Latest news with #Micronesia
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
ICE deportation action lands Marshallese, Micronesians in Guantanamo
The first-ever US military flight carrying 18 Marshall Islanders deported from the United States by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrived Majuro on June 10 this year. Photo: Marshall Islands Office of National Security United States immigration and deportation enforcement continues to ramp up, affecting Marshallese and Micronesians in new and unprecedented ways. The Trump administration's directive to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest and deport massive numbers of potentially illegal aliens, including those with convictions from decades past, is seeing Marshallese and Micronesians swept up by ICE. The latest unprecedented development is Marshallese and Micronesians being removed from the United States to the offshore detention facility at the US Navy base in Guantanamo Bay - a facility set up to jail terrorists suspected of involvement in the 9/11 airplane attacks in the US in 2001. Marshall Islands Ambassador to the US Charles Paul this week confirmed a media report that one Marshallese was currently incarcerated at Guantanamo, which is also known as "GTMO". The same report from said 72 detainees from 26 countries had been sent to GTMO last week, including from the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia. A statement issued by the US Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE operations, concerning detention of foreigners with criminal records at GTMO said Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem was using "every tool available to get criminal illegal aliens off our streets and out of our country." But the action was criticised by a Marshallese advocate for citizens from the Compact countries in the US. "As a Compact of Free Association (COFA) advocate and ordinary indigenous citizen of the Marshallese Islands, I strongly condemn the detention of COFA migrants - including citizens from the Republic of the Marshall Islands - at the US Naval Base in Guantánamo Bay," Benson Gideon said in a social media post this week. "This action raises urgent legal, constitutional, and ethical concerns that must be addressed without delay." Since seeing the news about detention of a Marshallese in this US facility used to hold suspected terrorists, Ambassador Paul said he has "been in touch with ICE to repatriate one Marshallese being detained." Paul said he was "awaiting all the documents pertaining to the criminal charges, but we were informed that the individual has several felony and misdemeanor convictions. We are working closely with ICE to expedite this process." Gideon said bluntly the detention of the Marshallese was a breach of Compact treaty obligations. "The COFA agreement guarantees fair treatment. Military detention undermines this commitment," he said. Gideon listed the strong Marshallese links with the US - service in high numbers in the US military, hosting of the Kwajalein missile range, US military control of Marshall Islands ocean and air space - as examples of Marshallese contributions to the US. "Despite these sacrifices, our people are being treated as criminals and confined in a facility historically associated with terrorism suspects," he said. "I call on the US Embassy in Majuro to publicly address this injustice and work with federal agencies to ensure COFA Marshallese residents are treated with dignity and fairness. "If we are good enough to host your missile ranges, fight in your military, and support your defense strategy, then we are good enough to be protected - not punished. Let justice, transparency, and respect prevail." There were 72 immigration detainees at Guantanamo Bay, 58 of them classified as high-risk and 14 in the low-risk category, reported The report added that the criminal records of the detainees include convictions for homicide; sexual offenses, including against children; child pornography; assault with a weapon; kidnapping; drug smuggling; and robbery. Civil rights advocates have called the detention of immigration detainees at Guantanamo Bay punitive and unlawful, arguing in an active lawsuit that federal law does not allow the government to hold those awaiting deportation outside of US territory. Most Marshallese passport holders enjoy visa-free travel to the US, though there are different levels of access to the US based depending on if citizenship was gained through naturalization or a passport sales program in the 1980s and 1990s. US Ambassador to the Marshall Islands Laura Stone said, however, that "the visa-free travel rules have not changed." She said she could not speak to any individual traveler's situation without adequate information to evaluate the situation. She pointed out that citizenship "acquired through naturalization, marriage, investment, adoption" have different rules. Stone urged all travelers to examine the rules carefully and determine their eligibility for visa-free travel. "If they have a question, we would be happy to answer their enquiry at ConsMajuro@ she added.
