DEIS gives rise to a new breed of local advocates

DEIS gives rise to a new breed of local advocates

Wednesday, 10 February 2010 04:03
by Zita Y. Taitano | Variety News Staff


A new voice to reckon with

THE draft environmental impact statement, released to the public in November, sparked a wide array of concerns and serious inquiries from residents and activists. It also gave rise to a new group of advocates for local issues who have immediately made their mark in the community.

Known as We Are Guahan, the coalition is comprised of individuals from various ethnic backgrounds. They are people who were either born and raised on Guam or those who now call the island their home.

But group members Melvin Won Pat Borja and Victoria Leon Guerrero said they don’t want the group to be portrayed as “activists.”

“That’s admirable but to say We Are Guahan is an activist group is inaccurate; we stray away from activism. Our goal is to inform; our goal is to unite,” said Leon Guerrero.

Borja said their intention is simply to be educated on the document, read it and then comment on it. “I think that if we see what the plan is really about, the more informed we are,” he said.

Genesis

Borja said the group actually started out with a bunch of friends who wanted to dissect the draft environmental impact statement in order to understand what is really being said in the 11,000-page document.

From there, the group set up at various venues to promote residents to learn more about the draft study. That was the goal of the Guam Music Festival held last December at the Paseo Stadium.

Information campaign

Leon Guerrero and other members including Monaeka De Oro informed individuals they met about the document and passed out flyers on the effects the buildup would have on Guam.

When the hearings began, the group took a few steps further and spoke out against the buildup. They set up tables and posters pinpointing sections of the draft study. Among the posters that were on displayed was the name of the coalition.

“We felt the community really needed to be informed. We couldn’t be voiceless,” Leon Guerrero said.

They organized a hike to Pagat, where the military plans to build a firing range.

“We kind of switched gears and became more active in speaking out on these issues,” Leon Guerrero said.

From there, We Are Guahan was born.

Diverse group

Kara Flores Mays speaks before a crowd on board the Atlantis Submarine prior to Sunday’s snorkeling trip to Apra Harbor’s Western Shoals, where the military plans dredging activities to accommodate more military vessels.

Leon Guerrero said the group, which has about 5,000 members, started with members aged between 20s and 30s. The group membership has since expanded to a wider spectrum.

“It’s really a diverse group,” Leon Guerrero said.

The group also includes biologists, educators and social workers, who are helping in the dissection of the huge draft report.

“That’s what’s cool about We are Guahan. We are all inclusive,” Leon Guerrero said. “We welcome all perspectives and for people who are part of this island, who have been part on this island and want to be part of this island in the future.”

Veteran activists

We Are Guahan has received high praises from veteran activists including Josephine Jackson, Danny “Pagat” Jackson, Hope Cristobal and Trini Torres.

“I give them kudos. I’m very proud of what they’re doing,” said Josephine Jackson, a member of the Taotaomona Rights Group and Nasion Chamoru. “We want our youth to go out. I’m so glad that they did this that they came out to speak out on the draft impact report.”

She explained that the younger activists made it easier for manamkos such as herself to understand the draft study.

For more information about We Are Guahan, residents can log onto their website at www.weareguahan.com.

120-day stretch for DEIS review period sought

120-day stretch for DEIS review period sought

Friday, 05 February 2010 00:51
by Mar-Vic Cagurangan | Variety News Staff

THE new activist group called “We Are Guahan” has launched an online petition asking the Department of Defense to extend the review and comment period for the draft environmental impact statement by 120 days.

The Guam community was given 90 days to review and respond to the 11,000-page draft study releases in November. Under the current schedule, the comment period expires on Feb. 17.

The official request for extension was made earlier by Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo to Department of Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. The Navy official has yet to respond to the request.

“As evident in recent [draft environmental impact statement] hearings, concerns about land acquisition among other critical issues have emerged. Given this 90 day commenting period, the people of Guam have not been given adequate time and resources to comment on the Department of Defense's plans to increase its land inventory, especially when the Land Acquisition Impact,” states the petition, which has 394 signatures so far.

The petitioners are targeting 1,000 signatures for the petition.

“One of the many issues local Guam residents are concerned about is the measures the military will take to acquire the additional lands they seek to complete their mission,” the petition said.

We Are Guahan noted that the draft study uses “vague language, making it unclear to private landowners whether or not the military would seek to negotiate with landowners instead of resorting to the use of eminent domain and/or land condemnation.”

This petition “calls for the military to reveal to the public their plans to acquire land and to extend the period of time residents have to review and respond to said plan.”

To sign up or view the petition stats online go to: www.thepetitionsite.com/1/call-for-transparency-and-extension-of-deis-commenting-period.

PNC :: Activists, Victoria Leon Guerrero and Kara Mays on the Big Show with Travis Coffman

PNC :: Activists, Victoria Leon Guerrero and Kara Mays on the Big Show with Travis Coffman

Friday, 29 January 2010

A group calling themselves "We Are Guahan" is speaking against the military buildup. They claim that it is not "good" for the island and it's residents. Listen to the Big Show with Travis Coffman every day 2 to 6 pm on Newstalk K-57.

If player does not load, then click here to download the entire podcast.
http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/images/stories/k57podcasts/jan10/100129_141701.mp3

Written by : Paul Charfauros

PNC :: Chamber Issues 14 Points For Buildup; "We Are Guahan" Issues 14 Against

PNC :: Chamber Issues 14 Points For Buildup; "We Are Guahan" Issues 14 Against

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Guam - The Guam Chamber of Commerce has posted 14 points in favor of the military buildup on its website.

To view their 14 points click on the link below:

Read the Chamber's 14 points
http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/images/pdf/chambuild.pdf

In response, the "We Are Guahan" Coalition has issued 14 points against the buildup.

Read We Are Guahan's 14 points
http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/images/pdf/14reasons.doc

Written by : Kevin Kerrigan

PNC :: Melvin Won Pat Borja and John Sarmiento with Patti Arroyo

PNC :: Melvin Won Pat Borja and John Sarmiento with Patti Arroyo

Monday January 18, 2010

Young activists speak against the military buildup.

If player does not load, then click here to download part 1.
http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/images/stories/k57podcasts/jan10/100118_103715.mp3

If player does not load, then click here to download part 2.
http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/images/stories/k57podcasts/jan10/100118_111231.mp3

Written by : Paul Charfauros

'I'm not against the buildup': Supporters prepare in anticipation of economic growth

'I'm not against the buildup': Supporters prepare in anticipation of economic growth

By Amritha Alladi • Pacific Daily News • January 18, 2010

A slew of activists have fervently voiced their opposition to the military buildup during a series of recent public hearings, but there are some others who look forward to the economic growth expected from the buildup -- though they may not be as vocal in their assertions.

They have until Feb. 17 to submit their opinions quietly on paper.

For example, Jose Villas, general manager of Eureka's Construction, said he hasn't commented on the draft Environmental Impact Statement. However, he supports the expansion opportunities presented by the relocation of 8,000 Marines and their dependents to Guam.

"I'm not against the buildup," he said. "Our employees right now are all local workers, they're all skilled. That's all we need, to train those kind of people."

That's not to say Villas is placing all his hopes on the buildup, because Villas, like many other in his field, knows not to put all his eggs in one basket.

James Martinez, president of the Guam Contractors Association, said he, too, has not been to any of the draft EIS hearings, but he supports the military buildup. He said the association has been training workers in light carpentry. However, the training in heating, air conditioning, light carpentry and photovoltaic systems is long-term and sustainable so workers will not only be employable for maintenance jobs after the buildup is over, but will also be employable whether the buildup happens.

"Even if it doesn't happen, there's building of infrastructure we need to take care of," Martinez said. "If you're going to train specifically for this military buildup, you're probably training for the wrong reason."

