stalemate

Micronesian stalemate

The United States and the US Trust Territory of Micro nesia have currently reached a stalemate on Micronesia’s political future. The Political Status Delegation of the Con gress of Micronesia reported this to the Micronesian Con gress in July.

Hie delegation was estab lished in August last year by the congress to “actively seek, support, and press for an early resolution and determination of the future political status of Micronesia”. Its historic report to the congress is a detailed but clear account of American and Micronesian discussions to date, and revealsi a serious gap in respective attitudes.

In it, the delegation tells congress that the delegates had pressed the US for Micronesia to have a free association with the US, or independence. The US had rejected both proposals.

America had proposed Com monwealth status for Micro nesia, but the Micronesians had rejected this.

The US and Micronesia would have to continue discus sions in an effort to find a solution.

The delegation was extremely critical in its report of US attitudes. It said US security interests in Micronesia seemed to be the over-riding considera tion in US discussions. There also seemed to be implicit the belief by the US that most Micronesians naturally wanted to become Americans, and that the US could best determine Micronesia’s future and not the Micronesians themselves.

The delegation said it re jected this attitude and said only an internally self-govern ing Micronesia could preserve the Micronesian heritage.

It added: “Uuder our present quasi-colonial status, the identity, individuality and dignity of the people of Micro nesia are being suppressed.

American power and influence are currently so dominant in Micronesia that Micronesia and its people are being ‘America nised’ at an ever-increasing rate. This is having a tremen-

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dous affect upon all aspects of Micronesian life and society, and it will be impossible to control this influence until the people of Micronesia can establish their own govern ment.

“Your delegation believes that self-government is essential for Micronesia, and that it is extremely important that it be achieved as soon as possible.”

The delegation said it was confident its views conformed to those of the Congress of Micronesia and the people.

The Comfmonwealth status offered by the US and rejected by the delegation proposed that Micronesia would become part of the US; the relationship not being as close as that of a state, nor one that implied any further change politically, as is the case with an un incorporated territory.

Some powers would be Micronesian, others would be shared with the US Govern ment and still others would be reserved to the US—such as foreign affairs and defence.

The US Government could acquire land.

Micronesians would be US nationals, but by simple ap plication could become US citizens with free access to the US. Trade would be free between US and Micronesia.

The delegation’s report added that in January this year, the US had informally presented it with a draft bill which would have made Micronesia an unincorporated territory of the US like Guam or the Virgin Islands, but “this was found to be almost totally obpectionable”. The bill was in manifest conflict with the intent of the US Trusteeship Agreement.