Views [‘WES’] from the Tree Tops Ra Mesesechel
A Ngedeloch from the Enchanted Isles
I am and will always be from my beloved Island of Angaur, aka Ngeaur, aka Uab Nation, and, when the occasion calls for it, aka the Enchanted Isles. So, any and all issues that may have relevance to my Uab Nation and her Peoples greatly interests me. At the present, the on-going construction of the Radar Project by the United States Air Force is front and center. The foregoing was and is being made possible pursuant to the Compact between Palau and the Unted States. It is being constructed to address the defense of the United States because of the dangerous politics being played by the United States and Chian in our side of the world, the so-called “Indo Pacific.” My views in this piece are limited to my Uab Nation and the on-going “dangerous politics” herein referenced as they affect my Uab Nation and her Peoples with the aid of the Compact. The Compact, to be very clear, is a Treaty negotiated by non-other than His Excellency, the late Honorable President Lazarus E. Salii, Republic of Palau, himself hailing from the Uab Nation. Regretfully, for those of us who pay homage to the late President Salii, we know in our hearts and souls that he negotiated the Compact for the betterments and the benefits of Palau and her Peoples. Given the current environment because of the Compact, the betterments and the benefits herein referenced have turned out not to be the case as below highlighted! That is, to the determinants of our Peoples, the “Powers to Be” have interpreted and enforced the Compact to be in the best interests of the United States and her Peoples, not Palau and her Peoples!
The above said and to begin, by entering into the Compact with the United States, we did not sell our souls, our beings, and most specially our Sovereignty to the United States for “30 pieces of silvers,” so to speak! Rather, we entered into a Treaty as a Sovereign Nation/Peoples with another Sovereign Nation, the United States. The Compact, in its most simplest sense, was the end result of us having gone to the poles some years earlier to exercise our inalienable right to “self-determine” our future as Human Beings on this Earth, a determination that result in us choosing to be in “Free Association” with the United States and not continuing to be its “Colony” as was the case under the Trust Territory! The ongoing construction of the Radar Project in my Uab Nation and how the Compact is being enforced suggest that we have since gone back to our “Colonial Days” under the United States. I hope His Excellency President Salii is not turning in his grave and shedding tears! That is, with the construction of the Radar Project, our Sovereign Republic is doing the bidding for the United States as its “Errand Boy.” As a side matter, as part of our lawsuit, we argue that our Republic is a Sovereign Nation and, therefore, cannot be made to be United States’ “Errand Boy” in the on-going construction of the Radar Project in our Uab Nation, as a matter of speaking. Mark my words, there is nothing, nothing in the Compact or the laws of our Republic requiring us to lose our Sovereignty for the benefit of the United States in this Radar Project, a project which is for the sole protection of the United States. The history of the United States teaches us that the United States does not fight its “wars” on its soil, i.e., the “soils” of its 48 states with Alaska and Hawaii being excluded. Rather, the United States fights its wars on other Nations’ soils and one only needs to go back and look at WW II and the “wars” the United States has been involved in after WW II to understand what I am saying.
This opinion piece came about as a result of the latest insults we, Palau and for the matter the Marshalls and the FSM [the “COFA Nations”], have received from the United States for its Congress’ utter failure to “HONOR” their commitments under the respective Compacts with respect to the financials. As one who takes a keen interest in the Compact, I had followed the “dog and pony” shows that took place last year involving hearings on the Compact reviews before the US Congress. I heard the lead Negotiator for the United States, the Honorable Ambassador Yun, repeating his concern time and time again regarding the “CREDIBILITY” of the United States in its dealing with the COFA Nations and, for the matter, the wider picture of the Indo-Pacific Arena. Apparently, considering the latest fumble by the United States Congress in utterly failing to uphold its “CREDIBILITY” vis a vis failing to pass the negotiated Compacts, it is clear that no one on the United States side heard the Good Ambassador and this is sad! What is even more sad, from my point of view, is that the Marshallese Rep who appeared before the so-call Indo-Pacific Task Force was put under the gun, so to speak, as his Government was holding off approving the Compact because of the unfulfilled moral and legal obligations of the United States to the Peoples of the Marshalls due to the United States attempt to “perfect” atomic/nuclear bombs in their [the Marshallese] backyard. I had no idea that an atomic or a nuclear bomb can be perfected! In any case, at the hearing before the Indo-Pacific Task Force and from the questions asked of the Marshallese Rep, it was made clear to that the Marshallese that holding off on the approval of their Compact will jeopardize the passage of the Compacts for Palau and FSM. This was a royal nonsense to begin with! When these respective Compacts first came into being, the Compacts of both the Marshalls and the FSM went into effect all the while Palau was fighting against their own Compact. The Palau fight did not by any means delay the implementations of the Compacts for both the Marshalls and the FSM. So, why the table was flipped against the Marshallese during the hearing before the Indo-Pacific Taks Force, one can only assume that it was due to stupidity and ignorance not on the part of the Marshallese. While I do not have proof, I suspect that the Marshallese were forced to agree to their Compact in light of their unhappiness because of this “strong arm tactic” being pulled against them. I should mention that the US Congressional hearings were being conducted all the while the deadline for the so-called old Compact was at the end of September, 2023 for the Marshalls and the FSM. Palau’s deadline is this coming September, 2024. So, with the United States Congress dropping the ball, the Marshallese should also drop the ball on the United States as well. And, for Palau, may be this is a chance to negotiate for more funding and not negotiate against us, Adang!!
In sum, the continued “Colonial Attitude” being imposed on the COFA Nations by the United States is not only unhealthy and not in the best interests of the United States in having to defend itself with the aid and at the expense of the COFA Nations. The COFA Nations must be treated by the United States with the utmost “RESPECT” in every sense of the word because the security of the United States to be protected is contingent on such “RESPECTS!” And, the United States needs to further pay attention to the wisdom shown by the Honorable Ambassador Yun, “CREDIBILITY, IT’S CREDIBILITY!!”
Brien Sers Nicholas, Esq.
Uab Nation