MAY 28, 2010
RMI signs tax agreement with the Netherlands
The RMI government signed its second tax information exchange agreement in one week, formalizing a tax partnership with the Kingdom of the Netherlands last week. Finance Minister Jack Ading signed on behalf of the government and expressed gratitude and thanks to the Netherlands for engaging with RMI on the tax agreement.
ROC funds hands-on programs at NTC
An ROC-RMI Vocational Training Project, locally entitled Jitok Kapeel, will take place from July 2010 to December 2011. It will take place at the newly-established ROC Vocational Training Center located at the Ministry of Public Works Complex. This is a Taiwan/ICDF joint venture with RMI whereby 4 ROC trainers, along with training equipment and materials, will be provided by the ROC Government. RMI will provide the training venue, the trainees, and logistical support for the whole project.
Inflation rate close to zero
The inflation rate for Majuro remained close to zero for all of calendar year 2009, according to a report issued last week by the government’s Economic Policy, Planning and Statistics Office. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for the first quarter of fiscal year 2010 (October-December 2009) shows that prices dropped in food and appliances, while others remained virtually the same as the previous quarter, giving Majuro a small drop in overall prices.
Tonyokwe takes over at immigration
The Public Service Commission has named a former RMI Police Commissioner to be the new Chief of Immigration. Paul Tonyokwe has taken over at the Immigration Department, which comes under the Attorney General’s office.
RO machine relieves Utrik drought
Utrik Atoll Local Government took the initiative to buy reverse osmosis water-making equipment, which was expected to arrive to the northern atoll this week. The purchase and imminent installation of the RO equipment is very timely because of the drought that is worse in the northern islands than Majuro and atolls to the south.
Ministers John Silk, Amenta Matthew, Kenneth Kedi, and Jack Ading, Senators Tony deBrum and Tomaki Juda, and Bikini Mayor Alson Kelen at the Washington, DC hearing. Inset: President Jurelang Zedkaia met with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Photos: Jack Niedenthal and the US State Department.
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Leaders call for action in Washington
Nuclear Hearing
GIFF JOHNSON
Marshall Islands leaders asked a US Congressional committee last week in Washington, DC to take action on outstanding nuclear test compensation needs by making a referral of the claims to a US court for review. Numerous island leaders testified May 20 at a four-and-a-half-hour hearing held by American Samoa Rep. Eni Faleomavaega, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment. This hearing followed a hearing the previous day on Senate Bill 2941, in the Senate Energy Committee, which if approved would provide funding for health care for the four atolls and several other benefits, but would not provide compensation or a response to the Marshall Islands “Changed Circumstances Petition.” In written testimony to the Faleomavaega’s subcommittee, former Nuclear Claims Tribunal Public Advocate Bill Graham urged the Committee to:
• Refer the Tribunal awards to the US Court of Federal Claims for an advisory opinion.
• Consider recapitalizing the Nuclear Compensation Fund by $106 million.
• Fund the nuclear clean up needs of affected islands at a cost of $531 million.
“We believe that the best way for Congress to address the claims of the Enewetak people is to have the matter referred to the United States Court of Federal Claims pursuant to the congressional referral process,” said Enewetak Nitijela representative and Minister Jack Ading. “That process will enable a body familiar with the type of claims examined and addressed by the Tribunal to again examine those claims, and the resulting awards, and provide a recommendation to Congress regarding disposition of the claims.” Ading said it is time for the US Congress to fix its nuclear test legacy in the Marshall Islands, which remains a close ally of America. “I want to emphasize that we remain a friend of the United States,” Ading said. “In fact, my son, as many other Marshallese, is a member of the US military and a veteran of action in Iraq and Afghanistan. We fight side by side with Americans for values dear to us all. One of those values is to provide adequate compensation when government damages and uses private property. This is not a novel idea. It is enshrined in the Constitution and is based on centuries old legal principles that apply to government and private parties alike.” But with the US Supreme Court recently refusing to hear appeals of lower court dismissals of legal action by Bikini and Enewetak, Ading, Graham and Bikini attorney Jonathan Weisgall, who spoke for the four atolls, all urged the Congress to take
KAREN EARNSHAW
“Marshallese people are killing themselves with their forks and don’t realize the danger,” the Wellness Center’s Denis Yates told the Journal Wednesday in reaction to a declaration of a Regional State of Health Emergency due to the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by the Pacific Island Health Officers Association (PIHOA) this week. The emergency declaration covers the United States Affiliated Pacific Islands, which include American Samoa, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.
“The fact that this prestigious organization has made the declaration gives flesh and bones to the work that so many people in the region have been doing in trying to reduce NCDs,” Yates said.
Dr. Stevenson Kuartei, PIHOA President and Palau’s Health Minister, said in a release Tuesday: “These islands have some of the highest rates of NCDs in the world. Diabetes, heart diseases, strokes, cancer and other NCDs are killing off Pacific peoples, placing a significant burden on their daily functionality, and threatening the national security of these island countries and territories.
