A Pentagon report has found conditions at the Guantanamo prison to be in line with the Geneva Conventions, but called for the isolation of some inmates to be eased by allowing them more social contact and recreation.
The report also said the government needed to move quickly to help arrange the transfer of a group of Uighurs held at the prison who have been cleared of wrongdoing.
Admiral Patrick Walsh, who presented the review’s findings on Monday, said providing high-security detainees the chance for more social activity was “essential to maintain humane treatment over time.”
“In our opinion, the key to socialization is providing more human-to-human contact; recreation activities with several detainees together; intellectual stimulation and group prayer,” Walsh told a news conference.
The review was met with criticism by rights groups, who cited it as proof that US President Barack Obama had failed to make a clean break with the previous administration on the treatment of “war on terror” suspects.
Guantanamo detainees “continue to be held in inhumane conditions that violate US obligations under [the] Geneva Conventions, the US Constitution and international human rights law,” the Center for Constitutional Rights said.
“The majority of detainees are being held in condition of solitary confinement,” the group said. “Sensory deprivation, environmental manipulation and sleep deprivation are daily realities for these men.”
The American Civil Liberties Union on Friday called the review a “whitewash,” demanding an independent review of the prison.
The Pentagon review of Guantanamo — required as part of an executive order issued by Obama last month mandating the closure of the detention camp — was released as Attorney-General Eric Holder traveled on Monday to Guantanamo to get a first-hand look at the prison.
The review called for swift government action to release a group of 17 Uighurs from China who have been cleared of terror links but remain under detention.
The US government has tried unsuccessfully for several years to arrange the transfer of the Uighurs to a third country, as Washington fears they face the risk of persecution if they return to China.
Human rights groups have urged the government to release the Uighurs within the US to areas where there are Uighur communities.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
SENATE RECOMMENDATION: The National Defense Authorization Act encourages the US secretary of defense to invite Taiwan’s navy to participate in the exercises in Hawaii The US Senate on Thursday last week passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, which strongly encourages the US secretary of defense to invite Taiwan’s naval forces to participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, as well as allocating military aid of US$1 billion for Taiwan. The bill, which authorizes appropriations for the military activities of the US Department of Defense, military construction and other purposes, passed with 77 votes in support and 20 against. While the NDAA authorizes about US$925 billion of defense spending, the Central News Agency yesterday reported that an aide of US
NATIONAL DAY: The ‘Taiwan Dome’ would form the centerpiece of new efforts to bolster air defense and be modeled after Israel’s ‘Iron Dome,’ sources said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday pledged to strengthen the nation’s air defense capabilities and build a “T-Dome” system to create a safety net against growing military threats from China. “We will accelerate our building of the T-Dome, establish a rigorous air defense system in Taiwan with multi-layered defense, high-level detection and effective interception, and weave a safety net for Taiwan to protect the lives and property of citizens,” he said in his National Day address. In his keynote address marking the Republic of China’s (ROC) 114th anniversary, Lai said the lessons of World War II have taught nations worldwide “to ensure that
RSS