"A group of Uyghurs decided to leave Xinjiang in search of a new life in the West. Unfortunately, they began their journey in August 2001, and ended up being sold to the Americans for bounty money and tortured at Guantanamo Bay."I'm writing a brief post tonight because I still can't wrap my head around the Honduras situation.
Over the last couple years I've enjoyed watching Al Jazeera English over the Internet, since the network still isn't available on cable in Canada. I give it mixed reviews: at times it is unfairly anti-Israeli, but at other times it tells some compelling stories that would be hard to obtain from a network with a Western name. This post talks about one such story.
At the time of writing, hundreds of Uyghurs (pronouced WEE-ghers) in China's westernmost Xinjiang province are rioting. Depending on who you ask, they are either peaceful protesters upset about a killing, or a gang of bloodthirsty maniacs hacking away at innocent people with giant knives. (My guess is that both stories are at least partially true.)
I know nothing about Uyghurs or Xinjiang politics, so it is not my place to comment about what's going on. But Al Jazeera put out a great little documentary two years ago about a particular group of Uyghurs who set out from Xinjiang to seach for a new life in the West. Unfortunately, they happened to begin their journey in August 2001, and ended up being sold to the Americans for bounty and tortured at Guantanamo Bay. After some confusion and embarrassment they were sent to asylum in Albania, and a few of their countrymen have now ended up in Bermuda and Palau. Refugee claims to Canada for at least three of them are now pending, though the government is worried that accepting them could put a Canadian Uyghur imprisoned in China at risk.
The striking chain of events would be hilarious if it weren't so tragic. It's almost cute how humble men from a forgotten corner of the world can have their entire lives turned upside-down because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The story also brings us back to a time we would all prefer to forget: the terrifying hemmoraging of the American security establishment in the days, weeks, and months after 9/11.
...so if you have a half hour to kill, check out the documentary below, entitled "A Strange Kind of Freedom." Props to Al Jazeera for telling a great story, and for posting it on YouTube.
Over the last couple years I've enjoyed watching Al Jazeera English over the Internet, since the network still isn't available on cable in Canada. I give it mixed reviews: at times it is unfairly anti-Israeli, but at other times it tells some compelling stories that would be hard to obtain from a network with a Western name. This post talks about one such story.
At the time of writing, hundreds of Uyghurs (pronouced WEE-ghers) in China's westernmost Xinjiang province are rioting. Depending on who you ask, they are either peaceful protesters upset about a killing, or a gang of bloodthirsty maniacs hacking away at innocent people with giant knives. (My guess is that both stories are at least partially true.)
I know nothing about Uyghurs or Xinjiang politics, so it is not my place to comment about what's going on. But Al Jazeera put out a great little documentary two years ago about a particular group of Uyghurs who set out from Xinjiang to seach for a new life in the West. Unfortunately, they happened to begin their journey in August 2001, and ended up being sold to the Americans for bounty and tortured at Guantanamo Bay. After some confusion and embarrassment they were sent to asylum in Albania, and a few of their countrymen have now ended up in Bermuda and Palau. Refugee claims to Canada for at least three of them are now pending, though the government is worried that accepting them could put a Canadian Uyghur imprisoned in China at risk.
The striking chain of events would be hilarious if it weren't so tragic. It's almost cute how humble men from a forgotten corner of the world can have their entire lives turned upside-down because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The story also brings us back to a time we would all prefer to forget: the terrifying hemmoraging of the American security establishment in the days, weeks, and months after 9/11.
...so if you have a half hour to kill, check out the documentary below, entitled "A Strange Kind of Freedom." Props to Al Jazeera for telling a great story, and for posting it on YouTube.
(click here for part 2)