“NCDs impair workers, increase absenteeism, cause untold suffering to patients and families but also lead to increase health care costs, including off-island medical referrals.” As well as creating a Regional State of Health Emergency, the declaration directs the PIHOA Secretariat to develop a regional NCD policy that will help coordinate partners and resources more effectively and make a range of recommendations to donors, health agencies, legislatures, traditional leaders, and other groups. “This isn’t just a problem for the health sector,” Kuartei said. “We need to convert to healthier diets, eliminate tobacco use, limit alcohol consumption and significantly increase physical activity.”
Yates and his team, who through the Wellness Center has successfully changed the dietary habits of many Majuro residents, agrees with
Declaration
of health emergency
Kuartie. “Every bite of highly processed food is killing us. This food, and particularly white rice, converts to sugar very quickly and elevates blood sugar levels. White rice also leaves people hungry because it’s just a starch, a carbohydrate, which leaves you hungry in just a few hours.
“Also, most people think that sugar is the main cause of diabetes and are surprised to find out that while this is a contributing factor, the worst enemy is fat, which damages the body’s ability to effectively move the sugar (or glucose) from the blood stream to where it is needed for energy in the body. “People need more fiber to combat this. Beans are the cheapest, highest quality sources of fiber and protein on island and can even replace many meat meals. Meat has zero fiber. Spam has 40 percent fat.” Yates said the right amounts of fiber are found in a traditional Marshallese diet. “Diabetes was extremely rare 60 years ago, dispelling the popular notion that diabetes is hereditary. People ate coconuts, taro, and fish and the like and they had a higher activity level. In those days they just didn’t have the problems they have today.” Eric Watnik of the US Embassy told the Journal that “the United States does not take action on emergencies declared by private organizations. Nevertheless, the state of health in the Marshall Islands due to NCDs, such as diabetes, concerns us. “We continue working with a number of public and private partners to combat these diseases. We work with the Ministry of Health and their non-governmental partners such as the diabetes Wellness Center, for example, and call on the people of the Marshall Islands to educate themselves on how to make positive lifestyle changes to avoid getting these diseases.” Over the past four years, the US Government has contributed over a million dollars to the Diabetes Wellness Center programs, as well as helping other like-minded NGOs.
Andy Caleb of Jaluit, Tiem Clement of Namdrik, James Jali of Jaluit, and Marton Philip of Aur pose with their new canoe at the Shanghai Expo.
action to refer the claims to the US court. “This Committee cannot initiate appropriations, but it can take the lead in getting the United States to honor its constitutional, statutory and moral obligations to the people it damaged and the others who, with no real options, gave up their lands to help the United States win the Cold War,” Weisgall said. “The peoples of all four atolls urge this Committee to take that lead by referring their cases to the Court of Federal Claims under Congress’ congressional reference authority set forth in statute and by court regulations. “Our understanding of the procedure is that, if directed by Congress, the Court of Federal Claims will produce an advisory report to Congress that is prepared in much the same manner that a court case is tried and decided, in which the court makes findings and conclusions sufficient to inform Congress whether the demand is a legal or equitable claim or a gratuity and also determines the amount (if any) that is legally or equitably due from the United States to the claimants.” The four atolls also asked the Congress to direct the US Department of Agriculture to increase the volume of USDA food provided to these populations in line with the increasing number of people. “The simple fact is that the populations of the four atolls have increased significantly over the years without any corresponding increase in the US Department of Agriculture food program allotment,” Weisgall said. “This issue does not require any new legislation. It simply requires congressional oversight to ensure that the US Department of Agriculture carries out its job and increases its allotment of the Department’s food program to the peoples of the four atolls to adequately reflect the increases in their population.”

Journal 1/18/1985

Journal 5/20/1971
Ilo LOAN RAN KEIN in an week in ikonan ja naj ukot tok kij jen politics im problems ak jorren kane rej walok tok iod jen ran non ran bwe jen ja lale mok nan ak news lonlon e ej bok iluial einwot an taxi ka bok.
Ennan eo elap tata drein ion DUD in rainin, ekkar non news kane rej aibukbuk iluial ran kein, rej ba bwe emwij an tourist ak dri lotak rob a ke rejamin basr jeblak tok non Majuro in kin wot an kot im nana armij in ailin kein. Nan in ej walok tok jen an kar juon dri school in MIHS, Marshall Islands High School, kote iiep eo an juon lellap in tourist im bok money ko iloan. Bar juon jen		 Majuro Jan. 17 High powered court room action began this past week in the case of Iroij Kabua Kabua vs. the Kwajalein Atoll Corporation in seeking to have distribution of considerable land payment money prevented until a question is resolved regarding the title of iroijlaplap on certain Kwajalein lands. In testimony answers to question from his lawyer Ben Abrams, Iroijlaplap Kabua said that his title was threatened and being disregarded as long as the land payment money is distributed in the present manner.
