Uighur Detainees Face Culture Shock in Palau
The Uighur detainees at Guantanamo Bay who were recently released to the Pacific island nation of Palau will likely have a difficult time adjusting, VOA reports:
“I think their primary concern is their legal status in Palau and whether they could permanently stay there,” said Alim Seytoff of the Uyghur American Association.
Palau authorities are reported to be seeking another nation to provide a permanent home for the Uighurs.
The personal adjustment for the Uighurs is likely to be difficult. They have spent seven years in prison. That alone makes readjustment to life on the outside a challenge.
In addition to that, the Uighurs will be settling in an area whose culture, climate and geography are very different from what they were used to in northwestern China.
“Uighur people live in a very land-locked area, not on an island, so I am not sure how much time it will take them to adjust to island life,” Seytoff said.
