Free Association Pact

Swiftly Takes Shape

From a Honolulu correspondent

A 21-day meeting in Washington in July/August between US Govern ment delegation headed by President Nixon’s personal representative, Ambassador Franklin Haydn Williams, and the Micronesian Joint Committee on Future Status, led by Senator Lazarus E. Salii, drew up some vital clauses in a draft “Com pact of Free Association” between the US and Micronesia.

Briefly, the draft says that: • The people of Micronesia have the right to adopt their own constitu tion and form of government and to amend or change them at any time. • The US shall have full authority over all matters relating to Micro nesian foreign affairs. • The US has full responsibility for Micronesian defence, with ex clusive right to maintain and use military areas and facilities in Micro nesia.

Additional chapters on finance, trade and commerce, nationality and termination procedures will be dis cussed at the Hawaii meeting. The compact will apply to the Marshalls, Ponape, Truk, Yap and Palau dis tricts, but not to the Marianas.

Separate talks, expected to lead to a political union between the Marianas and the US possibly by way of Guam, will begin later this year.

The preamble to the draft compact says that the US recognises it has the responsibility of promoting the development of the Micronesians towards self-government or indepen dence to replace the trusteeship, and it agrees to establish a system of self-government “appropriate to the particular circumstances of Micro nesia and its people”, in accordance with their freely expressed wishes.

On internal affairs the compact says that the constitution and laws of Micronesia shall establish a govern mental structure “consistent with the principles of democracy”.

On foreign affairs, the compact lays down that Micronesia and the US may consult at any time either requests it. The US will, “to the extent feasible without prejudice to the fulfilment of its overall foreign affairs respon sibilities, accommodate the expressed wishes of the Government of Micro nesia”. The US will also avoid “to the greatest extent possible, any inter ference in Micronesia’s internal affairs pursuant to its foreign affairs authority”.

The US will give consular assistance and diplomatic protection to Micro nesians travelling abroad; it will give “sympathetic consideration” to foreign countries which want to set up con sulates in Micronesia. The consulates would have joint accreditation.

Micronesia will be entitled to seek associate membership of UN agencies and regional bodies of which the US is a member, and to seek membership of other bodies, Micronesia may negotiate agreements of a cultural, educational, financial, scientific or technical nature that apply only to Micronesia. It will also be able to locate trade offices abroad and accept overseas trade offices.

Micronesia agrees that should the US decide that any Micronesian activity conflicts with US external affairs policies, Micronesia will refrain from them.

There was detailed debate at the meeting on this matter of foreign affairs, both sides recognising that there will be occasions when foreign affairs decisions will impinge on internal affairs, and vice-versa, and that commonsense will be needed if arrangements are to work smoothly.

The United States was able to satisfy its defence needs in the com pact by reserving specific areas for military use, in addition to getting agreement that it be able to conduct any activity in Micronesia that it sees as necessary for the exercise of its defence responsibilities.

It is also able, under the compact, to ask Micronesia for the use of ad ditional areas to the ones specified, and Micronesia will have to respond promptly.

The legal status of US military personnel, other employees and dependents in Micronesia, is yet to be established “by mutual consent”.

Micronesians will be able to enlist in the US armed forces but will not be subject to draft.

The specific military areas reserved by the US in the compact are: Marshalls : Continuing rights over land and waters at the Kwajalein missile range (the land portion of which encompasses about 1,320 acres); at Bikini, continuing rights for use of 1.91 acres of Ourukaen and Eniman islets and the use of the pier, airfield and boat landing on Eneu island; at Eniwetok, retention of such rights as may be negotiated

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