By Richard N Salvador July 23, 2025 A recent meeting on July 18 between U.S. officials and Palau’s leaders revealed a troubling proposal: the United States wants to send foreign asylum seekers, people who originally came to the U.S. for protection, to be resettled in Palau. What’s most concerning is that the U.S. ambassador […]
Category: Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Rethinking Boards in Palau: Toward Merit, Efficiency, and a Vision for the Future
Dear Editor, In Palau today, there is a silent but growing cost to public governance, one that hides behind protocols, ceremonies, and appointments, but seldom receives the critical scrutiny our ancestors would have demanded. Our national and state boards, whether it be the Palau Visitors Authority (PVA), the Social Security Administration (SSA), or the Palau […]
Posted inOpinion
Biblical Israel is not the State of Israel
12 JULY 2025 Dear Editor, As the 12th Pacific Mini Games wind down, I wish to congratulate all our athletes and more importantly, the entire nation of Palau. We made history, hosting the Mini Games for the second time in twenty years, and while there will always be room for improvement, everyone deserves credit […]
Posted inOpinion
Micronesian Island Forum or Second Island Chain Alliance?
By Dr Robert Underwood HAGATNA, 10 JULY 2025 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES) — Pacific Island nations and territories like to discuss the Blue Continent and give dramatic visions about a Pacific future based on island wisdom, traditions and connections. Despite the diversity of island forms, cultural differences and colonial histories, all Pacific Islanders feel very special […]
Posted inOpinion
Broken Traditions, Broken Families. A Justice System Under Strain.
From ancestral land to legal conflict, Palau’s reliance on Western courts leaves little room for custom. Koror, Palau – A civil dispute between two sisters has escalated into a potential jail sentence — not because of violence or fraud, but because one cannot meet a monthly court-ordered payment. What began as an eviction over shared […]
Posted inOpinion
Pacific Ocean Commissioner: Op -ED – Ripples to Waves:
The Pacific – A Force to be Reckoned With By Dr Filimon Manoni, Pacific Ocean Commissioner KOROR, 30 JUNE 2025 (PIFS) — It’s been two weeks since the curtains fell on the third UN Ocean Conference. At this largest ever ocean summit, the Pacific voice echoed as a collective, calling for more global ocean accountability, […]