In fact, it's because the fate of the buildup still see-saws precariously that local businessman James Adkins said Guam's residents shouldn't challenge the Defense Department's land acquisition requests.

"The military is starting to look at some of the things that are being said by our senators that they do not want the military here. You couple that with the other things that are going on in Japan (and) we are not sure that we will even get this buildup," Adkins said.

And according to him, no one has produced an alternative to solving Guam's economic problems. So far, the buildup has been the only viable option, he said.

"I agree," said Guam Visitors Bureau General Manager Gerry Perez. "I have not heard any major economic development initiative proffered by those most vocal in opposing the military buildup."

According to the draft EIS, the military buildup will create 3,000 jobs for civilian workers by the 2014 peak, and an additional 6,150 jobs will be provided on a "more permanent basis" thereafter. The government of Guam is expected to generate $325 million in 2014 revenue alone, the document states.

However, Guam Department of Labor chief economist Gary Hiles said it's not so black-and-white.

"The buildup will bring more jobs to the island and more revenue to the government of Guam. However, it will cause the government of Guam to incur substantial additional capital investment for infrastructure and increased operating costs in public safety, health care and education," he said.

While some of these costs can be mitigated through increased federal support, like the federal legislative action to exclude Guam from the national caps on the number of H-2B workers, more federal mitigation is required, he said.

For instance, the removal of provisions in federal law that protected Guam and U.S. workers will require additional mitigation so that the standard of living of workers doesn't continue to deteriorate due to the costs of living increasing faster than wages, he said. He added the proposed actions outlined in the draft EIS indicate an increase in the cost of living for Guam's residents.

Albert Perez, an economist with the Bureau of Statistics and Plans, agreed the buildup opportunities will be more fruitful for some than others, but the real reason for Guam's economic decline isn't that the military lightened its operations on Guam, as Adkins noted during a recent public hearing.

"I think the principal factor affecting what hasn't fueled our local economy of late is the state of the world financial markets," Albert Perez said. "Notwithstanding the military buildup, what will gradually fuel Guam's economy is a recovered world financial market which investors, tourists and consumers alike perceive as stable and long-lasting."

But tourism's dependence on foreign markets will only get Guam so far, according to GVB's Gerry Perez.

Guam, as a "leisure market" dependent on the now-declining markets of Japan and Korea, has been starved for cash in recent years, he said.

"This situation has made it difficult ... to pay for necessary upgrades in our tourism plant and island infrastructure, while attending to critical health, education, and public safety issues," he said. "The military buildup will stimulate new markets, attract higher spending business travelers, and generate more income to pay for improvements in public service."

He said the buildup will also force the upgrades in long-neglected roads, bridges, utilities, and other infrastructure that serve both local residents and tourists.

"The planned expenditures from the military buildup far exceeds the combined total of all tourism investments made in Guam since the industry's inception some 40 years ago," Gerry Perez added. "This is the magnitude of what's at stake, and is the reason for House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton saying that we need to get this 'done right.'"

Residents air buidup concerns: Health care, land issues raised at UOG field house

Residents air buidup concerns: Health care, land issues raised at UOG field house

By Laura Matthews • Pacific Sunday News • January 10, 2010

The University of Guam's field house teemed with varying emotions yesterday when more than 500 people gathered to publicly comment on the draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Die-hard activists, determined landowners, concerned citizens and officials paced the floor of the field house, reading all the information on display. They talked with military officials about the buildup, in order to learn all they could before the public comment session.

Signs that read: "Only independent nations control immigration" and "Yankee go home!" showed military officials where they stood with some residents.

Then, the conch shells were blown, the Guam national anthem was sung and the proceedings for the second public hearing on the draft Environmental Impact Statement got underway.

The first speaker on the day was Vice Speaker Benjamin Cruz, who expressed public health concerns as Guam prepares to get about 20 years of growth over the next five years because of the military buildup.

Approximately 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents will be brought to the island. In total, the buildup is projected to bring about 80,000 people to Guam by 2014, which will increase Guam's population by almost half its current size.

"My main concern is that the hospital is the choke point," Cruz said. "We just don't have enough beds to take care of the people coming."

The vice speaker told Department of Defense officials that he would like for the final Environmental Impact Statement to be "very specific" about how it is going to address the need for more hospital beds on island.

"The hospital is unable to take care of us at this time. We are short of doctors," he said.

The draft Environmental Impact Statement notes that the island's health-care system will need a personnel increase of 26 percent in order to deal with the growth. It also states that at the peak of the construction phase in 2014, an additional 15 doctors and 91 nurses will be needed.

Land concerns

Some residents expressed worry they might lose their land.

Juan Martinez Unpingco, an 85-year-old Sasayan Valley landowner, said he worked two jobs throughout his lifetime in order to feed his eight children and save enough money to buy property. That piece of property, he said, sustaines his livelihood.

"This has obviously paid off since it has been helping me to pay all my medical bills," Unpingco said. "Thus, the property I own in Marbo Cave has indeed sustained my livelihood and I plan to deed it to my children upon my death. I anticipate that my children would do likewise and deed the property onto the next generation."

He said he fears the military will take his land through condemnation and asked them not to.

"I am in support of the military buildup, provided there is no land condemnation," he said. "It was my bread and butter. I worked very hard for it. I will sell it or rent it."

Joint Guam Program Office Executive Director David Bice, a retired Marine major general whose office oversees the buildup, has said that residents whose lands are used for military projects will get a fair price. The Defense Department follows strict procedures to pay landowners the fair market value, he said, also noting that congressional defense committees would first have to approve any major land acquisitions by the military.

Juan Unpingco's son, Superior Court of Guam Judge Steven S. Unpingco, also a private landowner, said the draft Environmental Impact Statement fails to address "the contentious issue" of land condemnation. Moreover, the Sasayan Valley area is a proposed alternative for a live firing range -- an idea he said should be dismissed.

"Equally important to the public is the impact that explosive grenade and demolition ranges may have on the environment," he said. "Is there any specific study on any potential environmental degradation or possible lead contamination from these activities on soil?"

Speaking out

Melvin Won Pat-Borja, a 28-year-old teacher and member of the We Are Guahan group, said his generation should know that it is important to let their voices be heard. They don't need to be "a scientist or an expert to comment on the EIS," he said.

The group is a combination of residents who seek to disseminate the information from the lengthy draft Environmental Impact Statement to ordinary citizens in a way that is easily understood.

"This problem will not affect the people who are making the decisions. It will ultimately be our youth," he said. "I have students who will be graduating this year and will possibly be graduating college in four years. And when they want to come back home and raise their families here and make a living here, things will not be the same as they were when they left. This island will not be the same as it was when they left."

Residents have until Feb. 17 to submit their comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement, which will reshape nearly all aspects of life on Guam.

The public meetings are a way the military officials garner the concerns of the citizens, which will be evaluated and taken into consideration to make better decisions as the military moves forward with the final EIS, Bice said.

‘Don’t’ take our lands’

‘Don’t’ take our lands’

Wednesday, 30 December 2009 04:19
by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff

Public hearing raises anti-military sentiments

LAND is one subject that has always stirred the hearts and minds of the Chamorro people and yesterday’s public hearing at the legislature once again charged emotions as landowners opposed the military’s plan to take their properties.

The public hearing also raised anti-military sentiments among Chamorro activists, who also took the opportunity to discuss the decolonization issue.

Lands that their ancestors fought for are passed down from one generation to the next until they were indiscriminately taken away “for purposes other than sustaining and nourishing the family clan,” said Gloria B. Nelson.

Nelson was one of over 40 people who submitted testimony during yesterday's public hearing on Resolution 258, which drew angry property owners who are wary of federal government possibly condemning lands under its eminent domain power.

Nelson and her children provided testimony in support of the resolution, which strongly opposes any land condemnation by the federal government for use in the military buildup.

