Overview:
Can public support or a person’s reputation tell the whole story? President Surangel Whipps Jr. says recent cases show how difficult it can be to distinguish a genuinely good person from someone who may have cultivated strong community ties for other purposes. He says Palau’s multi-agency review process under Executive Order 497 is designed to look beyond public endorsements and examine each case carefully.
By: L.N. Reklai
KOROR, Palau — President Surangel Whipps Jr. says one of the challenges in determining who should be placed on Palau’s “Undesirable Aliens List” is distinguishing a genuinely good person from someone who may be using relationships and public support to mask activities that could threaten Palau’s interests.
Responding to a Senate inquiry, Whipps pointed to two recent cases to illustrate why the government cannot rely on public endorsements or a person’s reputation alone when making such decisions.
“I want to speak candidly to something your letter raises indirectly,” Whipps wrote. “We hear, quite often, that a designated individual ‘has lived here a long time and done so much for Palau.’” He said closer examination can sometimes tell a different story.
Whipps said some individuals may have built strong relationships within Palauan communities and institutions, gaining enough support to attract prominent advocates even when questions remain about their activities.
“Some individuals appear to have made a study of embedding themselves in our communities and institutions well enough to attract exactly this kind of advocacy on their behalf,” he wrote.
He cited the case of Ching-Jou Lin, also known as Trissa, who was proposed for placement on the list and was under committee review when she was later arrested in Taiwan on money laundering charges.
A second case involved Bin-Fang Shih, also known as Stone, who was under committee review after being charged in Taiwan with espionage on behalf of China, specifically in connection with Palau’s relationship with Taiwan.
Whipps noted that both individuals had received vocal support from prominent Palauans.
“I raise this not to question the good faith of anyone who wrote on their behalf, but as an illustration of how difficult it can be, from the outside, to distinguish a genuinely good person from someone who has cultivated that appearance for other purposes,” he wrote.
The president said those cases demonstrate why Executive Order No. 497 established a multi-agency review rather than leaving decisions to one official.
The standing committee includes senior officials from justice, public safety, immigration, employment services and national security. Affected individuals are notified and given 14 days to respond in writing before the committee makes its recommendation to the president.
Whipps also acknowledged that some evidence cannot be fully disclosed because it comes from confidential international law enforcement and intelligence partners.
He said the process is intended to balance fairness with Palau’s security interests, particularly as the country faces threats involving drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking and other crimes.
“The review process under Executive Order No. 497 is not a formality,” Whipps wrote, describing it as a process in which cases are considered individually and decisions can change as additional information becomes available.
He said some people have been removed from the list after further review when their conduct did not warrant continued inclusion, demonstrating that the system is intended to work in both directions.