HAMILTON, Bermuda – Bermuda’s Premier Dr. Ewart Brown has received a letter from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton thanking Bermuda for the decision to accept and resettle four innocent Uighurs formally detained at Guantanamo Bay. Secretary Clinton also praised Bermuda’s international leadership on the issue.
She wrote: “I want to extend my sincerest thanks to you and the Bermudian government for resettling four Uighur Guantanamo Bay detainees. I recognize the many difficulties associated with this humanitarian effort, both at home and abroad; I hope that your courageous action will inspire others to step forward and join us in the ongoing effort to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center. Indeed, Bermuda’s leadership significantly advanced that effort.”
Secretary Clinton joins other U.S. Congressional and Administration leaders in praising Bermuda for its humanitarian efforts including: President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Patrick Leahy, Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson and Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee Chairman and Ranking Member Bill Delahunt and Dana Rohrabacher.
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reprieve and the Constitution Project are among the human rights organizations that have publicly praised Bermuda’s humanitarian gesture.
“The international community has responded overwhelmingly in favor of Bermuda’s humanitarian decision,” said Premier Brown. “I am proud of the international leadership we have shown on this issue. I note Italy, Portugal and member states of the European Union have all announced plans to do as we have done in Bermuda.
“Clearly being small does not mean we can not lead. On this issue, we have led.”
