They arrived in secret in the dead of the night — but just hours later almost everyone in Bermuda knew that they were here.

What was one of the biggest stories of the year broke on June 11, when Premier Ewart Brown told a press conference that he had brought four prisoners from Guantánamo Bay to the Island after confidential negotiations with the US.

Dr. Brown must have known his decision to accept the former terror suspects would prove controversial but even he probably couldn't have predicted what he later called the "negative firestorm" that ensued.

Tiny Bermuda was thrust into the international spotlight, with foreign journalists rushing here to find the men and report on what the Premier insisted was a humanitarian gesture, aimed at strengthening the bonds between the Island and the US.

The arrival of the ethnic Uighurs, aged 25 to 35, took everyone here by surprise — not least the Cabinet and Governor Sir Richard Gozney, who were not consulted by the Premier before he agreed to give them refuge.

Dr. Brown admitted to the media on the morning of June 11: "It is important for everyone to understand that this process in not complete.

"I met with His Excellency the Governor this morning and on behalf of the United Kingdom he is seeking to further assess the ramifications of this move before allowing the Government of Bermuda to fully implement this action.

"Our colonial relationship with the United Kingdom certainly gives him licence to do so. Therefore, this fast moving situation now rests at Government House and we await a decision; in many respects, the international community awaits a decision."

Sir Richard said later that day: "It was done without permission and the Government of Bermuda should have consulted with us because it carries with it foreign policy ground areas and security issues. We will now need to assess these four individuals. We were only told this morning."

The Uighurs' arrival dominated the front page of The Royal Gazette the next day — and for weeks to follow.

Khalil Mamut, Abilikim Turahun, Abdullah Abdulqadir and Salahidin Abdulahat arrived here on a private plane from Cuba, accompanied by Home Affairs Minister David Burch.

The Muslim men had been detained for more than seven years at Guantánamo after fleeing alleged religious persecution in their homeland of China.

While detained, they were twice cleared of being "enemy combatants" by the US authorities.

As soon as they reached Bermuda, they were whisked away to a secret location, but it didn't take long for reporters to track them down.

On June 12, Mr. Abdulahat told this newspaper: "Bermuda had the courage to step up and do this. It's a small place but the people have extremely big hearts."

The fallout from the Uighurs' arrival was felt throughout the month. On June 16, hundreds of people gathered outside the Cabinet Office, denouncing Dr. Brown as a dictator and criticising his lack of consultation with the UK. Three days later another protest took place — on the day Dr. Brown faced an Opposition vote of no confidence in the House of Assembly. The motion ultimately failed after he apologised for his Guantánamo Four actions and got the support of PLP MPs. The Premer said afterwards: "I'm grateful for the support I got from my colleagues. I'm surprised we got as many as we did."

By the end of June, the Uighurs affair was still rumbling on but a third protest, on June 26, attracted fewer numbers than the previous two and organisers said they were not planning any more in the near future.