PRC: MFA SENIOR OFFICIAL PROTESTS RELEASE OF

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001650

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/CM, S/GC, AND S/WCI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/17/2029
TAGS: MOPS PGOV PHUM PREL PTER KAWC KISL KPAO CH PS UK
SUBJECT: PRC: MFA SENIOR OFFICIAL PROTESTS RELEASE OF
UIGHURS TO BERMUDA

REF: A. STATE 61326 (NOTAL)

B. BEIJING 1620

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Dan Piccuta. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).


Summary
--------------


1. (S) China firmly opposed the transfer of Chinese citizen
Uighur detainees at Guantanamo to a third nation, Chinese MFA
Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Hongbo informed the Charge
during a strongly-worded demarche June 17. U.S. attempts to
"justify itself" were not welcomed and continuing to approach
other nations about resettling Uighurs was "not helpful," he
added. The Uighurs were Chinese citizens over whom the
Chinese Government had "absolute jurisdiction." Resettling
them in a third nation would "send the wrong signal" to the
East Turkestan Islamic Movement. In the broader interest of
U.S.-China relations and counterterrorism cooperation, China
urged the United States to stop the transfer to third parties
and repatriate the Uighurs to China immediately. End Summary.

China Disapproves
--------------


2. (S) China expressed strong concern and firm disapproval of
the U.S. decision to release four Uighur detainees from
Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility to Bermuda, as well as at
the plan to resettle 13 additional Uighurs to Palau, Chinese
MFA Assistance Foreign Minister Wu Hongbo told the Charge
June 17. Reading from a prepared statement in Chinese, Wu
said that the Uighur detainees in Guantanamo were members of
the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM),a terrorist
organization recognized by the UN 1267 Committee, and that
they should be turned over to China to be dealt with in
accordance with Chinese law. The United States did not have
the right to transfer the Uighurs to a third country, not did
China approve of their acceptance by a third party, he
emphasized. Transferring the Uighurs had violated relevant
UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions, and was in violation
of U.S. counterterrorism cooperation obligations.
Transferring the suspects would send an incorrect signal to
ETIM, had undermined the judicial sovereignty of China, and
would endanger the security of the United States, Bermuda,
Palau and other nations in the region, Wu maintained.
Secretary Clinton had had to explain the decision to turn the
detainees over to Bermuda in a telephone conversation with UK
Foreign Minister David Miliband and the decision had been
roundly criticized in the UK Media, Wu added.

Response to the Nonpaper
--------------


3. (S) The Chinese Government has studied the nonpaper the
United States delivered June 16 (Refs A and B),Wu said.
"Rather than appreciating the mistakes it had made," he said,
the United States was seeking to "justify itself" as having a
long-standing transfer policy that allowed it to continue
approaching other nations to resettle the Uiguhrs. This
attitude was not helpful to solving the issue and deeply
disappointed China, he said. China urged the United States
to act in keeping with the best interests of U.S.-China
relations, as well as to appreciate the sensitivities
involved in dealing with Uighur terrorist suspects, he added.
He further urged the United States to take China's concerns
seriously, to cancel the transfer of the suspects to a third
party and to repatriate them to China immediately so as to
avoid damaging U.S.-China relations and Sino-U.S.
counterterrorism cooperation.


4. (S) Switching to English, Wu said stiffly that the Uighurs
were Chinese citizens. As such, China had absolute
jurisdiction over them. The 17 Uighurs were members of a
UN-recognized terrorist organization who had trained to carry
out terrorist activities and attack the Chinese Government
and interests, Wu declared. Thus, China requested that the
Uighurs be repatriated immediately. He added that the U.S.

BEIJING 00001650 002 OF 002


handling of the matter had been "very disappointing." He
noted that the U.S. sought further counterterrorism
cooperation, but appeared to have a double standard and
approached terrorism on a "selective basis." Transfering the
Uighurs to a third country rather than returning them to
China would harm U.S. credibility in foreign policy and cause
a loss of trustworthiness among U.S. friends, Wu suggested.
Bermuda was not a sovereign nation and did not have
responsibility for foreign affairs, which was solely the
responsibility of the UK. Wu noted that Sino-U.S. relations
had a solid base and were moving forward. Thus, for the
larger relationship and in light of Sino-U.S. common
interests in fighting terrorism, China urged the United
States not to transfer the Uighurs and to repatriate them.

The Charge Responds
--------------


5. (S) The United States did take China's concerns seriously
and the decision to transfer the Uighurs was not taken
lightly, the Charge responded. The United States had taken
steps to ensure that the Uighurs did not engage in terrorism
or do anything to endanger any other nation. The United
States was hopeful that bilateral counterterrorism
cooperation could continue and be strengthened in the future.
PICCUTA