Reaping the benefits

benefits

New Marshallese president eyes personal financial gain

By Bernadette Hussein

The new president of the Republic of the Marshall Islands is positive that the move to make tourism a major income earner in his country will do well.

President Imata Kabua said the Marshall Islands had a lot to offer in terms of diving and fishing and was something which most tourists found attractive.

In an interview during his visit to Fiji in March, Kabua said they hoped to achieve this by bringing the private and public sectors together and work out an attractive plan.

“We have in mind hotels, diving resorts and fishing and, of course, as we near the expiration of the Compact of Free Association, we will have to get ourselves ready to survive without

Kabua ... “I have a right to my land”

Reaping the benefits

that,” Kabua said.

And the major focus of developing the tourism industry would be on Majuro, Bikini, Kwajalein and the Mili atolls, he said.

“I don’t think it [Bikini’s nuclear past] will be a problem; neither on Bikini or

Kwajalein.

“In fact, it isn’t a problem because already we have a large number of people going to Bikini to dive. All we need is to make a prop er dive resort.”

And, more controversially, Kabua believes, that being a landowner in the region, he is entitled to its financial success es.

Earlier in March, Kabua had been inter viewed by Nicholas Kristoff, for The New York Times in the US, on a number of issues regarding Bikini and its people. In his article, Kristoff accused Kabua of being a drunkard and foul-mouthed - accusations which Kabua

strongly denies.

“You see, that reporter broke his code of ethics because he interviewed me when I was drunk but that doesn’t mean I am a drunkard, no. I enjoy a drink and I think the reporter took advantage of this.”

During the interview, Kabua allegedly said that he wanted a third of the Bikinians’ revenue.

“What revenue is he talking about? I don’t know anything about any revenue from the Bikinians. But I do have land interests on Bikini and because of this I am free to do whatever I want on my land.

“My grandfather and father were landowners and so am I. So why do I need to tell the people what I want because the land is rightfully mine?”

Did this mean he was going to claim the land back from the people and develop it for other purposes. “Why do I have to claim it? It is mine and I am going there to live. I do not

need anybody’s permission to do so. If I want to build a dive resort or whatev er I want, I can - and nobody has the

right to say anything.”

The article also said that Kabua had demanded that the people of Bikini build him a “fine new house”.

“Yes, I did. I wrote a letter and told them to build me one. The people of the Marshall Islands built one for the speaker and the senator - and I want one too.

“The people who built these houses are from the islands where the two peo ple are landowners. Their people built these houses for them because they have these titles and positions. So what was wrong in me asking the Bikinians to build me one too?

“The house is to be built on Ebeye.

The local government built one for the speaker and for the senator, and when those two people die the houses are going to remain with the family, not go to the next person.”

Kabua said, keeping these things in mind, he wrote to the mayor and the council of Bikini. They still have not responded.

“People should stop building houses for people only because they hold such high place in society. If they want to, they should build only if he has a land right on one of the islands. In that respect, I don’t think they should build a house for me as president - but as a landowner.

“Everyone has a right to speak and express themselves, so I have a right to my land.”

As for Kabua’s “foul mouth”, Kristoff’s article stated that the presi dent swore when questioned about the attitude of the Bikinians. Kabua, how ever, denies this.

“It is a lie because I did not swear at

anyone.”

According to The New York Times article, Kabua said that if the Bikinians resisted, he would sue them to gain access to some of their money.

“What money? I have no idea what money he kept referring to. Besides, I do not have to sue them because it is my land and I have more right to it then

they do.

“But what I will say is that any rev enue which comes from the land in terms of business or development, I have a right to because it is of course coming from my land.” ■