A Guantanamo lesson from Northwestern China: The Uighurs

A Guantanamo lesson from Northwestern China: The Uighurs

By Matthew Schofield, a member of The Star's editorial board

The deadly riots now on in northwestern China should make it pretty clear that the Uighurs did, actually have issues at home.

Since Sunday, at 156 people have been killed in fighting between Uighurs (Muslims living in the area) and Han Chinese. Uighurs insist there are actually far more dead, perhpas 10 times the reported number. It is clear that Chinese authorities have been sweeping through neighborhoods arresting Uighur men, a move many in the Uighur community insist is random, at best.

But, while this is a distrubing bit of international news, it does also have meaning on U.S. security policy. The U.S detained a couple dozen Uighurs at Guantanamo Prison for years.

During that detention, there was never any evidence presented that they were anything resembling a threat to the United States. Instead, they said their mission, though loosely organized, was to escape Chinese oppression.

What we're seeing right now is evidence of that anger. Now, whether it is justified is not the issue I'm on about right now. but it is very clear this is action aimed at China.

Just as the Uighurs have always claimed, their enemy is China. So, while it's a small voice that still insists the Uighurs are a terrorist threat to the America (U.S. courts, military leaders and the Obama administration have pretty much conceded their arrests were a mistake), it is worth looking at this bit of evidence.

The Uighurs are fighting. And they're fighting Chinese. And the reason they say they're fighting is that they're demanding greater freedoms. Which is what they've been saying all along.

The Uighurs are either out of Guantanamo (Albania and Bermuda have 9) or about to be released (the rest should be in Palau soon). So their bodies have been set free. It's time members of Congress also release their reputations. The U.S. owes these former detainees a full apology.