DETAINEES

OPEN LETTER:

I would like to call upon the Government of The United States of America to live up to the values that we consider make it one of the best macronations in the world.

Recently, the media has brought attention to the fact that the USA is not granting prisoner of war status to the detainees taken to Guantanamo Bay from Afghanistan.
Reaffirming Eslo's committment to the four Geneva Conventions, I would like to point out the Eslo beleives these people are prisoners of war. True, they are the enemy, but they are also humans that require the support of already established mechanisms that control the rules of war.

President Bush made a statement shortly after the tragic September 11 attacks calling them "an act of war". Under this name, the USA has launched military action in Afghanistan that is not to be limited to only one nation.

Eslo has already supported this new War on Terrorism within the limitations of international law. Because we look at the recent actions as those of war, the international conventions that exist to regulate these actions should be observed.

The USA tries to be known for their respect for humanity and desire for peace. To Eslo, this cannot be genuine without the unconditional and total observance of the international law. In regards to International Humaitarian Law, Eslo will continue to push for its effective application in all international forums.

I have sent a letter to President Bush requesting a re-evaluation of his government in regards to the prisoners of war. Eslo recognizes that terrorists are not to be considered as prisoners of war.

However, the Genva Convention specifically states that a competent tribunal will decide as to the status of the prisoners. Therefore, Eslo calls on President Bush to allow justice to do its work. We are fully confident in the competency of any US open tribunal. This means that the detainees should be regarded as prisoners of war until they are convicted or otherwise indicated as terrorists.

President Bush could have regarded the attacks on the USA as a crime. This is Eslo's official position. However, by choosing to call them an act of war, he has made a committment to the international community to abide by the conventions that his government has signed in the past.
It will continue to be my government's policy that no nation should be above the law. No individual is above the law either.

We strongly urge the United States to allow a fair trial to all of the detainees and allow American
values to be true.

ESLONIAN ROYAL PALACE, FEBRUARY 2002