ABC News
15-07-2025
- ABC News
Historic Alingano Maisu voyage brings new opportunities to learn traditional navigation
A historic voyage from Palau to Taiwan has brought with it new opportunities to learn traditional navigation. The traditional double-hulled voyaging canoe Alingano Maisu's 58-day cultural expedition was led by Grandmaster Navigator Sesario Sewralur, son of legendary Micronesian navigator and teacher Mau Piailug. The crew included members from Palau, Yap, Satawal, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, Taiwan, the US, and Japan, with one woman among the 11-member team — Andrea Yamoka Carr from Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. "I highly recommend young ladies, women doing things that used to be only for the men but you know, women can also do," Carr said. Prepping for the voyage. ( Image: Selket Kaufman ) The first-of-its-kind voyage retraced ancient sea routes and served as a floating classroom, reconnecting Pacific Islanders with traditional navigation, environmental stewardship, and indigenous knowledge. "This was a true success in showing our children the cultural values we hold as ocean people," Sewralur said. "One ocean, one people. The youth of today are our sunrise, and we, the elders, are the sunset. We must help them understand: they will be the sunset of tomorrow, carrying this knowledge forward." Sesario Sewralur is also the son of legendary navigator and teacher Mau Piailug. ( Image: Selket Kaufman ) In partnership with Palau Community College, the Micronesian Voyaging Society (MVS) plans to launch crew camps, training, and navigation classes while the Alingano Maisu is in dry dock with work planned from August through November. Young people are encouraged to learn this traditional knowledge from their elders. ( Image: Nishida Ryota. ) During this period, the canoe will host interested groups from throughout the region, creating hands-on experiences and fostering deeper cultural ties. "Our ancestors followed the stars to find their way. Now, the next generation carries that knowledge forward, enriched by what they've learned in school," said Dr Patrick Tellei, President of Palau Community College. Students preparing plants for the voyage at Palau Community College and high school. ( Image: Selket Kaufman ) Carr encouraged young people to learn from their elders, as they had information and knowledge passed down from generation to generation. "I hear a lot of people say, 'Oh, I wish I would have talked to my grandmother because she knows this, she knows that, but too late, she's already dead',' Carr said. "In my heart, I always hope that the younger generation can continue … that this will still continue and perpetuate into the future and that they're able to teach the next generation and the next generation because we cannot let this stop."
RNZ News
14-07-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Guam governor drums up regional support for US$1b hospital project
By Ron Rocky Coloma , Pacific Island Times Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero with Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine. Photo: Office of the Governor of Guam The 27th Micronesian Islands Forum (MIF) has adopted a resolution supporting the development of a regional medical complex on Guam. "For years, patients from across Micronesia have come to Guam to access healthcare services, so we already have a clear picture of where the needs are and what services people are seeking when they arrive," Guam's Governor Lou Leon Guerrero, who introduced the resolution during the Forum's meeting in Majuro this month, said. The governor is proposing to build a US$1 billion hospital in Mangilao. The goal is to scale care and keep patients closer to home. The governor also noted the economic and staffing opportunities that could follow. "With the strong ties we share among our island communities, the other MIF leaders agreed that making Guam a medical hub would help improve the quality of care available to their citizens, while keeping them closer to home," she said. "I also believe that by creating a regional healthcare system, we can more easily attract specialists to Guam. When we combine the patient populations of our region, we create the demand needed to support more advanced and specialized services-something that benefits all of us in the Pacific," she added. When island leaders gathered in Majuro for the Forum meeting, Guam showed up with urgency. Climate change topped the agenda, but the meeting also laid groundwork for regional healthcare, connectivity and gender equity. According to the governor, leaders pointed to gaps in healthcare, workforce development and resilience planning. Guam's experience navigating these same pressures helped shape the forum's priorities. "The experiences of our Pacific neighbors mirror many of our own, and several of our administration's key initiatives, such as the establishment of a new public hospital, workforce development programs and expanded air transportation, hold promise not only for Guam but for the broader Micronesian region," she said. The forum also reached consensus on another priority: equity. Leaders unanimously endorsed the Micronesian Gender Equality Framework, a regional commitment that brought together state actors and traditional leadership. "MIF leaders unanimously endorsed the Micronesian Gender Equality Framework, a landmark commitment that brought together governments, development partners and traditional leaders to establish a culturally grounded, inclusive and actionable path toward gender equality across the region," Leon Guerrero said. She sees the endorsement not only as a moral imperative, but a development strategy. "This endorsement marks a significant step forward," she said. "As leaders of smaller island jurisdictions commit to advancing gender equity, they are also opening doors to economic growth by empowering more women to enter the workforce, pursue higher education and take on leadership roles. Women's participation is crucial to shaping effective responses to the region's most pressing challenges, including climate change, transportation and community resilience." Still, some issues proved sensitive. Deep-sea mining, currently permitted in Nauru, raised concern among some participants. The governor said leaders addressed it with caution and a call for more research. "On