Former Premier Ewart Brown voiced “shock and disappointment” alongside former Immigration Minister David Burch at a plea issued on behalf of four Uighur refugees.“What we are experiencing now is a classic working of the axiom ‘No good deed goes unpunished’,” their joint statement last night read.The two called it difficult to believe the letter from lawyer Richard Horseman spoke for “men who formerly repeatedly expressed their gratitude to the Bermuda PLP Government for rescuing them from prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba in 2009”.Dr Brown and Lt Col Burch also denied giving any assurance of Bermuda status to the men.“We could not give what we were not empowered to give,” they added.Acknowledging that the inability to travel made the Uighurs’ situation “unfortunate”, Dr Brown and Lt Col Burch said: “Most would agree that temporary asylum in Bermuda is better than certain death in China, the interrogation rooms of Guantánamo, or the caves and hills of Afghanistan”.No Premier could guarantee a promise after leaving office, the statement continued, calling the idea “downright stupid”.The statement suggested the call for help to Premier Craig Cannonier was “drama created by lawyers” over the UK’s refusal to alter the men’s immigration status.Housing and employment had also been provided to the Uighurs, the statement added, seeking to “put their discomfort in context”.“In summary, we assumed that by aiding in the release of these four gentlemen from prison, we were in fact performing a heartfelt humanitarian act.“Having read their lawyer's letter, we are left to conclude that they and their lawyers would have preferred that they remain in prison until an ideal situation presented itself.”The statement expressed regret that the PLP Government that “risked its very existence helping them escape a ‘hell on earth’ is ignored at best, and villainised at worst”, and said they hoped the matter would be resolved “in a way that allows these men and their families to live freely and prosper”.