NZ adds to international Guantanamo Bay pressure

VOICES OF PROTEST: Signatures were collected on orange jumpsuits like those worn by detainees at Guantanamo bay.

Relevant offers

A New Zealand human rights group has joined a global campaign calling for the announcement of a closing-date for the notorious Guantanamo Bay prison.

Amnesty New Zealand has collected over 200 signatures and messages of support for the proposed closure and sent them to United States President elect Barack Obama in time for his January 20 inauguration.

Obama has stated that he will close the infamous prison though he is yet to set a date.

The signatures were collected on orange jumpsuits like those worn by prisoners at the detainment centre at America’s naval base on Cuba where hundreds of prisoners are being held without trial.

Many are also reported to have been tortured.

The stunt is part of a global initiative organised by Amnesty International in order to try and influence Obama to swiftly close the seven-year-old camp.

However, Obama said in an interview on ABC at the weekend that though he is still committed to closing the infamous detention centre, it might not happen in his first 100 days in office.

"I don't want to be ambiguous about this. We are going to close Guantanamo and we are going to make sure that the procedures we set up are ones that abide by our constitution," he said.

The delay could be caused by the need to establish a new, legal way of dealing with the prisoners that did not endanger the lives of Americans by seeing potentially dangerous prisoners released.

He is reportedly set to move the detainees – estimated at more than 250 - to the US where they will be given legal hearings or trials.

The New Zealand contingent said the closure of Guantanamo was hugely important.

"One change close to my heart is the closing of Guantanamo Bay: this is a bloody scar on the American nation, and closing this will show the world changes urgently needed," said signatory Judith Tuckwell of Nelson.

Amnesty New Zealand spokeswoman Rebecca Emery said the closure of Guantanamo must be a priority if Obama is to live up to his promises of change.

"Guantanamo is a symbol of the human rights violations committed in the name of security that has had devastating consequences on people around the world," she said.

"The closure of Guantanamo must be a priority if Obama is to live up to his promises of change."

Ms Emery also echoed the chorus of voices calling for the New Zealand government to offer to accept some of the detainees.

"While the US has the prime responsibility to resolve the human rights scandal it has created at Guantanamo, other governments must do what they can to offer protection to detainees who cannot safely return to their home countries," she said.

The Guantanamo Bay prison was opened in January 2002 to hold terror suspects or those with suspected links to Al-Qaeda.

It has been a hugely contentious issue and one that has brought substantial criticism to the Bush administration.

- © Fairfax NZ News