Suspicion of Micronesian land

Letter To The Editor

Suspicion of Micronesian land programme unwarranted

Trust Territory High Commissioner replies

Sir, —I sincerely appreciate your offer to reply to the article ( PIM, July, p. 38) “Can the US resist Micronesian demands on land owner ship?” The information presented is completely false in many cases and very misleading in some other aspects. It is difficult for us to understand why the author, who, as an employee of the Congress of Micronesia with access to the facts, chooses to portray the land cadaster program in such a deliberately deceptive manner.

We are submitting an article detailing the history of the land problems of Micronesia for a future issue of PIM. However, we would like to briefly cover the most flagrant misrepresentations of the material printed in the July issue.

Frequent reference is made to the “the US Government’s ownership of public lands”. The US Government, in fact holds no title to land in the Trust Territory. Some parcels of land such as weather stations and loran stations in various districts, and the missile tracking sites in the Marshalls have been leased from the Govern ment of Micronesia. If the land was privately owned land, the Micro nesian Government first leased the parcel from the private land owners and then in turn leased it to the US Government.

It is wholly inaccurate to write . . the US granted its military, land uses to these islands” or that “military use was only a thinly veiled form of robbery”. Every five years these leases are subject to review and in all instances payment is made for the use of the land.

Several important facts should be recognised: One is that the “TT Government” is the Government of Micronesia Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches. Many Ameri cans hold positions in the Executive Branch and a few are with the Legislative and Judicial Branches.

Their replacement by Micronesians is an on-going program.

Another fact is that all lands are owned either by individuals or groups of Micronesians, or are “public lands” held by the TT Government in trust for the people of Micro nesia. Under the territory’s current

status, non-Micronesians cannot own any land, and this includes the United States Government.

No attempt has been made on our part to keep our search for land records “relatively quiet” or “not announced to land owners or in terested Micronesian legislators or congressmen”. Rather, we have spent a considerable amount of time, effort and funds in conducting an informa tional program on all phases of the land cadaster program, in all local languages, and in all districts to explain to residents of Micronesia the purpose and functions of this land registration program.

The United Nations Visiting Mission, following its 1970 tour of the Trust Territory, reported it was “concerned to find that, in spite of the importance of the land registra tion program for the economic future of Micronesia, and in spite of the fact that the Land Commissions Act which provided for the land registra tion was passed by the Congress of Micronesia, there is now suspicion of the land registration program among some Micronesians.

“The mission feels that it is impor tant that the benefits of the land registration program should be ex plained to the people of Micronesia by Micronesian spokesmen. The Administration is carrying out a publicity program with the intention of informing Micronesians of the program and its purpose. ... It is desirable that members of the Congress of Micronesia should play their part in explaining to, the people of the Trust Territory the purposes of their legislation establishing the land registration program.”

The July magazine article criticises the US for “sending certain of its Trust Territory employees . . . to search for old records concerning the ‘public lands’ in Micronesia”. It is our position that it is the respon sibility and duty of the government to find any and all land records that would help in the description of boundaries as well as the ownership of land to help clarify the confused state of land affairs in Micronesia.

The search is not being limited to

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Letters

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mblic lands only, but all lands lying /ithin the territory’s boundaries.

These searches already have proven if considerable benefit to private and owners in Micronesia. One xample is the very case cited in the rticle, regarding certain land in Truk listrict. This parcel, at first believed o be public land, was turned over o the private owners—and, after laving examined all the records avail ,ble, we have put aside once and or all, not arbitrarily but after borough investigation, the claim that hese lands might have been public ands.

A second case, that of Roi-Namur, ilso has been judged in favour of he private land owners. Following mblic hearings conducted by the [overnment, it was decided that Roi 4amur was private land and lease legotiations have begun with the Marshallese owners. To make sure he owners are treated fairly, an ndependent, licensed real estate ippraiser from Hawaii has just com peted a thorough valuation of the ;ntire island and his report to the Micronesian Government will be the >asis for further negotiations con :erning compensation for past and uture use.

The decisions in both of these cases vere made well before the article vas printed.

The key operating arm of the land :adaster program is the Land Com nission established in each district, fhese quasi-judicial boards, composed )f a senior land commissioner, two Micronesian land commissioners, and me or more registration teams (five to ;even members, all Micronesians), nakes the final determination of all and claims. There certainly should lave been no inference that the goal if the land cadaster program is to lid the United States “in meeting its and needs in the Pacific for establish nent of bases”.

Briefly, the goal of the land cadaster program is simple: it will Drove that if a person owns the land, le owns it; if not, it either belongs ;o another individual or group of in dividuals or it is public land belong ing to all the citizens of Micronesia.

Edward E. Johnston,

High Commissioner Saipan, US Trust Territory. • The article dealing with the history of Micronesia’s land problems, mentioned by Mr. Johnston, will be published next month.