landmark Ruling on the Release of Seventeen Uyghurs from Guantanamo to the United Stateshttp://www.uhrp.org/articles/1461/1/-UAA-Celebrates-Landmark-Ruling-on-the-Release-of-Seventeen-Uyghurs-from-Guantanamo-to-the-United-States-/index.html
* * * * *
If you wish to stop receiving e-mails from the Uyghur Human Rights Project, please send an e-mail to pressrelease-unsubscribe@uyghuramerican.org. The Uyghur American Association (UAA) works to promote the preservation and flourishing of a rich, humanistic and diverse Uyghur culture, and to support the right of the Uyghur people to use peaceful, democratic means to determine their own political future.
The UAA has undertaken the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) for the purpose of promoting improved human rights conditions for Uyghurs and other indigenous groups in East Turkistan, on the premise that the assurance of basic human rights will facilitate the realization of the community’s democratic aspirations.
Uyghur Human Rights ProjectUyghur American Association1701 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Suite 300Washington, D.C. 20006Tel: +1 (202) 349 1496Fax: +1 (202) 349 1491info[at]uyghuramerican.orgwww.uhrp.orgwww.uyghuramerican.org
-----Inline Attachment Follows-----
_______________________________________________
Uyghur American Association＇s Press Release
PressRelease@uyghuramerican.org
http://lists.uyghuramerican.org/listinfo.cgi/pressrelease-uyghuramerican.org
|
|
