No Accountability When It Comes to Noncitizen Uighurs

categories: Foreign Policy, Immigration Detention

Published June 11, 2009 @ 08:08PM PT

Responsibility means acknowledging mistakes and dealing with the consequences of your actions, not offloading 17 Uighurs you wrongly imprisoned for seven years onto a tiny former colony.

So it's a good thing governments aren't held accountable in the same way individuals are. Or rather, it's a good thing for the U.S. that there's no organized, significant international justice system in place ... yet.

And I love the BBC's style:

[Palau President Johnson Toribiong] said the agreement was a "humanitarian gesture", which had nothing to do with the upcoming review of the Compact of Free Association under which the US gives large sums to Palau.

Obviously there's no connection here.

[Image: AP/BBC]

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Comments (4)

At least, at least they will not be going back to China where they will probably be imprisoned or worse, just because they were prisoners in our country. Rachel Maddow interviewed Palua President Johnson Toribiong today, and it was very insightful.

Posted by Barbara McNamara on 06/11/2009 @ 10:03PM PT
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I love it how we're moving these 17 Chinese muslim detainees to Pacific nation Palua along with a verysizeable aid package. And we're doing this because, even though the Chinese are willing to take them back there is the fear that they will be subjected to (get this) ... torture!! Duh.. hello. Give me a break!

Posted by Wire Paladin on 06/12/2009 @ 04:10PM PT
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Some of us care whether innocent people are tortured in our name and as a result of our tax dollars. Some don't.

Posted by Dave Bennion on 06/13/2009 @ 06:04AM PT
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They were found to be 'not guilty' of any crime. That is why they were sent to Palau. This was the only country who volunteered to take them. If they were guilty, that would have been an entirely different situation, and more than likely they would have been extradited to China. China does not differentiate between innocent or guilty in these matters. That is why, in all fairness, they were sent to a place that would not prosecute them for false charges. I should think you would want the same treatment if you were detained or imprisoned in another country unfairly.

Posted by Barbara McNamara on 06/13/2009 @ 10:46AM PT
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David is an attorney in Philadelphia, PA, where he helps immigrants to the U.S. navigate the complex immigration legal system. Views he expresses at change.org are his alone and don't represent the views or opinions of his employer, Nationalities Service Center. The information contained on this site is intended for educational and advocacy purposes only.