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FRIDAY, December 4, 2009
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AG hits Delap firms on tobacco
This Week's
Inside Stories
ROC envoy talks to Pres. Jurelang
A “diplomatic truce” between mainland China and Taiwan is allowing Taiwan to focus attention on and strengthen cooperation with its 23 diplomatic partners, Taiwan Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin said during a two-day visit to Majuro this week to meet President Jurelang Zedkaia and Speaker Alvin Jacklick. Lin emphasized the long-standing and strong relations between his nation and the RMI during the visit.
Oz: Denmark not dead in the water
Despite increasing global sentiment that there will be no binding climate change agreement reached in Denmark this month, the Australian Ambassador to the Marshall Islands said Friday that Australia is optimistic there will be a positive result from the meeting. “It’s not dead in the water,” Ambassador Susan Cox said of the Copenhagen meeting. “It is wrong to say it will be a failure before the meeting.”
Natural ri-Majol in minority
A Journal survey of 146 businesses from Rita to Delap shows that those owned or operated by natural born Marshall Islanders are in the minority. The trend shows that there is increasing ownership or operation of businesses in Majuro by foreigners, many of whom have Marshallese citizenship.
Airport audit
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is preparing to undertake a comprehensive audit of operations at Amata Kabua International Airport that will look into operations and areas such as verification of licensing, policy regarding hazardous materials, airworthiness of flight equipment, and safety policies, among others.
Convict at
large on Arno
One of more than a dozen convicts who broke out of jail in mid-November remains at large on Arno Atoll, according to national police. All the rest, as of Monday this week, had been picked up and returned to the jail in Uliga, police said. Convict Junior Pedro fled to Arno and evaded police capture last month. Police said they plan to make another trip to Arno to bring him back.
Two Delap-based businesses have been hit with criminal smuggling charges for allegedly importing and selling tobacco products in violation of RMI law. The Attorney General’s office filed smuggling and importation for resale of tobacco products without a license charges against Huang Jean Ming, doing business as J&M Enterprises, and a smuggling charge against Zhiqiang Wang, doing business as AA Company, last week. The two charges against Ming state that he failed to inform RMI Customs officers that he imported 40 cases of “Mighty”, 54 cases of “Peony” and four cases of “Hongmei” brand cigarettes last year, but sold and distributed them to other businesses, while not having a license, issued by the Ministry of Finance, for importing tobacco.
In a separate criminal case, Wang was charged with one count of smuggling. He is charged with not informing Customs officers that he imported nine cases of “Mighty” cigarettes. The criminal information filed by Assistant Attorney General Jack Jorbon in both cases included an affidavit from Customs officer Kai Samuel that states his office with National Police conducted an investigation of businesses that were alleged to be smuggling tobacco. This investigation was conducted in October 2008. During the course of visiting multiple stores in Delap, Samuel said they found that seven stores were all selling “Mighty” cigarette packs for $1 each. Samuel noted that national government tax is $1 per pack, and the local government has an additional tax. The stores indicated they had bought the cigarettes from AA Company and J&M Enterprises, Samuel said. Police and Customs obtained a warrant from the court to search both AA Company and J&M Enterprises in early October last year. Although the investigation and seizure of tobacco products was done 13 months ago, the charges were not filed in the High Court until last Wednesday. Attorney John Masek is representing Wang and an agreement was reached for Wang’s initial appearance before Chief Justice Carl Ingram to be on January 18, 2010. Ming was to appear this week.
A three-day Centers for Disease Control-supported advanced cardiac life support training (“CPR”) program is happening this week for Ministry of Health staff to gain recertification in life-saving measures. From left: Frederick Harry (ICU nurse), Uruvaru Munivai (ICU nurse), and Celedonio Javier (respiratory therapist).
Photo: Douglas Henry.