more sensitive issues, MIF leaders exercised thoughtful diplomacy," she said. "For instance, concerns over the unknown effects of deep-sea mining-currently permitted by the Republic of Nauru-were met with a collective call for further research and ongoing dialogue. The 27th MIF Communiqué reflects this consensus, affirming the need for continued information sharing and regional cooperation on the matter." Leon Guerrero also emphasised Guam's potential role in solving a core challenge across the Pacific: funding. Even when money is available, many island governments struggle to access it. "I recently had the opportunity to speak at the Global Islands Summit, and I'm honored that a portion of my remarks was also shared at the United Nations Ocean Conference 3, or UNOC3," she said. "In both forums, I spoke about Guam's unique position as a financial hub in the region-and how we can use that strength to help shape financing guidelines that are appropriately scaled for small island communities facing the impacts of climate change." She believes the Pacific Islands Development Bank, headquartered on Guam, could help bridge that gap. "The leaders of Micronesia serve as its board of directors, and I believe that growing the bank's capacity could be a true game changer for our region," the governor said. But even that requires systemic change. "Right now, the biggest bottleneck to accessing hundreds of millions in climate financing is not the lack of available funds. It's the inability of our island governments to meet the complex requirements of the application process," she said. "These guidelines are designed for countries with populations in the millions. For many of us in the Pacific, with populations under 20,000, those requirements are simply too burdensome. Guam can lead the way in advocating for financing systems that work for communities like ours," she added. -This article was first published by Pacific Island Times .
RNZ News
14-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
CNMI and Guam decry rushed military proposal, demand more time for public input
Tinian North Field, Northern Marianas, the largest US air base during World War II. Photo: Wikimedia Commons Community groups from the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam are calling for a 45-day extension to the public feedback period on a US military proposal for joint military. From Luta, For Luta, Micronesia Climate Change Alliance, Tinian Women's Association, and Our Common Wealth 670, as well as dozens of concerned community members and the diaspora, have rasied concerns about the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement (RDEIS) on the Mariana Islands Training and Testing (MITT) and CNMI Joint Military Training (CJMT) proposals. The 75-day public review and comment period started on 6 June. The deadline for public feedback is 20 August. In a letter, titled "For Our Home, Our People, Our Responsibility" that was submitted to CNMI elected and appointed officials, the groups raised urgent concerns about rushed timelines, inaccessible documents, and the lack of meaningful public participation in decisions that carry generational consequences for the Marianas. "This is not an opportunity to comment. This is an overhaul of our lives, our land, and our right to self-determination," the letter stated. "We are not asking for symbolic gestures. We are asking our leaders to use their power to slow this process down, ensure our people are not left out, and make sure that local agencies are not silent." Key concerns raised in the letter include; inaccessible documents and broken links on the CJMT website; delayed translations, with Chamorro and Carolinian versions only posted 17 days after the EIS release; rushed and siloed public meetings, with no space for open dialogue or community exchange; and lack of agency response, including absence of comments or guidance from CNMI regulatory bodies. "We write to you as people of this land. As descendants of fishermen, farmers, weavers, and healers. As stewards who carry forward traditions of protection, relationship, and inafa'maolek-even in the face of harm. We write because what is happening now threatens not just the environment, but the very future of our home," the groups said. They said the MITT and CJMT are not routine documents, as the proposals outline expanded war games, live-fire training, and permanent transformation of the Mariana Islands and its surrounding waters. They added that the Revised DEIS carries real, generational consequences-yet was released on overlapping timelines, updated quietly (as recently as June 23), and shared through broken links and inaccessible formats. "Public meetings [were] rushed across Tinian, Saipan, and Rota - while most of our people still have no meaningful access to the materials. The public meetings further highlighted these barriers. "There was no space for open dialogue. No opportunity to witness or engage with the thoughts, questions, and concerns of our neighbors. "Community members were directed to submit comments in isolation-asked to step aside, into a corner, to speak or write without visibility, without affirmation, and without the collective process that our cultures are built on. This is not meaningful and substantive participation. It is performative, procedural, and extractive," they said. In addition, the community groups from Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and the diaspora are also urging the CNMI leadership for transparency, accountability, and meaningful community inclusion not only on the Revised DEIS but also on ongoing US Air Force developments on Rota. The groups also took issue with recent developments that saw Guam being used as a decoy in global headlines for B-2 bomber attacks in Iran. To this end, the groups are calling for three immediate actions: A 45-day extension to the MITT and CJMT public comment periods; full, transparent, and equitable access to materials across all islands; and public engagement and comments from relevant CNMI agencies, shared openly with the community. The signatories emphasised that this is not only about environmental review-it's about the future of the Marianas. "Our islands are not expendable. Our people are not collateral. This is a moment to lead-not through silence or compliance, but through courageous alignment with the values we were raised in."