No decision yet

David Bice, executive director of the Joint Guam Program Office, was invited to the hearing but did not make it. He sent a letter to Sen. Judi Guthertz, chairman of the military buildup committee.

In the Dec. 24 letter, Bice stated that the Department of Defense personnel were prohibited from providing testimony on the resolution since it could be interpreted as “predecisional actions,” which would indicate that alternatives “contemplating the acquisition of non-DoD lands will be selected.”

Bice said DOD has not made any decisions regarding which alternative will be selected or whether acquisition of land would be necessary. He added that strict procedure would be followed if DOD decides it is necessary to acquire land.

This means that the Department would seek an agreement with landowners and pay fair market value for any lands acquired.

Not for sale

However, it was clear during yesterday's hearing that property owners, especially those who own property in the Sasayan Valley, are not interested in selling their lands to the military.

They stressed their intention to keep their lands for future generations.

Juan M. Unpingco, 85, who owns properties in Marbo Cave, supported the resolution, saying how he had worked extremely hard to save enough money and sacrifice all his savings to buy property so that he could use it for his livelihood which has paid off, since it has helped him to pay his medical bills.

“I plan to deed it to my children upon my death. I anticipate that my children would do otherwise and deed the property onto the next generation,” said Unpingco.

Lourdes Sgambelluri Pisarri, whose grandfather bought the whole Sasayan Valley and used it to sustain his family, said she spoke to Capt. Neil Ruggiero from JGPO in June and told him that she would not allow anyone to enter her property for any purpose.

Pisarri said Ruggiero stated that much of the military land was saving the lives of various animals, as in a conservation area for birds. She said it unnerved her that the federal government would first consider displacing people who have lived on their lands for years, who use the land to farm for food.

Susceptible

Superior Court Judge Steven Unpingco, a resident of the Sasayan area, also supported the resolution. “Guam will need every square meter of land to keep our community safe. The upshot of condemning GovGuam land is that Guam's responsibility to provide for the future and Guam's ability to secure financing will be stifled and the impact will be devastating to the quality of life for all,” said Unpingco.

If government land is taken and the local leaders are amenable to these takings, Unpingco said, this would mean more public lands are susceptible to further takings because of the unpredictability and contingencies of war and national security interests.

Unpingco said if the Marines’ relocation were to happen, then GovGuam will have no choice but to take away private land from residents and the intergovernmental domino effect “will change Guam's demographics and way of life forever.”

“As described by a high ranking military official in a cable news documentary interview, “after the buildup, Guam will be a floating battleship,” he added.

Unpingco said the U.S. military has a moral duty to consider the history of the federal landtakings and reflect on the “dark chapter of land being taken away by coercion and oppression.”

Guthertz said the hearing brought up many concerns that cannot be ignored. Guthertz said the resolution will send a clear message to Washington that land condemnation by the federal government will not be tolerated.

Activists protest DEIS

Activists protest DEIS

Monday, 23 November 2009 00:05
by Jude Lizama | Variety News Staff

LOCAL activists provided a potent reaction ahead of the release of the draft environmental impact statement taking to the streets of Guam to protest what they perceive as non-transparency in the ongoing military buildup planning as the island anticipates absorbing upwards of 45,000 people over the course of the next 5 years.

Residents dissatisfied with faulty dialogue and a lack of clear information demonstrated Friday afternoon at the International Trade Center intersection in Tamuning.

“We are American citizens and I believe that we deserve better,” former senator Hope Cristobal stated passionately. We have this little island of ours that we are depending on to be the kind of environment that will sustain us as a people,” she said.

Cristobal was adamant, “There is no other study more important than the draft environmental statement,” she said referring to the complex document comprised of more than 10,000 pages contained in 10 massive volumes. “We are poor people. We are on the receiving end. We don’t have the kind of resources that the Department of Defense has,” the former senator explained about the public’s inability to access the technical expertise required to decipher the draft impact statement.

The outspoken activist and critic of military bases further noted serious flaws with the plan’s development besides the short review period allowed the public and local government officials. Cristobal cited a personal contact in Washington D.C. who informed her “an environmental impact study on a small island community such as Guam, with the kind of impact this $15 billion project would have, requires not a one or two year environmental impact statement, but at least a 10 year impact statement that would include comprehensive and proper land use planning.”

Senator Matt Rector was present at the Friday protest as well. He emphasized the complexity of the situation. “I have a degree in chemistry with a concentration in environmental science and I don’t have the expertise to evaluate the environmental impact statement. It’s an insanely complicated document.”

Rector, who has previously stated his intent on seeing local workers prioritized in military buildup projects, said he reviewed the executive summary and believes current plans would give 75 percent of the permanent civil service jobs created as a result of the military realignment to workers other than local residents.

“What is that good for? We are increasing our population with foreigners coming in and taking jobs; how is that good for the people of Guam,” Rector asked. “I don’t believe the military buildup will improve the quality of life for our families in the least. That’s why I’m here.”

“It feels very suffocating,” University of Guam professor Dr. Lisa Natividad said. “Because everything about life as we know it is going to be determined in the next 90 days.”

She added that “the imbalance of power, between Guam as a colony and the United States as the administering power, just sets us up so that with this environmental impact statement process and the buildup we are at a significant disadvantage.”

Natividad committed to continuing to struggle with bringing clarity to the situation. “We take hope in greater ideas and possibilities, so we continue to press on in terms of educating our people and taking a stand. We’re just fighting for our survival.”

Activists to protest DEIS

Activists to protest DEIS

Friday, 20 November 2009 03:59 by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff

EVEN with the draft environmental impact statement scheduled for release and public comment by tomorrow, the Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice is staging a rally at the ITC intersection from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. today in protest of the impact study.

The draft study is expected to report the impact the proposed military buildup and
population boom on Guam.

According to Victoria Leon Guerrero, spokesperson for the coalition, the study was not conducted in a manner that demonstrated a true assessment of the social, cultural and political implications of increased military presence on island.

“Local residents and their elected officials were largely excluded from the process of gathering information and making recommendations for this study,” said Leon Guerrero.

The 10-volume, 1,000-page document is huge and the community will have 90 days to
respond.

Leon Guerrero said even with the extension, this does not provide a sufficient opportunity for local residents to thoroughly investigate its findings and voice their concerns.

The Department of Defense is already finalizing their plans for the build-up, without first taking into consideration the comments and concerns from local residents and leaders, she said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Ben Pangelinan suggested the mayor’s offices, libraries and commercial centers as possible sites to hold public hearings and review of the impact study.

“I am happy to provide this information to [the Joint Guam Program Office],” the senator said. “I am also somewhat perplexed that during all the planning and discussions on the [study] for the past several months which, in my opinion were an important component to the process, we were never asked for any input. But for simple solutions as to location sites, our suggestions and ideas are valued.”

Ann Wright Visits Guam

Ex-envoy warns against US plan for Guam
Wednesday, 22 July 2009 00:51 by Jude Lizama
Marianas Variety News Staff

A FORMER U.S. diplomat turned peace activist advised Guam residents to be
wary of the American government’s military buildup plan for the
island.Retired U.S. Army Colonel Ann Wright speaks against war and
militarization during a presentation held Monday at the University of Guam.

“We need to be looking very carefully at what our federal government does
to us,” said Ann Wright, a retired U.S. Army colonel who spoke to a small
crowd on the implications of the relocation of 8,000 U.S. Marines from
Okinawa to Guam during a presentation held Monday night at the University of
Guam.

“While we all want to be safe and secure in the world, sometimes our federal
government uses this issue of national security to do things to us that we
normally wouldn’t put up with,” she added.

Wright accompanied members of the Code Pink Japan, a peace activist group,
who visited Guam to discuss the impact of the military buildup with local
activists. The group left Guam yesterday.

