Originally published by Australia Network News, 11 February 2010

Palau President Johnson Toribiong says he is standing by his offer to temporarily resettle five Uighurs still being held in America’s Guantanamo Bay detention centre.

The men are the last of a group of 22 captured in Afghanistan after the US invasion in 2001.

Last year six of the detainees were moved to Palau – prompting suggestions that it was in return for financial aid from the United States.

President Toribiong says the offer has nothing to do with money and will stand by his decision to offer the remaining five Uighurs resettlement.

“The offer was accepted by six of the Uighurs at the time and now they attending the Palau college,” the president said.

“But the remaining five are in Guantanamo Bay, so I have to stick to my initial position that we would accept all the Uighurs, since the five turned down the offer . . .

“When asked if I am going to accept them, I said yes.”

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