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Yahoo
In our 50s, we moved to a remote Pacific island. We know we'll need better healthcare someday, but for now, it's paradise.
Buz Moffett and his wife, Liz, moved from Hawaii to Pohnpei in Micronesia in 2018. They wanted to slow down, work less, and be away from the tourist crowds. They sometimes go without fresh veggies or dairy as the supply ship comes every two to three weeks. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Buz Moffett, 63, who moved from Hawaii to Pohnpei, an island in the Pacific Ocean that's part of the Federated States of Micronesia, with his wife in 2018. It has been edited for length and clarity. The first time I visited Pohnpei was in 2006. An Australian friend suggested that I check out a surf camp there. He thought I'd love the place — and he was right. The island is stunning, the people are warm, and it offers world-class waves, great fishing, and incredible diving. Over the next 10 years, I went back there almost every other year. Eventually, my wife, Liz, started joining me on my trips. One day in 2017, she approached me and said, "I could live here." By then, I was in my mid-50s and ready to slow down — I didn't want to continue to work myself to death. I was born in California but raised in Hawaii. Being in the real estate industry, I always dreamed of retiring somewhere quieter, more like the Maui I knew from the late '60s and early '70s, with fewer visitors and a slower pace of life. We'd considered moving to Molokai, but Liz felt it was too close to Maui. She knew I'd just hop on my boat back and keep working. We decided Pohnpei, an eight-hour flight from Honolulu, was the right place for us to start our new adventure. We started putting out feelers with a few friends about finding a place to rent. As foreigners, we can't own land in Micronesia. Soon enough, a friend of mine who runs a surfing and diving company in Pohnpei called me and told me he had found the perfect home. He told us that it might be better than his — and he has a nice waterfront home. We didn't even see a picture; we just jumped on it. Turns out, he was right. It's a two-bedroom, one-bathroom home right by the ocean. Rent is $1,500 a month, and we have wonderful landlords who treat us like family. We've been living in Pohnpei ever since, with a two-year gap during the pandemic We have become part of the community and have embraced the lifestyle. When you're not working, finding an activity to fill your time is really important. Somehow, I feel like I'm almost busier now than I was when I was working — it's just a healthier type of busy. Every day, I'll start with coffee and a workout, then return a few calls and emails before heading down to the harbor by 10 a.m. I ice up the boat and refuel before going fishing for four hours. I usually come back home in the mid-afternoon, have a nap, ask what's for dinner, go to bed early, and do it again the next day. When I take a day off from the boat, I usually spend it at home smoking fish — it's my hobby. I seal them up before giving them away as little presents to people I see when I'm cruising around town. Everyone knows me as the old man with the big beard who gives away smoked fish. People on Pohnpei are shy, but we realized that after you break the ice, they are the friendliest people ever. I'm also part of the fishing club, so we have tournaments and parties, too. The supply ship comes in every two to three weeks, and there are times when we run out of fresh vegetables and dairy. But there's never a shortage of canned or frozen goods. But we have learned to adapt and enjoy what we can find at the markets. Liz is a wonderful cook, and we eat at home most nights as we live about 15 minutes from town. We adopted three rescue dogs and have a tabby cat who keeps them all in line. Twice a year, a vet from Guam visits with a team and sets up a clinic at the local college. That's when everyone books appointments for their pets. There are two hospitals and a handful of private clinics on the island, but for anything serious, you have to leave. Many locals travel to Guam or the Philippines for care, and some even go as far as Hawaii for medical treatment. Two to three times a year, we travel back to the US to visit friends and family. But Pohnpei is where we plan to stay for at least the next decade — until we eventually need easier access to advanced medical care. We couldn't be happier — we've found our little slice of paradise in the Western Pacific. Do you have a story to share about retiring abroad? Contact this reporter at agoh@ Read the original article on Business Insider