“Our delegation is here in solidarity with the people of Guam in terms of
the movement of 8,000 marines from Okinawa. The people of Japan,
particularly the people on Okinawa, have been working very hard to remove
some of the extensive military forces. Now, they seem to be coming to your
lovely island,” said Wright, a native of Arkansas.

“The [Okinawans] certainly understand that whenever the U.S. military lands
somewhere, it leaves a very large footprint. You all know it very well,
because much of your land is already occupied by the U.S. military,” the
former U.S. envoy told the audience.


Anti-war
Wright is a former U.S. deputy ambassador who was assigned in Sierra Leone,
Afghanistan, Mongolia and Micronesia. She joined the military at the time
when the U.S. military was invading Vietnam.

On March 19, 2003, the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Wright cabled a
letter of resignation to Secretary of State Colin Powell, stating that
without the authorization of the UN Security Council, the invasion and
occupation of a Muslim, Arab, oil-rich country would be a isaster. Since
then, she has been writing and speaking out for peace and is now a resident
of Honolulu.

“It has been deeply emotional for all of us. Here we are in war again. The
United States has started wars in Afghanistan and Iraq,” she said. “When you
look at the number of civilians who have been killed in Iraq, Afghanistan,
and Guam, it brings home to us all what we should be working on.”

“The history of the United States is not a peaceful history,” said Wright,
who added that the U.S. has, “a history of invading other countries.”


Land grabbing
With regard to the local military buildup, Wright told the audience that,
“You have been seeing your own lands being taken from you,” adding that,
“The federal government builds without your agreement. They build enormous
facilities that have disastrous effects on your environment.”
The retired colonel suggested that people weigh the importance of their own
lands, and whether or not it is worth it to lose those lands for an increase
in short term values such as trade and business.
“Once the federal government gets its hands into something it never
gets it out. With the Obama administration I certainly hope that we will all
join together to throw out many of the provisions of the Patriot Act that
are really curtailing our own civil liberties,” she said.


Threatened
Japanese parliamentarian and Code Pink member Sumi Fujita said that because
of the long military presence and all of the rape cases in Okinawa, “women
[there] now feel threatened.”

“All of the military promises to help the Okinawan economy have been a big
lie,” Fujita said, through interpreter Hisae Ogawa.

As for the rape issue, Wright said, “This is a failure in leadership that is
coming to you, that will allow this to continue.”

“Sometimes being an activist leads to things that you’d never thought you’d
be doing,” said Wright.

The former U.S. diplomat also stated that we should all be aware of the
“isms” created by policy makers. “Our government has been very good, meaning
very bad, in using the ‘isms’ like communism, terrorism, and fascism to
frighten and scare the American public so that they can do things that
normally we would protest,” she said. “It something we should always be very
wary of, when there’s another ‘ism’ coming up.”

Japanese Peace Groups in Guam

Retired Army officer, Japan peace delegation tour Guam
By Michele Catahay
Published Jul 20, 2009
KUAM News

A peace delegation from Osaka, Japan is on island to study and tour Guam and to hear from the locals on their thoughts about the Marines' relocation from Okinawa to Guam. Joining them is a retired U.S. Army colonel who says the move won't be good for Guam.

During the eve of Liberation Day, a peace delegation from Osaka took a tour around the island today to visit the many sites where Chamorros suffered the atrocities of war. The group toured various locations and memorials, to include here at the Tinta caves, where they paid respect to those Chamorros who died during the Japanese occupation of Guam. Joining them is retired Colonel Anne Wright, who says their mission is to study the impact Guam will have on the move.

In fact, Wright says there will be a negative impact, noting, "I'm very concerned about the militarization of Guam. Of course, it is a dilemma. Where does the U.S. put its military forces, but to put it in such small islands that are going to be negatively impacted by such a large increase in population. Plus, the weapons that are going to be used, the toxic materials that are used as a part of war, fighting and practicing the exercise training areas that will be used here on Guam."

Wright was once a diplomat in Micronesia and visited Guam in the past. She says Guam's pristine lands will be greatly impacted by the increase of Marines and their dependents. "I would urge our military to take our military to other places and put it in an area that has the capability of absorbing so many people and so many war-fighting materials," she said.

Wright will be speaking at several conferences as she joins the peace delegation back to Japan.

Meanwhile, trip organizer Ako Miamoto from Osaka says her group currently promotes peace in a nuclear-free world. She says the trip will give them insight on what happened during World War II and what could happen once the Marines move to Guam. "Today we're traveling all around Guam to study what our Japanese military did during the Second World War and now the relocation issues," she said. "They are already so many concerns about it. So that's why we invited 18 people." She also said, "It's our common issue. We're all against the relocation of U.S. Marines."

The group also met with native rights groups. They will leave the island tomorrow.

Proud Taotaomo'na

Proud taotaomo’na
Thursday, 04 June 2009
Letter to the Editor
Marianas Variety

IT SEEMS amazing how many proud Chamorros there are in the Mariana Islands. But when the word “independence” or the phrase “Yankee Go Home” are mentioned, attitudes change. You see, I am used to hearing bragging rights on the word “proud” from people who come from independent nations except from America, for the white race are not from America. As a matter of fact, they all emigrated from Europe since the late 1400s. Instead of saying proud Italian, Scottish, Irish, German, etc., they used the word American. For example, proud Irish-American, African American, and just plain “proud American.” Who is the true American though? I was taught that the Indians (Apache, Sioux, Cheyenne, etc.) and Mexican, Columbian, Brazilians are the true Americans.

Now let’s return to these islands. These islands, called the Mariana Islands, are inhabited by the oldest society on earth and are known throughout our planet by the old civilization as the Mountain Range of the Crescent Moon, in which the old civilizations claim as their origins.

Today, these islands are owned by the United States of America through wars: the Spanish American War of 1898 and World War II. Not as an independent country, but a property.

Between “Chamorro” and “Chamoru,” which spelling is correct? Actually, the word Chamorro/ru is not indigenous to these islands. It is indigenous to Spain. If a person were to consult a Spanish/English dictionary, one will find out that the word “Chamorro” is defined as the hind leg of a cow. So my question is how we, the aboriginals, can call ourselves “Chamorro” when it is not indigenous to our own language.

The next question should be, “What is our true name?” The answer is taotanomo’na. Then again, a proud Chamorro/ru will say that taotaomo’na means spirit. In reality, the true word for spirit is Aniti. It was actually the Catholic Church that made us believe that taotaomo’na and Chamorro are our true names.

The reason why the indigenous succumbed to their lies in such a short time is due to the ordered punishment and abuse both mentally and physically.

To the foreigners, the Spanish, even God believed our ancestors to be savages, who needed to be civilized. So guess what happened? Since 1521, when Magellan arrived until 1696, record of the size of the native population has been estimated to be over 200,000 throughout the islands. But in 1695, when all natives were assembled on Guam, the population count was under 4,000.

I would love to say to all the indigenous of these islands: Let’s come together and reclaim being a “Proud Taotaomo’na,” and reclaim our lands back and become and independent nation.

Howard A. Hemsing
a.k.a. Maga’lahi Maga’ Aniti
Yigo

Youth Activists Take Center Stage

Youth Activists Take Center Stage
Monday, 25 May 2009
by Jude Lizama
Marianas Variety News Staff

EDUCATE, express, empower. This was the central theme of the Reclaim Guåhan Rally [Chule’ Tatte Guåhan] staged on Saturday by young activists at the Skinner’s Plaza in Hagåtña.

One of the event coordinators, Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero, expressed her sentiments about the ongoing military buildup, which many in the community see as a “done deal.”

“I’d like to challenge our community to begin to envision that it isn’t a done deal. We currently remain an unincorporated territory of the United States. We belong to but are not a part of the United States,” she said.

“If we, as a community, support the Chamorro people’s right to self- determination to choose our relationship with our without the United States, then we can change these things. We can stop things like the military buildup from happening.”

