Reagan’s man knows his Caribbean,

but what about the Pacific?

The Reagan Administration’s announcement earlier this year that policy towards the US Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands was now subject to ‘full review’ dismayed leaders of the various governments which are emerging from the soon to-be-dissolved TTPI (PIM Jun p 57). Now leaders of the so-called ‘flag territories’ of the US in the Pacific are voicing concern that the administration has developed no discernible policy for the Pacific Islands. They contrast this with the active policy it is pursuing in the Caribbean, and see as symbolic the appointment of Cuban-born diplomat Pedro San Juan to oversee their affairs. Two Honolulu-based writers, JERRY BURRIS* and MULIUFI HANNEMANN**, report exclusively for PIM.

Leaders of the so-called ‘American Flag’ islands of the Pacific met in Hawaii in June to discuss their fears that the new Reagan Administration in Washington is barely aware of their part of the world.

The meeting brought together Governor George Ariyoshi of Hawaii, Gov Peter Tali Coleman of American Samoa, and Gov Paul Calvo of Guam for two days of closed door meetings.

These three, along with Gov Carlos Camacho of the North ern Mariana Islands, have formed a group called the Pacific Basin Development Council. The council, created ast year with the active support )f former President Jimmy Carter’s administration, is sup posed to deal with common economic and development ssues.

The idea was that the corn pined voices of these four little )ips in the Pacific would pro luce a bigger squeak when it :ame to extracting federal econ imic development dollars out of he government in Washington.

Tat objective remains. But it’s [uite clear from the Honolulu fleeting that the PBDC will Iso have a political voice.

First evidence: a strong letter 3 President Reagan that

Jerry Burris is an American lurnalist and political colum ist with The Honolulu Adver ser. * Muliufi Hannemann is a Dedal assistant to the overnor of Hawaii. He re mtly returned from Washing m where he worked in the department of Interior’s Office of Territorial and Inter itional Affairs.

suggests the new administration is headed towards a potentially ‘disastrous’ relationship with the Pacific island territories.

There is no policy towards the territories and little indication that the Reagan Administration intends to hire people with a Pacific islands background, the governors said.

The key office for all terri torial and island activities is the Assistant Secretary of the In terior Department for Terri torial and International Affairs.

But thus far, the governors complained, appointments to that office have shown a distinct lack of sensitivity toward the Pacific.

The head of the office will reportedly be Pedro San Juan, a linguist, veteran diplomat and economics expert who served in both the Kennedy and Carter administrations. The Cuban born official most recently has been director of the Hemi spheric Center for the American Enterprise Institute and has an extensive Caribbean background as well as a record of service with Law of the Sea negotiations and arms control talks.

The speculation is that San Juan’s knowledge of the Caribbean, plus his background in defence, arms control and international negotiations, will serve the Reagan Adminis tration well as it develops a so called ‘Caribbean Policy’. That policy is designed to diminish the influence of the Soviet Union in that part of the world.

But ‘what does it have to do with the Pacific?’, the governors asked. ‘Mr San Juan’s background does not provide him with any experience or insights into the needs of the Pacific Island

community,’ the governors complained in their letter.

News of lesser appointments suggest that even the support staff will lack this necessary Pacific orientation, they said. ‘Based on past experiences, it takes several years before non- Pacific island individuals begin to understand our specific and very special island needs,’ they said. ‘lt should be noted that a background in Caribbean affairs does not relate to any of the unique island needs.’ ‘To administer the territories and to carry out oversight responsibilities from 10 000 miles away in Washington DC is a major job in itself,’ they wrote. To attempt to do it with individuals who are unfamiliar with Pacific territorial issues, cultural patterns and specific, unique needs could prove disas trous.’

Furthermore, they com plained, the federal government continues to exhibit a ‘total lack of formal policy regarding what the United States wants for its territories and the role, if any, that the territories should play in national policy’.

By inference, they suggested that Japan and the Soviet Union both want more influence in the area. One way to keep them out is to pay a little attention to the territories.

Since that letter was written, private meetings between San Juan and island representatives have been held in Washington.

They did little to assuage fears.

San Juan points out that his background in international negotiations and defence mat ters will be useful in the still pending status negotiations with the Micronesian govern ment entities that make up the Trust Territory of the Pacific

Islands. Perhaps. But for the four island leaders, the situation seems to be ‘we’ll believe it when we see it’.

The island governors also prepared another message for Washington this one to the US Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) over the attempt by Texas International Airlines to take over Continental Airlines.

Their concern has to do with Continental’s service to American Samoa en route to Australia, Fiji and New Zea land, and its service to Micronesia through Air Micronesia.

Despite some evidence to the contrary, the governors fear that if Texas International suc ceeds in its take-over bid, that service could be reduced or even eliminated. They support Continental’s plan to fight the takeover through an employee stock ownership plan.

On June 8, just as the governors were meeting in Honolulu to arrange their protest at the takeover bid, Texas International was busy in Washington DC. The airline filed a memo with the CAB vowing that ‘it intends to main tain at a minimum essentially the same level of service now provided by Continental. That service will be provided for the indefinite future,’ the airline said.

The governors were not con vinced. Based on the record of Tl’s testimony in the case, the governors said, ‘we are con cerned about the viability of this commitment’.

The best assurance of con tinued Pacific air service by Continental would be to ‘sup port the employees slock owner

ship plan,’ they said.

Jerry

Burris.