REQUEST FOR RESETTLEMENT ASSISTANCE OF CERTAIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001870 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2015 TAGS: MOPS PREL PTER KAWC PHUM PREF PINR MV SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR RESETTLEMENT ASSISTANCE OF CERTAIN DETAINEES FROM GUANTANAMO: MALDIVES REF: (A) COLOMBO 1802 (B) STATE 187160 Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead for reason 1.4 (D). (C) The Ambassador took Maldivian Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed aside after an October 31 meeting in Colombo and asked him where things stand on the U.S. request that Maldives resettle some of the Guantanamo Uighur population (other issues reported septel). Shaheed said it is increasingly unlikely that Maldives will be able to help, given that there is no legal statute in Maldives that would permit "refugee" resettlement. Moreover, Maldivian security services are concerned about the possible "fundamentalist" nature of the Uighurs given that they were in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But, Shaheed stressed, the matter is still under quiet consideration and no decision has been taken. The Ambassador reiterated the importance of the issue to Washington. LUNSTEAD