Leon Guerrero said the only way to stop the military buildup is to acknowledge that the local population is entitled to choose they want for their future and to be able to decide as a community.

Accompanying Leon Guerrero onstage was Krista Flores, from Mt. Carmel Catholic School, who read the “Collective Bill of Rights for Guåhan,” which was one of the class’ pre-graduation assignments.

The bill of rights drafted by MCS student states that “the people of Guam should always be free. The people can overrule the Department of Interior. The military should give back our land. We must keep the island clean and green. The elected governor should have to deliver on every promise made. The Guam flag will be raised above all other flags.”


Creative thinking

Amid talks of self-determination and indigenous rights, the rally also served as an outlet for community networking, platform for free thinking, enjoyment of art and literature, and an appreciation for the island’s different cultures.

“I’m very excited. I’m glad to be a part of something very positive, something that’s by the people and for the people. Basically, if it’s a good thing, I’m down; I’m in,” said Jovan Tamayo, who spoke with the Variety while contributing to a collective poem that was on display at the plaza. “I’d definitely like to help in any way that I can. That’s why I’m here, and I’d like to think that’s why everyone else is here as well.”

“Some of the organizers are good friends of ours. A lot of them are poets too,” said Melvin Won Pat Borja, Sinangån-ta Outreach coordinator. “When they were organizing this event, we heard that they wanted some youth poets since it is a youth rally.”

“It was good timing for us because we just finished up our program so we had our core base of poets that could do something like this,” he added.

Won Pat Borja said the rally sought to encourage critical thinking about the things that are happening around Guam.

“It feels really amazing. I’m not indigenous to the island. I’m Filipino. I’ve come to call the island home. Being a part of this really means a lot to me,” said John Norman Sarmiento, a member of Sinangån-ta Outreach.

“I’ve always wanted to help change the island ever since I was a little boy and I think doing this is a vehicle of change for me because we can reach out to the youth in so many different ways,” he said. “We’re teaching the youth in ways that teachers thought they could only do in classrooms. Like Melvin said, we’re proving that wrong.”

Young poet and Yona resident J Rae Tedtaotao read a powerful piece titled “Territory” written last April. “It fit the whole theme so I read it today,” she said.

“I’m really glad that a lot of people have come out. I’m honored to be up on the stage and speaking,” said Tedtaotao. “I call on anyone else to put your minds together, your writing, and do anything to express yourself and see what you can do to help our island and keep our culture alive.”

Reclaim Guahan Rally Gathers Strength

"Reclaim Guahan Rally" Gathers Strength
By Jude Lizama
Marianas Variety
May 11th, 2009

THE Guåhan Youth, an umbrella group for the island’s youth and grassroots organizations, will hold a rally that will amplify their collective voice that has been muffled amid rapid changes resulting from the ongoing military buildup and what some people consider “federal interference.” The rally, billed “Reclaim Guåhan: Chule' Tatte Guåhan,” will be a venue for education, expression and empowerment, featuring honored speakers, poetry, art, film showings and local music among others.

The overall goal to teach those in attendance about the island’s critical issues and the ability to express various opinions will be highlighted throughout.

The rally is scheduled to be held from 2 to 8 p.m. on May 23 at Skinner’s Plaza in Hagåtña.

“It stems from the $1 million a week put forth by Judge [Frances] Tydingco-Gatewood, which we saw as federal interference on local governance,” stated primary event coordinator Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero.

She cited such factors as the military buildup, land grabbing and lack of self determination as central reasons that prompted the Guåhan Youth to initiate a rally that centralizes on indigenous people’s self determination and other fundamental freedoms.

“It’s amazing that a lot of it is coming from the youth. People shouldn’t have to resign to hopelessness. The rally is intended to empower future generations to take leadership,” said Leon Guerrero, adding that the Guåhan Youth will show what they are “capable of as a community.”

“It’s frustrating to know that no one has spoken out,” said Leon Guerrero. “We need to focus on our language and culture in order to help stop all of this, and keep it as the land of the Chamorros. We don’t have power as a nation, but it is something that we are entitled to.”

I Nasion Chamoru’s Maga’ Håga, Debbie Quinata, said I Nasion Chamoru is a supporter and that in no way should I Nasion Chamoru take any credit for the upcoming Chule' Tatte Guåhan rally, which has been materialized and bolstered by the island’s youth movement.

“It’s important for young people to take responsibility for what will be their future. I will not take credit for this ingenious movement,” Quinata said. “It’s a great way to get information out to the community.”

Native Hawaiians Takeover Palace

Activists Arrested after Hawaiian Palace Takeover
From CNN
August 16, 2008.

HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) -- A group of Native Hawaiians claiming to be the state's legitimate rulers occupied the grounds of a historic palace for two hours before being arrested by state officers in the second recent takeover of its kind.

A staff member of the Iolani Palace said she was assaulted and slightly injured during the takeover Friday night and then snubbed by city police who claimed that they didn't have jurisdiction. Gov. Linda Lingle said Saturday that there would be an investigation into the police response to the takeover.

A group of men, wearing red shirts with "security" stenciled in yellow on the back, took over the grounds by chaining the gates of the palace next to the State Capitol and posted signs saying, "Property of the Kingdom of Hawaiian Trust."

Kippen de Alba Chu, executive director of the Friends of Iolani Palace, said he and other staff members were locked down in the palace and a nearby administration building during the takeover.

"They've got a king, and the king wants to sit on the throne," de Alba Chu said.

State law officers climbed over the fence a couple of hours after the takeover began and made about 20 arrests. The palace, normally open to tours, will remain closed during the weekend to assess any damage and to ensure its security, police said.

Ah Yuen, an Iolani Palace employee, said she was assaulted by protesters and called for help from a Honolulu police officer, who told her the palace grounds were not under city police jurisdiction.

Witnesses said the confrontation started when Yuen went to the palace gate and talked with the protesters, who locked the gate with a chain and then forced their way into the palace itself before officers from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources came to arrest them.

Lingle said the people who invaded the palace "have to be shown it's not going to be acceptable."

"This is one of the most cherished sites in our state," Lingle said. "We always have to try to strike a balance between public access and security for the building and for the people there."

Laura H. Theilen, director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, which oversees the palace, condemned the takeover.

"We intend to charge them to the fullest extent of the law," Thielen said.

The pro-sovereignty group identified its leader as King Akahi Nui, who was among those arrested. An "occupation public information bulletin" distributed by a member of the group began: "Majesty Akahi Nui, the King of Hawaii, has now reoccupied the throne of Hawaii. The Kingdom of Hawaii is now re-enacted."

Akahi Nui claims to have been crowned in 1998.

The takeover of the palace -- built in 1882, when the islands were ruled by a monarchy -- came on Admission Day, a state holiday marking Hawaii's admission to the United States on August 21, 1959.

Several Native Hawaiian organizations have rival claims to sovereignty over the islands. Another group calling itself the Hawaiian Kingdom Government occupied the palace grounds April 30 and has been getting permits to set up on the grounds each week since then. That group claims to be operating a functioning government from the palace grounds.

The ornate palace is operated as a museum of Hawaiian royalty. King Kalakaua built it, and it also served as the residence for his sister and successor, Queen Liliuokalani, the islands' last ruling monarch. Liliuokalani was imprisoned in the palace after the 1893 U.S.-supported overthrow of the monarchy.

After falling into disrepair, the palace was restored in the 1970s as a National Historic Landmark. It now includes a gift shop and is open for school groups and offers tours.

Hawaiian activists have long used the site for protests against the U.S. occupation of the islands.

The Invasion of Guam

Minagahet Zine
Vol. 5 Iss. 5
10/27/07
"The Invasion of Guam"


Hafa Adai, yan welcome to i mina'trenta kuatro na Minagahet.

