DOMINICAN REPLY ON RESETTLEMENT OF CHINESE UIGHUR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTO DOMINGO 001782

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR S/WCI AND WHA/CAR J ROSHOLT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM PTER PINR DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN REPLY ON RESETTLEMENT OF CHINESE UIGHUR
DETAINEES

REF: STATE 89997

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Roland W. Bullen, Reasons 1.4(b) and (
d)


1. (C) Political Unit Chief delivered Reftel talking points
on the resettlement of Uighur detainees to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. Undersecretary for Judicial Affairs Miguel
Pichardo Olivier expressed concern regarding the possible
security threat posed by the detainees. He also commented
that this case was unusual in that he normally deals with
refugees and individuals presently residing in the Dominican
Republic that are requesting legal residency.


2. (C) Pichardo pledged to present our request to the
Dominican Government's Refugee Commission, an inter-agency
board that he chairs and that makes recommendations to
Foreign Minister Troncoso. The Embassy will report any
subsequent Dominican response and actions.


3. (C) COMMENT: The tone of Pichardo's reply was
matter-of-fact, revealing neither an inclination to accept or
a preference to reject the U.S. request. He simply offered
to put the request through the proper channels, which he
judged to be the Refugee Commission. At this time, the
Embassy's assessment is that the Dominicans are unlikely to
accept any Uighurs absent handsome U.S. funding to do so.
They are already struggling to handle a legal and illegal
immigrant population that numbers in the hundreds of
thousands. We are not aware of the Dominicans having ever
objected to the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.
Troncoso visited the facility in 2006 and commented that it
was entirely justified and well run.

This report and extensive other material can be consulted on
our SIPRNET site,
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/
BULLEN