RMI fights TB outbreak
By GIFF JOHNSON
Six cases of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) have been confirmed on Majuro and Ebeye, forcing the Cabinet and Health authorities to take emergency measures to prevent spread of this dangerous illness. Among a series of steps to prevent spread, known patients with regular TB and MDR-TB and their contacts will not be allowed to travel outside of the Republic unless they have authorization of the Director of Public Health, according to Ministry of Health recommended measures approved by Cabinet Tuesday. The development of MDR-TB has more than domestic health implications, since easy travel to the United States presents the possibility of MDR-TB spread to communities in the US. Majuro Hospital Administrator Dr. Marie Lanwi-Paul (pictured) said the Ministry is taking urgent measures to step-up screening for and treatment of TB in Majuro, Ebeye and the outer islands. A major issue is the large number of people who have had contact with MDR-TB patients who need to be identified and treated with preventive drugs for about nine months. Ebeye officials indicated that they have identified up to 200 possible contacts of the four patients diagnosed with MDR-TB, and are screening them for TB. Similar work is ongoing in Majuro. A team of 11 investigators from
the US Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization (WHO) were in Majuro and Ebeye last month in response to RMI government requests for help, and provided recommendations to counter the illness. Lanwi-Paul said the CDC is sending a team back to the RMI late this month to review progress and provide further assistance. While drug-susceptible TB can be cured within six months, MDR-TB requires extensive chemotherapy with drugs, which have more side effects, for up to two years, the WHO says. Lanvwi-Paul said the cost implications of MDR-TB are enormous, with individual cases costing nearly $200,000 to successfully treat. The Cabinet has approved $1.9 million in additional funding to help strengthen the Ministry’s TB prevention and treatment program, though this is about $500,000 less than the Ministry requested. Lanwi-Paul said based on the Cabinet’s approval of $1.9 million the Ministry is reprioritizing its action plan, and also looking for additional sources of funding to buy medicines and other needed supplies. She expects the cost to treat MDR-TB in the RMI to rise “into the millions of dollars.” With the support of the Global Fund, six new staff for the Ministry’s TB program in Majuro have been hired, and more are being hired at Ebeye, Lanwi-Paul said. Three of these new staff are focused on contact tracing while the other three are supervising the “direct observation treatment” (DOT), providing daily dosages of pills to TB patients. Lanwi-Paul said the Ministry is also concerned about the outer islands and is stepping up TB screening as part of Public Health visits, with a focus on islands where there have been contact with MDR-TB patients or high rates of regular TB.
ROC, RMI VIPs dine together
President Jurelang Zedkaia joined with Taiwan Vice Minister David YL Lin Tuesday at Won Hai Shien. With them, from left: Minister John Silk, Speaker Alvin Jacklick, Ambassador Bruce JD Linghu, First Lady Hannah Zedkaia and Billa Jacklick.
Japan donates boat to Jaluit
Japan Embassy officials joined with Jaluit Atoll Local Government leaders recently for the handover of a new 27-foot boat.

Journal 12/4/1971

Journal 12/7/1984
P1 Government House, the official residence of the High Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, was severely fire damaged in an early morning fire Tuesday. There were no injuries. A reward of $2,000 has been posted by the TT government for information leading to the apprehension of the persons responsible for the fire.
P1 Congress of Micronesia Representative Ataji Balos has put the Trust Territory government on the horns of a dilemma: Can the government effect a pocket veto on the entry visa applications of the Japanese medical survey team to prevent what might prove to be an embarrassing expose of American treatment of Marshallese radiation victims? The team is planning to arrive in Micronesia
P1 Charley’s Tavern opened today with a tasty assortment of pupus, very reasonably priced drinks, and an atmosphere that puts one in mind of some of the more exclusive cocktail lounges one might expect to find in The City or LA. Using the basic construction form of the original Kitco Downtown Club, the interior has been transformed into a lake of high-backed, privacy assuring comfortably padded booths. In the rear, where the former Stony the Fijian used to play to dancing guests, a closed off area has been set up with an entrance from the rear parking area that is sparkling with amusement games.