Last week I decided to try a different format for Minagahet, which would feature lists of articles grouped around issues relevant to things such as the military build up, the environment, federalization, and so on. The response I received was very positive and thankful. People know things are happening, and these things may or may not be something they can control or prevent. But, rarely for a variety of reasons, do they feel they have the time or the abilities to find out exactly what is happening, or what they can do about it. Bula na infotmasion manliliko' giya Guahan put i mamtan i militat, hayi mismo gaitiempo para u taitai yan komprende todu?

If for instance, you just read a single article on the economic re-energizing that Guam will be experiencing over the next few years, then you might think that the future will be incredible, sen ma'lak siempre! The business community is clearly working hard on this military increase. From just one article you'll get an image of business leaders meeting regularly at conferences and forums, where they are working on bringing in some of their business friends from around the world, all for the betterment of the people of Guam, so that everyone can benefit in fantastic ways from the military increases that are already being felt on the island. If, however, you read how many articles there are covering the business community's efforts to capitalize on the impending military increases, and how many business are moving into Guam to set up shop, you probably won't get an image of businesses working towards what's best for Guam, but rather an image of ferocious drunken vultures circling and swarming around the island, looking for any means to make some money. Members of the Chamber of Commerce, the US Congress and the Department of Interior have been traveling around the United States and the Pacific letting any and all know that "GUAM IS FOR SALE! and ready and willing to be plundered" To make this point very very clear, during one such conference in New Zealand, businesses there were encouraged to invade Guam.

As with the last issue, I am hoping again that if people find the things they read here disturbing or unsettling about the way Guam, Chamorros and others on Guam are being treated, they find productive ways to act upon their discomfort or anger. As you read this, Guam is being sold. It is first being sold as a place ideal for investors looking to make a quick buck or carpetbaggers looking for an eager and patriotic population to plunder. Second it is being sold off, the very future of the island is being handed over to people who are interested in making whatever money they can off the majority of Guam's population, and then fleeing one's the economic "excitement" is over. Third, Guam is being sold a complete pack of lies and half-truths as to how this military increase and the economic "boom" that is taking place now, will impact the island. Those in charge, elected or otherwise, of the island's economy, government and society, have decided for the most part to either celebrate these things in almost stupidly exuberant ways, or to simply go with the flow. It is up to those who see the future of our island in jeopardy, who see or can feel the numerous ways the island can be poisoned, the economy ruined, and our lives put at risk by these moves, to do something about it!

For more info, head over to these blogs, the JGPO Blog and the Decolonize Guam Blog. My other two blogs are still going strong. At No Rest for the Awake - Minagahet Chamorro, I posted recently about the relationship between "Guam, GITMO and Diego Garcia." And at Voicing Indigeneity, we recently uploaded a new podcast for the school year titled "The Indigenous View."

Sahuma Minagahet yan Na'suha Dinagi

Sahuma

ARTICLES

Hanom: articles about the water on Guam

"Navy's Fuligni Supports Decision to Raise Water Rates," by John Davis, KUAM, 10/18/07"
"Bring Fena to the Table," From the Marianas Variety, 10/10/07
"Simon Says Stop to Navy," by John Davis, KUAM, 10/10/07
"Water Rights in Guam," from Senator Ben Pangelinan, Famoksaiyan, 10/06/07
"Navy: Rate Hike Had to Be Done," by John Davis, KUAM, 10/4/07
"Navy Water Rate Hike Irks Senators," by Mar-Vic Cagurangan, The Marianas Variety, 9/28/07
"GWA Plans to Reduce Dependency on Navy Water," by John Davis, KUAM, 9/28/07
"Navy Will Nearly Double Water Rates for Southern Guam," by Jennifer H. Svan, Stars and Stripes, 9/27/07
"Navy Raises Fena Water Rate," by Gerardo R. Partido, The Marianas Variety, 9/26/07
"Mounting Losses Brought About Need to Raise Rates," by Mindy Fothergill, KUAM, 9/26/07
"CCU Prepared to Fight Navy If Water Rate Increases," by John Davis, KUAM, 9/18/07
"US Military Buildup Brings Tensions to Guam," from AP, The Honolulu Advertiser, 8/16/07
"Unpingco Hits Navy Fena Plan," by Gerardo R. Partido, The Marianas Variety, 8/16/07
"Navy May Increase Price of Water to GWA," by Clynt Ridgell, KUAM, 8/15/07

Hambiento: articles about the selling of Guam

"US Ambassador Wants Islands to Cash in on Guam Military Buildup," by Giff Johnson, Pacific Magazine, 10/25/07
"Guam Business Conference Best Ever," by Gerardo R. Partido, The Marianas Variety, 10/15/07
"China Eyes Business Ventures on Guam," by Gemma Q. Casas, The Marianas Variety, 10/09/07
"Business Opportunities Conference Will Cover All Bases," by Clynt Ridgell, KUAM, 10/07/07
"Pacific Businesses Head to Guam to Check Out US Dollars," 10/05/07
"Unlocking the Value of Real Estate in Micronesia," by David B. Cohen, The Saipan Tribune, 9/30/07
"Invest in the Pacific, US Tells Philippine Businesses," by Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo, Philippine News, 9/19/07
"Businesses Encouraged to Invade Guam," by Martin Tiffany, Waikato Times, 9/10/07
"Cohen to Address Real Estate Conference," by Gerardo R. Partido, The Marianas Variety, 9/07/07
"Forum Focuses on Military Buildup," by Jesse Leon Guerrero, NAVFAC, 8/30/07
"Guam Industry Forum Unites Industry Innovation with DOD Opportunity," by Kyra Hawn, NAVFAC, 8/28/07
"Guam Industry Forum Passes Valuable Lessons" by Clynt Ridgell, KUAM, 8/24/07
"Japan May Control Military Money," by Gerardo R. Partido, The Marianas Variety, 8/24/07
"Camacho Address Industry Forum," by Gerardo R. Partido, The Marianas Variety, 8/24/07
"Business Leaders, Lawmakers Converge on Guam," from the Associated Press, NBC KHNL, 8/23/07
"Gun Beach to Undergo Multimillion Commercial Development," by Mindy Fothergill, KUAM, 6/05/07
"Report Paints Bleak Picture of Guam's Financial Situation," by Clynt Ridgell, KUAM, 12/21/06

Fino' Okinawa: articles about the island where the 8,000 Marines are coming from

"Governor Rejects Defense Agency Environmental Assessment," from Japanupdate.com, 10/25/07
"Japanese City Opposes New Runway," from United Press International, 9/8/07
"Okinawa Does Not Need New US Military Bases," by , Manabu Sato, Asahi Shimbun, 9/07/07
"Tensions Mount as Prefecture Rejects Military Assessment Letter" from Japanupdate.com, 8/9/07
"Guam Welcomes Okinawa Delegation," by Mar-Vic Cagurangan, Marianas Variety, 7/12/07
"Okinawa Airfield Returned After 61 Years,'" by Takuya Okamoto, The Japan Times, 6/24/07
"Three Rapes: The Status of Forces Agreement and Okinawa," by Chalmers Johnson, Minagahet, 4/29/07
"Okinawans Oppose Missile Deployment," by David Allen and Chiyomi Sumida, Stars and Stripes, 7/01/06
"US Military Retreats Over Japanese Base After Protests," by David Mcneill, The Independent, 10/27/05
"US Agrees to Relocate Marines on Okinawa," by Anthony Faiola, The Washington Post, 10/27/05
"Okinawans Outraged at Crimes by Troops of 'Rogue Superpower America,'" by Karl Grobe, Frankfurter Rundshau, 7/13/00

