occupy Kwajalein

U.S. vetoes independence as Marshallese landowners occupy Kwajalein

Reporting from where the action is the Marshall Islands’ Kwajalein Atoll, and neighboring Ebeye Island U.S. journalist GIFF JOHNSON tells the story of the tense battle being waged by Kwajalein landowners, and in other ways and other places by the Marshalls Government, over the terms of their post-Trusteeship relations with the U.S.

Landowners at the United States Army’s strategic Kwajalein Missile Range have mounted a major “sail-in” occupation of their off-limits islands, calling for rejection of the recently signed Compact of Free Association (PIM Aug., p 33). In response, the U.S. has demanded that independence earlier agreed by U.S. and Marshall Islands negotiatiors as an option for Marshallese voters be removed from the ballot for the upcoming re ferendum on the compact. The

U.S. Defense Department has attempted to impose a total media blackout of the Kwaja lein sail-in by barring repor ters access to Kwajalein, and prohibiting normal telephone communications.

The 5000-member Kwajalein Atoll Corporation announced its opposition to the compact immediately after the May 30 agreement was signed by U.S. and Marshallese negotiators, ending 13 years of negotia tions. Late in July more than 1000 landowners were occupy ing at least eight islands in Kwajalein, including six in the hazard zone for incoming mis siles. They were protesting against compact provisions granting the U.S. 50 years use of Kwajalein; a Mutual Secur ity pact giving the U.S. perma nent military denial powers; proposed annual payments of 5U.5.1.9 million, well below the current $9 million yearly rent; and no provisions for past-use compensation.

U.S. Ambassador Fred Zeder and Marshalls Foreign Secret ary Tony deßrum in mid-May signed a Memorandum of Understanding for an acceler ated shedule to end the United Nations Trusteeship by Octo ber 1. It outlined two options for Marshallese voters in an August 17 referendum: appro val of the compact of Free Association, or full independ ence. In either case, U.S. con trol via the United Nations agreement which deßrum said “hangs like a millstone on our economic advancement (and) political freedom” would terminate.

The U.S. Government would not have objected to the inde pendence option if compact

approval was a certainty, say informed sources. When Kwajalein landowners put compact approval in jeopardy, however, U.S. officals quickly repudiated Zeder’s memoran dum. “We have done every thing we can to expedite the process” of granting greater autonomy to the Marshallese, said Deputy assistant Secret ary of Defense Noel Koch, “but declaring independence simply isn’t an available option to them” under international law. This statement was made despite UN Trusteeship provi sions binding the U.S. to de velop Micronesia “toward self government or independence, as may be appropriate...”

Pentagon officials were re portedly “furious” because they feared the Marshallese would vote for independence and then demand more than the annual $1.9 million pay ments specified in the com pact. The Pentagon is vitally concerned with the future of Kwajalein wrote The Wall Street Journal (July 9), be cause “it would cost as much as $2 billion, according to some Pentagon planners, to set up a similar testing establish ment elsewhere. What’s more important, military strategists say, is that it would be ex tremely difficult to find a com parable site that missiles could reach without flying them over major population centres.

Virtually all of America’s nuc lear-weapons delivery sys tems have been tested at the multi-billion range, and the new MX missile is scheduled for testing there in a few months.

Meanwhile, calling their occupation “Operation

Homecoming”, Kwajalein landowners say they have no intention of leaving their is lands, many of them dotted with radar and other missile tracking equipment. Both the U.S. and Marshall Islands Gov ernments, however, are taking a tough stand against the pro tests which threaten to disrupt missile-testing operations.

Both governments contend the Kwajalein Atoll corpora tion is bound by an Interim Use Agreement for Kwajalein, which expires on September 30. The KAC, which refused to sign the agreement, but has received payments specified in the pact, says it is not legally bound by it. The Mar shalls Government, at the occupation’s outset, obtained a Temporary Restraining Order from Marshalls High court Justice John Lanham, barring the KAC from occupying is lands or interfering with Kwajalein Missile Range operations. This court order gave the U.S. legal authority for the arrest of 13 KAC lead ers as they entered a re stricted area, said the Kwaja lein security police. But George Allen, legal counsel for the KAC, contends the real reason the arrests were made was because they were moving into the swimming area for Kwajalein’s predominantly white, American population.

