Letters
Letters
Free Association II After reading the "Voices" column in your April, 2004 issue, I respectfully beg to differ with some of the statements and characterizations being made by former FSM President John Haglelgam. - ADVERTISEMENT -
Much of President Haglelgam's article deals with the issue of sovereignty and how he feels that the amended Compact has diminished the sovereignty of the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of the Marshall Islands for that matter, the other Freely Associated State (FAS) who recently amended its Compact agreement with the United States. The FAS retain their hard won sovereignty in the amended Compact. There are no changes to the ability of the FAS to conduct their own foreign affairs. The real issue is that President Haglelgam seems to equate financial grant terms and conditions with the issue of sovereignty. Accepting financial assistance from any source involves at least some relinquishment of sovereignty. At the end of the day, we have the sovereign right to say "No, thank you" if conditions are unacceptable. Unfortunately there are those in the FAS who still confuse political sovereignty with economic self-sufficiency or self-reliance. We clearly have the former, but continue to be a long way from making substantial progress, let alone achieving the latter. The first step in that direction is to commit more resources toward improving the health and education levels among our people. A better-educated and healthy population will empower our people with the ability to make and carry out decisions about their future and provide choices and options that are presently unavailable whether they choose to remain in our islands or migrate to the United States. Thus, the six sectors targeted for grant assistance under the amended Compact were specifically determined by mutual agreement with special emphasis to be given to the sectors of education and health. Ironically, the original Compact phased out and terminated essential education programs for the FAS including Pell Grants that we have come to depend on so much over the last 17 years. The amended Compact continues Pell Grants and special education programs for the next 20 years while also providing a substantial annual supplemental education grant to better enable the FAS to fashion their own education programs. Targeting Compact grant assistance to these crucial sectors will do much in alleviating the underlying causes of what President Haglelgam describes as undermined or eroded sovereignty. President Haglelgam also states some inaccurate conclusions with respect to the differences between the original and amended Compact. Changes to immigration provisions regarding U.S. citizens' rights to live and work in the FAS are minimal and continue to be based on reciprocity to allow our citizens to live and work in the United States without a visa. Neither the original nor the amended Compact is perfect: no agreement is. It will take hard work and the dedication of both the FAS and U.S. governments to make the amended Compact work. Nonetheless, the opportunity is there and we should move forward with a view of ushering in a new phase of "free association" with the United States for the betterment of our nations and people. Bobby Muller |
