Congress continues discussion

The Congress of Micronesia, meeting in Saipan, in late August was still discussing implications of the report on Micronesia’s earlier presented to Congress by its Political Status Delegation (“PIM”, Aug., p. 27). The report was critical of US attitudes on Micronesia, and said a stalemate had arisen because the US had rejected the delegation’s proposals for either a free association with the US, or independence, and the delegation had itself rejected a US proposal for Commonwealth status. By month’s end it looked as if the Micronesian Congress would set up another delegation, mainly with the same members, to continue discussions. Congressmen seemed agreed Micronesia had to have some sort of self-government and that Commonwealth, or colonial status, was not acceptable in the form offered. In this commentary for “PIM”, a leading Micronesian, Carl Heine, who is Deputy District Administrator, Yap District, discusses the implications of the report.