Who is going to take the Uighers? You take them! No, you take them! You! The case of the Uighers highlights the predicament for all those who suggest we just close down the Military prison at Guantanamo Bay. According to this AP story there are 355 prisoners at the US facilty in Cuba (there were once twice that many). Our government is trying to persuade Canada to take as asylees or refugees a group of 17 ethnic Uighers, Chinese Muslims.
Faced with rising international pressure to close the military prison in Cuba, the United States has identified dozens of detainees who can be released or transferred to other countries.
——-
Military officials say they expect to identify another 70 who can be transferred or released.
——-
But before it puts any of those detainees on a plane, the United States must find a country willing to accept them. It also must obtain assurances the prisoners will be prevented from attacking the United States or its allies and will not be tortured or face other treatment that violates international law.
Beijing appears to be wetting it chops to get hold of them, and we fear the worst if they are returned to China. The Canadian government says no thanks to the Uighers although Amnesty International Canada says, lets take them. The US doesn’t want them (or maybe some Chevy Chase-liberal-old hippie-peacenik, has room in a mother-in-law apartment for at least a couple).
This case says a lot about how fast and loose our government is with the definition of refugee/asylee. Remember with refugees there is no giving them back. You bought ’em, you keep ’em.