P1 A former staff member of the Pacific Conference of Churches accused the United States of bullying the small states of Micronesia into accepting an independence treaty favorable to US military interests, according to a front page of the December issue of the PCC News published in Fiji. Rev. David Williams, speaking at a recent hearing of the US House of Representatives, said “non-negotiable” demands by the US “call into question how genuinely free” negotiations have been for free association with America.
P1 President Amata Kabua greeted Nauru President Hammer deRoburt and his wife Kolle at the grand opening of Pacific Marshalls’ Majuro Shopping Center (Gibson’s) last Friday. Kabua called the new center a “milestone” of development.
P10 Alik Alik and Witten Philippo have satisfied the requirements for their bachelor of law degrees. AD Tennekone, Alik and Philippo were admitted to the RMI Bar Association and can now practice law before the courts of the Marshall Islands. Alik and Philippo were students of Tennekone at Papua New Guinea law school last year. Alik is working with Tennekone as assistant legislative counsel. Philippo is an assistant attorney general.
P26 The RMI received its first shipment of petroleum for the bulk plant this week. A total of 2.4 million gallons of residual fuel and 2.8 million gallons of diesel were off-loaded from the Esso tanker to the IPSECO tank farm. The fuel shipment was purchased from Shell Oil in Melbourne. An abundance of fuel conglomerates bid on the shipment but due to the fact all except Shell wanted to take over the fuel farm, Shell won out. Wednesday the island was consuming 3.95 megawatts of electricity, nearly double output from the peak of 2.4 megawatts in December 1982 (when the Delap power station was completed).
December 7. It appears that something more than a mere medical survey is in the balance in this continuing refusal of the TT government to take action on the entry visa application of the proposed medical survey team. In a letter to Rep. Balos, a member of the proposed tam explained the purpose of the trip is to research patients of thyroid abnormality in the Utrik and Rongelap communities, as well as research cases of birth abnormalities, influence of environmental radiation on the human body and perform physical check ups on the exposed people.

Journal 12/4/1992
P1 Copra production for the fiscal year ending September 30 is up almost 50 percent compared to last year, according to the tonnage report released by Tobolar Copra Processing Plant. From October 1, 1991 through September 30, 1992, Marshall Islanders produced 5,860 tons of copra, up 46 percent on the previous year’s total of 4,000 tons.
P1 The Marshalls blessed 10 new fishing boats — five owned locally and five by the Marshalls’ joint venture partner, the first of a larger fleet to arrive in Majuro — in a gala ceremony jam-packed by more than 1,000 Majuro residents at Uliga Dock Friday. That this fishing venture is seen as a key element in the economic future of the Marshalls was underscored by the presence of President Amata Kabua and many elected and business leaders. President Kabua commented that with the
christening of the vessels belonging to the Marshalls and joint venture partner Larry Mehau, the Marshalls was truly set to launch its own fishing industry.
P4 Two unidentified floating objects containing a white, powdery substance that is believed to be a narcotic washed up on the ocean side of Bikini Atoll last weekend are now in the custody of Kwajalein Army officials. The two packages were encased in plastic bags and an outer rubber sack, weighing a total of 20 pounds.
The packages will go to Hawaii for laboratory analysis. Makes you wonder if there’s some big drug kingpin out there missing out on a major payday. If it turns out to be cocaine, we’re talking seven figures.
P19 The College of the Marshall Islands will soon break from the College of Micronesia system, becoming a fully independent college with its own board of regents. Early next year, the COM treaty — that currently governs CMI, COM in Pohnpei and the Micronesian Occupational College in Palau — will expire, setting in motion a new era for the Marshalls’ college.
P24 Captain John Kawakami and the crew of the #1060 walked off with a cool $8,000 for setting a new marlin weight record to win His Excellency Amata Kabua First Annual Billfish Tournament at Kwajalein last month. Forty eight fishing boats from Ebeye, Kwajalein and Majuro competed. Kawakami’s boat landed a 480 pound blue marlin to smash the old record of 408.