The tiny Pacific island nation of Palau has agreed to take Chinese Uighur detainees from Guantanamo Bay.  The United States government has been in a tough spot over what to do with the 17 prisoners who are Uigher Muslim, a minority from the Xinjiang region of western China.  Officials admitted years ago that the Uighurs had been mistakenly incarcerated, but did not send them back to home to China out of fear they would be tortured and detained by the Chinese government, which takes a hardline against Uighur separatist groups.  Requests to other nations to take in the Uighurs were denied across the board, with no country willing to anger Beijing over the issue.

Palau was a different story however.  The island nation has no formal relations with the mainland People’s Republic of China, choosing instead to recognize Taiwan as the legitimate Chinese government. So it basically could care less what the PRC thinks.  But Palau’s love does not come cheap.  Negotiations are yet to finalized, but it’s been reported that $200 Million in foreign aid is being offered to accept the Uigher detainees.  Doing the right thing can be costly, but it’s unquestionably worth it.  Plus life in a Pacific paradise like Palau might even be a start, at least, in making up for Guantanamo Bay.

UPI: Palau to take Chinese Uighers

The Globe and Mail: Palau agrees to resettle Gitmo prisoners

CNN: Palau to take Uigher detainees from Gitmo