Kabua said that giving the payments to members of a family younger than he takes away his share of his grandfather’s land. He also testified that the continued distribution of the Kwajalein money made family discussion of the problem difficult since there was no pressure to force a resolution of the dispute. “Because the money is not held up it is hard for us to live together,” he said.
ekkil, wot ej ba enaj mwij jikin jok eo an plane ekaal im ej komon ke einwot dri Okinawa ran rej jerbale bij en rej lomnak wot in ko jen ailin kein kin wot an dri school in MIHS abadre ir?
Jet kein men in kwalok etak im etan ailin kein ad, remaron in emon ak remaron in nana ak ijaje…A baj Kwe?
Ion ao lale lok mour in ak ilo Marshall in ein ao lale lok wot juon likao eo emon dred eo emon an mour im elap an kajur enbwinin. Ej la manit im jela kilen ak jorren kane rej walok tok iod jen ran non ran bwe jen ja lale mok nana news lonlon e ej bok iluial einwot an taxi ka bok.
Enan eo elap tata drein ion DUD in rainin, ekkar non news kane rej aibukbuk iluial ran kein, rej ba bwe emwij an tourist ak dri lotok rob a ke rejamin jar jeblak tok non kajijot bok ro driuamaejet. Botap jidrik wot men eo notan. En eo bwe men eo elap an kautiej elaptata ej lojien. OH! Aet, lein ejelok boran.
Karok tok mon wawen adber im mour ilo ailin kein jej lo elap wot ad lomnak kin men ko kijer im mweier im meloklok ke jej aikuij in bareinwot bok jelelokjen ak teepe lomalij ko ad. Eokwe mol ke je-rittolok im mat lok ad ran im emaat ien school non kij. Ak ewi wawen ajiri rane nejid? Jolok er ke?
Ial in ilen school non ajiri in Marshall ilo rainin ekanoij in iet. Elane ejjab scholarship ko jen Kien ne an Trust Territory im bareinwot jen Congress of Micronesia kap Nitijela, inem ejamin kar wot ial in school non ajiri rein. Ej aikuij in lon lok scholarship jen kajuju drolul ko ak company kane ak ilo ailin kein bwe lein jej konono kake en juon eo elikio im bolemen: jen boran lollok non man adrin neen.
Kom nanin baj lukun ilo ke im aluje warehouse en ekaal rej kaloke iturin KITCO? Elane kwo janin, inem ij kajitok ibam bwe kwon ilok in baj aluje mok. OH!, eaibuijuij wot im emon. Elane enaj dredrelok, enaj wor air-condition iloan non an komon bwe en jab naj malawi rice lonlon eo KITCO enaj kanne mwin kake. Jonan an naj lon, jenaj mona rice jen ijin lok non Taiwan. Juon in naj bar jeramon enaj walok tok non kij, mour in ad,im non ailin kein ad.
Kabua explained that his title is being damaged because there are many who think he does not hold the title because he does not receive payments.
In response to questions from opposing attorney George Allen, Kabua said that it was difficult to name all the particular wetos involved in the dispute but that the lands are the ones for which the younger members of the family are now receiving compensation. He said that a certain book which listed the particular lands in question, one written in 1920, was not in his possession.
Kabua explained that a problem of credit with a Japanese firm in 1920 originally resulted in an agreement whereby certain family lands were affected.
Under the agreement, Jeimata Kabua retained Iroij rights over certain land but the proceeds from the land went directly to the Japanese company. Kabua maintained that the real iroij power remained with Lailon, his grandfather, that the younger brother Jeimata and certain sisters were given permission to live on the Kwajalein lands.
Kabua said that after the death of Jeimata the iroijlaplap title returned to Lailon’s line, which at present meant Kabua Kabua himself since he is the eldest living survivor of that line.
He said that when he was alive Iroij Lejolan Kabua recognized Kabua Kabua as the owner of the Kwajalein lands even though Kabua Kabua was younger.
“They always loved me and never argued among the family,” he said.
Kabua also testified that in his belief, if Lejolan were alive he could take control of the land without a dispute because Lejolan asked Kabua Kabua if he (Lejolan) could live on the land.
At several times during the course of the court action attorney Ben Abrams complained about the presence of attorney John Moore at the table of KAC attorney George Allen.
During the second day of testimony, Leonard Mason, a professor of anthropology at the University of Hawaii since 1947, testified that in his opinion Kabua Kabua is the correct holder of the title Iroijlaplap for the disputed lands on Kwajalein. He appeared as a witness for Kabua Kabua.
There will be more details regarding this presently enacting courtroom controversy in the next edition of the Journal.