Fino' Militat: articles about what the military plans for Guam

"Senators Frustrated with Military," by Gerardo R. Partido, The Marianas Variety, 10/11/07
"Tankers Fuel Tip of Spear," from The Pacific News Center, 10/07/07
"Bice on the Buildup," by Michael Lujan Bevacqua, No Rest for the Awake - Minagahet Chamorro, 9/26/07
"How Will They All Fit on Guam?," by Teri Weaver, Stars and Stripes, 9/25/07
"Guam Officials Need to Be Careful," by David Allen, Stars and Stripes, 7/15/07
"The Pentagon as Global Landlord," by Nick Turse, Tomdispatch.com, 7/11/07
"Marianas as one Big Military Camp," by Gerardo R. Partido, The Marianas Variety, 6/18/07
"Military Mulls Infrastructure," by Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno, Pacific Daily News, 6/05/07
"From the Mouth of Fallon," by Michael Lujan Bevacqua, No Rest for the Awake - Minagahet Chamorro, 4/17/07
"Report Recommends US Military Buildup in the Pacific," by Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno, Pacific Daily News, 4/13/07
"Air Force to Proceed with Strike Plan," by Mar-Vic Cagurangan, The Marianas Variety, 1/28/07
"Navy May Outsource Civilian Jobs,'" by Gerardo R Partido, The Marianas Variety, 10/21/06
"Pace Visits Guam to Assess Infrastructure Growth Plans,'" by Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service, 6/2/06
"New Military Era Rises in the Pacific," by Edward Cody, Washington Post, 10/03/05


Fino' i Maladjusted: articles by the "activists" of Guam

"Lemlem," by Michael Lujan Bevacqua, No Rest for the Awake - Minagahet Chamorro, 10/01/07
"Women's Group Demands Impact Study on Troop Buildup," from Fuetsan Famalao'an, 8/15/07
"US Obligation Unfulfilled," by Patty Garrido, The Marianas Variety, 8/14/07
"Better Poor Than Dead," by Vicente Ulloa Garrido, The Marianas Variety, 8/10/07
"On Wars and Numbers," by Julian Aguon, The Voice Project, 4/23/07
"Letter to Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo," from the Hawai'i - Okinawa Alliance, 4/23/07
"Topics on Decolonization," by Victoria Leon Guerrero, KUAM Extra, 1/03/07
"Back to Guahan," by Erica Nalani Benton, Famoksaiyan, 11/30/06
"Okinawa Move Requires Strong Leadership, Not Meek Stewardship," by Senator Jesse Lujan, The Marianas Variety, 6/20/06
"From a Native Daughter: For Peace, Human Rights and the Environment ," by Fanai Cruz Castro, Minagahet, 10/23/05
"Thinking About the US Military in Guam," by Antonio Artero Sablan, Minagahet, 1/07/05
"If a Tree Falls; If Colonization Occurs..." by Senator Hope A. Cristobal, Minagahet, 9/1/04
"There are Things Other Than Marines and War that are Worth Celebrated!" by Rita Lujan Butler, Minagahet, 6/17/04
"Guam: Natives Chamorros Decry US Military Increase," by Rufo Lujan, Colonized Chamoru Coalition, 4/23/04
"Guam; A Self-Sustaining Nation," by Angel Leon Guerrero Santos, Nasion Chamoru, 9/17/91
"Is Guam for Sale?" by Governor Ricardo Bordallo and Congressman Robert Underwood, /91.

Bracing For the Next Wave

Bracing for next wave
By Kirsten Scharnberg Chicago Tribune national correspondent
June 18, 2007

Residents of Guam nervously await a planned influx of thousands of American troops, unsure if it bodes well or ill for this tiny, strategically located U.S. territory in the Pacific

AGANA, Guam—There is no better view in Guam than the one from atop the air traffic control tower at Andersen Air Force Base on this island's northern shore. The Pacific Ocean stretches endlessly. The mountains with their lush foliage jut into the turquoise sky. When bad weather rolls in, it often can be spotted from here before anywhere else.

There is a storm, of sorts, coming to this speck of an island in the West Pacific.

Over the next decade, the Pentagon plans to shift at least 8,000 Marines here from Okinawa, Japan, boosting the permanent U.S. ilitary presence on Guam to levels unseen since World War II.

The Air Force will expand its base by some 2,500 personnel and host a constant rotation of long-range bomber squadrons to help the U.S. deal with threats posed by a nuclear North Korea, a fast-expanding Chinese military and Islamic terrorist cells in such places as Indonesia and the Philippines.

And the Navy will continue to add sailors and some of its most advanced weapons, including Trident missiles and nuclear submarines.

In all, a remote U.S. territory once nicknamed "Operation Sleepy Hollow" within military circles will go from hosting only a few thousand U.S. troops to having up to 20,000, earning it a couple of new nicknames: "Fortress Pacific" and "America's unsinkable aircraft carrier."

"I don't think anyone can say exactly how good or bad this change will be," said Melissa Savares, mayor of Dededo, the island village expected to be most affected by the Marine expansion. "But everyone can safely say it will be profound."

Looking closely at the tropical vistas of Guam, an island only 30 miles long, one can already see the early signs of change and potential conflict.

Bulldozers tear through palm trees to clear previously undeveloped acres for buildings and training areas on land that families in Guam claim was unfairly seized from them by the U.S. military, which currently owns nearly one-third of the island.

And on the bluffs overlooking the island's most beautiful stretch of shoreline, dozens of families are creating a makeshift town by occupying rows of crumbling buildings on abandoned federal property, vowing to face off against the wrecking balls if plans for a superhighway through their ancestral property go forward.

"I respect the military because they serve our country," said Princess Rupley, 29, a mother living in condemned Federal Aviation Administration housing near the airport. "But when you come to a tiny island where land matters the way it does here, you can't barge in and take the amount of property that the federal government has for the last 60 years here. At some point there's got to be a backlash."

Guam has had little say in its relationship with Washington since the island became a U.S. territory in 1898 after the Spanish-American War. Although Guam residents are U.S. citizens, they cannot vote in presidential elections, and the island's representative in Congress can be on committees but has no vote on the House floor.

But that may be changing. Some of the island's top leaders and activists recognize that there may never be a better time for Guam to bargain with the federal government than now, when the U.S. military so badly needs this little island so perfectly situated to be a key link in the United States' modern Asia policy.

And as a result, a movement is gaining traction to demand that the people of Guam be allowed to vote on what kind of political relationship—statehood, independence or territory—they want to have with the U.S. in the years to come.

Century of the Pacific

This spring, Vice President Dick Cheney traveled to the Pacific to champion the United States' global military strategy. One of his first stops was Guam, and his remarks to troops at Andersen Air Force Base hinted broadly at the growing significance of this island that sits within easy flight or sail of China, North Korea and the Strait of Malacca, one of the most important shipping lanes in the world, especially for oil.

"Guam is in the heart of a strategic area where the distances are great and the responsibilities are many," Cheney said. "By positioning our forces on Guam, the United States can move quickly and effectively to protect our friends … and to keep the sea lanes open to commerce and closed to terrorists. This island may be small, but it has tremendous importance."

Even as Cheney spoke, Andersen air base was working on construction of typhoon-resistant hangars that can house up to 10 Global Hawks, the nation's most advanced unmanned global spy planes. And across the island, at Naval Base Guam, the port is to be re-outfitted to hold new stealth combat ships that can deploy special covert forces.

Indeed, while most eyes in recent years have focused on the Middle East and demands on U.S. forces there, many military experts have predicted this to be the century of the Pacific.

American military officials hope that a significant U.S. presence in the Pacific will make China think twice about attempting to push into Taiwan. The U.S. also wants to monitor what some experts have called an Asian arms race, where governments from China to Pakistan have begun building up submarine fleets, many of which have stealth capabilities advanced enough to elude U.S. radar. And routine U.S. military exercises off the coast of Guam are clearly intended as a show of force to the North Koreans.

