For immediate release
June 15, 2009, 1:00 pm EST
Contact: International Uyghur Human Rights and Democracy Foundation +1 (202) 349 4192
 
The International Uyghur Human Rights and Democracy Foundation (IUHRDF) welcomes the transfer of four former Uyghur detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Bermuda. IUHRDF expresses the hope that the four men, Abdulla Abduqadir, Helil Mamut, Ablikim Turahun, and Salahidin Ablehet, will lead productive, happy lives, in their new homes. Uyghur democracy leader Rebiya Kadeer stated earlier today that it was a humanitarian concern for all of the interested parties to help these innocent men to settle in a new and free country. Kadeer would like to thank the government of Bermuda for its sensitivity to such a critical humanitarian issue, and congratulates the Bermudan society for its resolute and unwavering support for refugees from different parts of the world. IUHRDF also express its sincere gratitude to the government of the United States for not sending the innocent Uyghur men to China, where they would be severely persecuted.
The decision of the United States not to send these men to China and the benevolent decision of the government of Bermuda to accept them demonstrate the high considerations of these governments to humanitarian values and principles and their recognition of the difficult situation facing Uyghur refugees in the world today. The decisions of these governments should be taken into consideration by the governments of other Western democracies, who thus far have not demonstrated a willingness to accept the Uyghur detainees in Guantanamo Bay. The statements of the new Uyghur inhabitants of Bermuda represent the desire of Uyghur refugees to live peacefully in a free society while trying to make up for their lost years in Guantanamo and contribute to peace and human rights in the world. 
There are currently thirteen Uyghurs remaining in Guantanamo Bay who are waiting for a country to accept them so that they may start their new lives. The government of Palau has expressed its intention to accept these Uyghurs, and IUHRDF expresses its gratitude to the government of Palau, while urging the international community and Western governments to be more sensitive to this issue. IUHRDF believes that it is already well understood in the international community that the Uyghurs, both in their homeland and in diaspora, have no intention to engage in violent terrorism. Persistent Chinese allegations regarding violence in the region are no more than an attempt to hijack the war on terror in order to divert international attention from the Chinese government's human rights violations and limitations on the basic rights and liberties of Uyghurs.  Ever since the Uyghurs in Guantanamo were detained by US authorities, Chinese government officials have accused them of being members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which they claim is an active terror group. However, no evidence has been provided linking the Guantanamo Uyghurs to ETIM or to membership in any terror group. Moreover, prominent scholars on Uyghurs and terrorism have cast doubt on the existence of ETIM as an organized terror group, and have asserted that the group, such as it existed, if it did indeed exist, likely disappeared years ago.

Considering the reports of human rights organizations regarding the widespread use of torture in interrogations of detainees and the high number of executions of political prisoners in China, the governments of Western democracies should welcome the Uyghurs in their territories. This is not only a humanitarian responsibility but also an ethical duty of those who believe in democracy, human rights and a free society.  IUHRDF reiterates its gratitude to the governments of Bermuda and the United States, while asking the international community and Western governments to be more courageous in their support for the human rights of these Uyghur men, which will go beyond giving hope for those who are at Guantanamo and encourage all human rights activists and advocates in their work and show political prisoners in the dungeons of authoritarian regimes that they are not alone.
 
Background of Uyghurs held at Guantanamo
On October 7, 2001, the U.S.-initiated Operation Enduring Freedom found the Uyghur refugees in Afghanistan in the wrong place at the wrong time. Once coalition bombing started, the twenty-two Uyghurs later detained in Guantanamo escaped to Pakistan. None of these men were picked up on a battlefield, and most of them 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 in Guantanamo are non-enemy combatants. As early as 2003, most of the Uyghurs in Guantanamo were cleared for release. In 2008, U.S. congressional representatives from both sides of the aisle called for the release of the Guantanamo Uyghurs to the United States. In a landmark ruling on October 7, 2008 U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina paroled the remaining 17 Uyghurs detained at Guantanamo Bay into the United States. On appeal, a temporary stay was issued on the ruling on October 8, 2008. On February 18, 2009, the D.C. Circuit Court reversed the lower court’s decision. On April 3, 2009, the Uyghurs asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their case.

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The International Uyghur Human Rights and Democracy Foundation (IUHRDF) works to promote human rights, religious freedom, and democracy for the Uyghur people. It places a special focus on the rights of Uyghur women and children. Through research and documentation of human rights abuses against Uyghurs, IUHRDF aims to educate and raise awareness about the conditions of the Uyghur people living in East Turkestan (also known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China). At the same time, it encourages the international community to pressure the Chinese government to respect the rights of the Uyghurs and their unique culture. It hopes to play a leading role in building a democratic Uyghur community by strengthening their understanding of their basic human rights and the importance of nonviolence in seeking social and political change.

International Uyghur Human Rights and Democracy Foundation
1701 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Suite 300
Washington, D.C.  20006
Tel: +1 (202) 349 4192
Fax: +1 (202) 349 4195
info[at]iuhrdf.org
www.iuhrdf.org