Lessons from the Uyghurs experience

Former president, former senator say the US has been a generous ally and Palau must return the favor

By Mar-Vic Cagurangan

A combination of anxiety and anticipation gripped Palau following a Christmas Eve bombshell that the deal had been sealed: President Surangel Whipps Jr. had agreed to host up to 75 third-country nationals who would be deported from the U.S.

Palau has been here before. In 2009, the Pacific island nation granted Washington’s request to accommodate Uyghur detainees who were cleared for release from Guantánamo.

Although the Uyghurs’ resettlement didn’t work out as planned due to cultural barriers that kept them isolated from the community, Palau’s decision to give them refuge reflected a humanitarian gesture and a reciprocal support from a staunch U.S. ally, former president Johnson Toribiong said.

“It was the intention of Palau to accept the refugees in consideration of U.S. support for us. It was time for us to give something in return to the U.S.,” said Toribiong, who governed Palau from 2008 to 2013.

Johnson Toribiong

The Obama administration was compelled to resettle the Uyghurs outside of the U.S. amid domestic opposition and global political pressure from China, which considered them terrorists.

Toribiong deemed it morally imperative for Palau to “play a role in promoting freedom” and “providing refuge to the homeless.”

“Palau participated in solving a difficult situation. We enjoyed U.S. benefits and we gave something in return. In this modern age, we have to show that we are a partner,” he said.

The circumstances surrounding Whipps’ Dec. 24 decision parallel those of 2009, when Toribiong’s negotiation with the Obama administration faced congressional opposition.

Whipps confronted similar resistance from Senate President Hokkons Baules and the Council of Chiefs, who argued that Palau must focus on domestic problems.

“I still believe that the Senate has the right to disagree and express their views,” Toribiong said. But in the end, he added, “It was a presidential prerogative to bring them (the Uyghurs) in. The Congress later changed its position.”

Whipps closed the controversial deal with the U.S. State Department amid public apprehension. It is now set to roll along.

Alan Seid

Alan Seid, a businessman and former senator, said Whipps had the constitutional authority to forge an agreement with the U.S. without congressional consent since foreign affairs fall under the presidential purview.

“We need to give the president the benefit of the doubt to make good decisions in the interest of the public,” he said. “We have to give him trust and support.”

Opening the door to third-country nationals is expected to bring $7.5 million in fresh U.S. aid, a new hospital, pension reform subsidies, public safety assistance and potential workers to fill Palau's labor gaps.

Sen. Rukebai Inabo said admitting 75 people to Palau is a drop in the bucket, given that the country currently has approximately 6,000 foreign workers.

“If we accept economic refugees who have no criminal background and don’t have any interests other than to improve their financial situation, I don’t think it will change our way of life,” Inabo said.

She noted that Palau has been experiencing a brain drain, forcing the country to rely on foreign workers who account for almost a third of the nation’s population of 18,000.

“We have more than 6,000 foreign workers; if we have the capacity to accommodate them, then we have room for 75 more,” Inabo said.

Rukebai Inabo

Seid, director of Greenway Revolution, a digital solutions firm, said his company can recruit qualified workers from this group.

“We have a large outmigration of Palauans who are not coming back, so we need people from abroad,” he said.

Seid, who served in the Palau Senate from 2005 to 2009, noted that the additional aid and a new hospital that Palau stands to access under the deal will supplement U.S. grants under the Compact of Free Association.

“Regardless of the amount of money, the fact that we’re getting some compensation and help from the U.S. is really great,” he said.

But granting Washington’s request, Seid said, is more than a transaction.

“Rather than just receiving aid and grants and asking for money, there’s a time when we have to step up and offer our help,” he said. “Let’s make it happen. Accommodating the refugees is a small way to thank the U.S. for its support. We are here to help.”

The planned transfer of the third-country nationals is part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

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In 2009, Toribiong said he approached the situation with “research and investigation” before giving the nod to the U.S. request.

“My decision was based on several conditions: they will be in Palau temporarily until they find a permanent place and there will be assistance,” he said.

While his administration was willing to accept all 19 Uyghur detainees that a Palauan delegation interviewed in Guantanamo, Toribiong said only six opted to come to Palau.

“They asked where Palau is. When they looked at the map and saw that Palau was close to China, most of them decided not to come,” he recalled.

The Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim, Turkic ethnic group who are facing human rights abuses and genocide in China.

The Palauan government had an apartment built for the Uyghurs, who arrived on Nov. 1, 2009. But they spent years in isolation, unable to integrate culturally and secure gainful employment.

They quietly left in 2015, and the apartment was turned over to the private developer that constructed it, Toribiong said.

Inabo said Palau can learn from the Uyghurs experience.

“It was not good. They did not assimilate into the community. They were not given jobs. I think the president should create a committee to look at this history," she said.

The new deal under Whipps' administration "will be good for us as long as we choose the good people," Inabo said. "We will treat them the same way we treat our foreign workers."

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