In his recent speech, Cheney thanked the people of Guam for their support. "You've made us feel right at home here," he said. But the vice president never left the base during his brief island visit. If he had, he would have encountered several dozen protesters with posters such as "Massive military buildup catastrophic to Guam." He would have seen that while the vast majority of residents hope the expansion will help the island, not everyone wants the military to feel welcome here.

Demanding a seat at the table: Sitting on the patio of a run-down little bar on Guam's southern shore, Debbie Quinata shakes with rage as she talks about U.S. plans to increase troop levels here.

Others may worry about the expansion's effect on everyday concerns such as water and sewage systems, power and traffic. They question how the already gridlocked island of about 170,000 can absorb what may amount to well over 30,000 new military residents and their dependents.

But Quinata's concerns are broader. She fears the expanded U.S. military presence will kill any chance for a vote on political self-determination, something she and a group of activists seeking the island's independence have been demanding for years.

"The U.S. doesn't want to cede any control in a place where they are going to be having this many troops," she said. Most top military officials acknowledge that the reason they want to pull troops out of Japan is to avoid having to bargain with other governments about military decisions, which is unnecessary on land controlled by the U.S.

Quinata and other activists have taken a unique approach to try to stop the expansion. They've begun lobbying Japan's government to back out of its tentative deal to pay roughly 60 percent of the nearly $10 billion price tag associated with transferring Marines to Guam, a gambit that currently shows little promise because Japan is so keen to regain the land of Okinawa.

More moderate voices on the island are equally apprehensive about the expansion.

Guam legislator Judith Won Pat and other political leaders have traveled to Okinawa to attempt to understand why the Japanese government is so committed to ensuring that the Marines leave. She said the Japanese list a number of reasons, from prostitution to the rapes that U.S. Marines have committed there.

"If the Marines are going to come here, we need to go to great lengths to ensure the problems of Okinawa are not replicated here," Won Pat said. "The terms of engagement for this expansion have to be determined by the people of Guam. They have to at least be allowed a seat at the table, not just to have all the terms laid down for them."

Eddie Calvo, vice speaker of the Guam Legislature, looks at the military expansion through the eyes of a seasoned politician, one who knows it's always easiest to strike a bargain when the other party wants—or, better yet, needs—something from you. Calvo believes Guam has never been better positioned to push for statehood.

"In the 21st Century, Guam's role in the world is going to be more strategic than Hawaii," he said. "Now is the best time for us to try to negotiate."

Though most people on Guam want the island to have a chance for self-determination and more say in its future, polls conducted by local news media also show that up to 85 percent of the island believes the U.S. military expansion has the potential to be good for Guam. But precisely how much of the military's huge investment will spill over to the island's general economy remains to be seen.

New military housing slated for several sites on the island will reduce the number of troops who will rent private homes. And the Guam Department of Labor has talked of granting visas to some 15,000 skilled foreign laborers, the vast majority from the Philippines, in order to staff the building boom.

This land is our land Military officials this spring launched public meetings in which island residents voiced their concerns about the coming expansion. Predictably, much worry revolved around the commodity most cherished on an island as small as Guam: land.

In the eyes of many on Guam, the U.S. military does not have a good track record on this.

The history of the land debates on Guam dates to World War II. On the same day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, they easily overtook the tiny American military presence on Guam and occupied the island with brutality for two years. In 1944, the U.S. regained control of the island after a bloody battle that left Guam in shambles.

Jose and Jesus Pangelinan, whose father was executed by the Japanese for suspicions he was aiding the Americans, still weep when they remember those days. They also remember welcoming the victorious U.S. Marines with parades and hugs—until their liberators came to tell them and hundreds of other families that their land was being confiscated for military use.

Some were paid pennies on the dollar for thousands of acres of oceanfront property; others signed away their titles, believing it was the least they could do for the nation that freed them from Japanese tyranny.

"It broke our hearts—our spirits—to leave this land," said Jose Pangelinan, 82. "On an island this small, all you are is the land you own, the food you grow, the shoreline you fish. These are everything."

In the 1990s, during a decade of military downsizing, the U.S. started a program to return some of that land to original owners or their descendants. Some 9,000 families, including the Pangelinans, benefited, according to program officials. But with the coming expansion, people are terrified that history is about to repeat itself.

The land returned to the Pangelinans, for example, sits adjacent to land slated to become housing for 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents. The Defense Department has made no moves to acquire more land on Guam, and commanders on the ground say they doubt such action would be taken, but families who have lost property in the past still fear the worst.

"I want to believe my country will be fair to me," Jose Pangelinan said. "I love my country. … But the last time I believed they would be fair, everything my father had ever worked for was taken away."

His brother interrupted him.

"Whenever the U.S. troops roll in," Jesus Pangelinan, 84, said, "you never know what else will follow."

kscharnberg@tribune.com

Copyright (c) 2007, Chicago Tribune

Where is the Marine Backstory?

Activists demand back story on Marine migration
by Michele Catahay , KUAM News
Thursday, July 12, 2007
------------------------------

Members of I Nasion Chamoru ("The Chamorro Nation") were at the Chief Quipua Park in Hagatna late yesterday afternoon to protest various concerns in the community, most notably the upcoming massive military buildup on Guam. The organization's, maga lahi (the highest ranking male), Vicente Garrido, believes the buildup is not a good thing for the island.

While a Japanese delegation visiting from Okinawa is on Guam, Garrido says he wants them to tell the local community the real reason the Okinawans want United States Marines to move out of their island. "There must be a good reason why," he suggested. "Otherwise, if it's really good for them, they're not going to send those Marines to Guam because it's going to help the economy...that's what they say. There must be some reason why. I want those people in charge of Okinawa to tell us why they want those Marines out of Okinawa."

While some continue to fight against the move, others are more concerned about the taking of land at Ritidian and Tiyan. One such activist, Katherine McCollum, continues to fight against the taking of indigenous land. "We are threatened everyday; Tiyan, especially with the enclosure that the Guam International Airport Authority has put on the families up there in closing their properties with the fences and there are issues about sewage problems.

My family is being charged for sewage, which are services they're not getting," she told KUAM News.

McCollum says when people suffer it hurts families, adding that she wants to see these families build homes and live in their homes as equal private property owners. Meanwhile, the group continues to fight for self-determination, return of lands and vows to continue to fight against what they feel is the military contamination of the land.

Activist Demand Info on Marine's Migration

Activists demand back story on Marine migration
by Michele Catahay, KUAM News
Thursday, July 12, 2007


Members of I Nasion Chamoru ("The Chamorro Nation") were at the Chief Quipua Park in Hagatna late yesterday afternoon to protest various concerns in the community, most notably the upcoming massive military buildup on Guam. The organization's, maga lahi (the highest ranking male), Vicente Garrido, believes the buildup is not a good thing for the island.

While a Japanese delegation visiting from Okinawa is on Guam, Garrido says he wants them to tell the local community the real reason the Okinawans want United States Marines to move out of their island. "There must be a good reason why," he suggested. "Otherwise, if it's really good for them, they're not going to send those Marines to Guam because it's going to help the economy...that's what they say. There must be some reason why. I want those people in charge of Okinawa to tell us why they want those Marines out of Okinawa."

While some continue to fight against the move, others are more concerned about the taking of land at Ritidian and Tiyan. One such activist, Katherine McCollum, continues to fight against the taking of indigenous land. "We are threatened everyday; Tiyan, especially with the enclosure that the Guam International Airport Authority has put on the families up there in closing their properties with the fences and there are issues about sewage problems. My family is being charged for sewage, which are services they're not getting," she told KUAM News.

McCollum says when people suffer it hurts families, adding that she wants to see these families build homes and live in their homes as equal private property owners. Meanwhile, the group continues to fight for self-determination, return of lands and vows to continue to fight against what they feel is the military contamination of the land.