The Temporary Restraining Order was overturned by a higher court and the Marshal lese released. Since then, however, the Marshalls Gov ernment has received a new court order fining the KAC for all costs caused by KAC

disruption of missile range activities. In mid-July, the fi gure was well over $lOO,OOO and growing daily. The Mar shalls and U.S. Governments contend that “all functions of the range are continuing normally.” But landowners claim that two missile tests, normally targeted for Kwaja lein’s 2300-square kilometre lagoon, were re-targeted to land well away from the Atoll.

Occupation of the six islands in the “mid-corridor” hazard zone “precludes testing into the lagoon unless the military are going to violate their own safety regulations”, said Allen.

The U.S. has also refused to make the July $2 million rental payment the final instal ment of the one-year interim use agreement until the occupation ends, and has insti tuted a series of actions to pressure the landowners to re turn to tiny 27-hectare Ebeye Island, where approximately 8000 Marshallese live. Ebeye is five kilometres from Kwaja lein Island, and the 700 or so Marshallese employees are ferried to and from work daily, as they must be off Kwajalein by night.

Kwajalein security police in July were searching everyone who left Kwajalein for Ebeye and confiscating all food, cigarettes and other items.

The day this writer arrived, an entire crate of fresh mangoes, brought from Honolulu by a Marshallese woman, was taken by security police.

Additionally, all . Marshal lese, excepting Kwajalein em ployees with ID badges, have officially been prevented from

going to Kwajalein, which pre cludes Marshallese use of the bank. There is no bank on Ebeye. Unable to pay off loans and other bills, and prevented from picking up food ship ments from Kwajalein, Ebeye businesses are both losing money and running “danger ously low on food supplies”, said Chamber of Commerce President Fountain Inok. At the request of the Chamber of Commerce, President Amata Kabua cabled the Defense De partment asking for a re-open ing of bank services to the business community on Ebeye.

There had been no response at time of writing.

These events have been sur rounded by a shroud of secre cy. In early July, an Australian network film crew, with valid Marshalls Government passes for Ebeye, were arrested on the day of their arrival on Ebeye and flown back to Ma juro. After negotiations and an apology from the Marshalls Government, they were allowed back to Ebeye for one day of filming. A Guam Pacific Daily News reporter was re peatedly denied access, and a local reporter for the Marshall Islands Journal was thrown off Kwajalein by security police.

The Marshall Islands Gov ernment has scheduled a re ferendum for August 17 on the Compact of Free Association, but strong U.S. opposition to the rush suggests it may be postponed. Some observers be lieve the U.S. wants a referen dum delay to “take the steam” out of the anti-compact pro tests at Kwajalein.

Since the late 19605, Kwaja

lein landowners have con tinuously protested at living conditions on Ebeye and at the lack of compensation.

The landowners believe they are caught between the U.S.

Trust Territory bureaucracy, and a Kwajalein army com mand unconcerned with their problems on Ebeye. They say it is only when they physicially occupy their islands in protest that they are able to force action by U.S. officials. After a major occupation in 1979 (PIM Sept. 1979 Pl 9) the U.S. upped compensation payments from a few hundred thousand dol lars a year to $9 million annually. KAC leaders were not surprised to hear President Kabua announce on June 30 10 days after the current pro tests began —that $6 million is now available to upgrade the power plant and sewage sys tem and to provide drinking water for every Ebeye home.

Senator Ataji Balos, Chair man of the KAC, who in June resigned his post as Minister for Internal Security in the Marshall Islands Cabinet, summarised the Kwajalein landowners’ position on the compact: “I was the only mem ber of the congress of Mic ronesia Joint Committee on Future Status who refused to sign the 1976 compact. If I could not support a compact which gave the U.S. 15 years at Kwajalein with no hope of help for my people, how can I now support a compact which gives 50 years?”

Footnote: As foreshadowed by Giff Johnson, the U.S. did veto the August 17 plebiscite, as told in Pacific Report, P. 6.