H3144 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 21, 1997 51. Mr. Mareth spoke of the problems in Prof. Vladimir Tetelmin, Deputy Chairman House for 1 minute and to revise and Cambodia that his country was trying to ad- of the Committee on Ecology of the State extend his remarks.) dress as quickly as possible. A strategy had Duma, Russian Federation, and Coordinator Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, been adopted to tackle coastal zone issues. for ACOPS’ Russian Programme, and Prof. I rise to bring attention to the con- 52. Mr. Maruyama brought the perspective Vitaly Lystsov, Chairman of ACOPS’ Arctic of a developed country to the table. He spoke Working Group chaired this session of the ference that my distinguished col- of the high priority Japan accords ocean re- Panel on Oceans and the Russian Federation. league, the gentleman from Pennsylva- search, technology and observations. Japan The panellists were: Dr. James Baker, Ad- nia [Mr. WELDON] just talked about. We is also supporting the cooperation between ministrator, National Oceanographic and At- are very blessed in this country to be the space-based and in situ ocean measure- mospheric Administration (NOAA), USA; surrounded by oceans and pay a lot of ments. Mrs. Siri Bjerke, State Secretary of the Min- attention to it, but we really do not 53. Mr. Scully reminded the meeting of the istry of Foreign Affairs, Norway; Mr. Mi- pay enough attention because the seas intergovernmental agreements that had been khail Faleev, Deputy Minister of the Russian of the world are important to keep us motioned since the Rio Conference. In his Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies opinion, the UN Convention on the Law of and the Elimination of Consequences of Nat- alive. This is a water planet, we are, 78 the Sea (UNCLOS), which came into force in ural Disasters (EMERCOM); Ms. Sherri percent of this globe is water and it is 1994, formed the basis for subsequent agree- Goodman, Deputy Under Secretary of threatened. ments. In particular, the several fisheries Defence (Environmental Security), USA; Dr. b 1715 agreements, signed and awaiting ratifica- Ljubomir Jeftic, Chairman, ACOPS’ Advi- tion, were a direct follow-up of the UNCLOS sory Board on Pollution Control and Preven- One thing that we found out in this provisions. Regional agreements on fisheries tion; Prof. Dr. Willem J Kakebeeke, Assist- conference is that everybody in the and other environmental issues were an im- ant Director General for the Environment, world agrees with that and wants to do portant adjunct to global conventions Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and something about it. If we could just 54. Finally, Mr. Choe, described the situa- Environment, The Netherlands; Admiral Igor dedicate enough of our commitment to tion in Korea, which had a huge 10% of its Kasatonov, First Deputy Commander-in- research and science using the mili- economy related to the marine environment. Chief of the Russian Navy and Chairman of Environmental security was an obvious pri- Section No. 2 on Sea and Ocean Studies in tary, using the scientific community, ority of his country. the Russian Federation Committee on the academic community, using the 55. In summing up, the moderators agreed Science and Technology; Dr. Laurence Mee, commercial community, and unlock on the following highlights from the discus- Coordinator, GEF Programme for Environ- the information about the ocean, at sion and recommended actions: mental Management and Protection of the the same time to gather a lot more. In Disputes amongst countries are an obsta- Black Sea, and Chairman, ACOPS Advisory fact, this country spends more on cle to environmental cooperation and their Board on Oceans and Coastal Areas Manage- resolution is therefore important to the reso- studying the seas of outer planets than ment and Policy; Mr. R. Tucker Scully, Di- we do in studying our own seas, and lution of regional environmental problems. rector, Office of Ocean Affairs, Department ACOPS was seen as a valuable mechanism of State, USA; Mr. Vitaly Sevastianov, Mem- that is wrong. to enhance cooperation and communication ber of the State Duma, President of GLOBE, The gentleman from Pennsylvania amongst nations. Both technology and re- Russia; Colonel Viktor Sheremetyev, Min- [Mr. WELDON] did an incredible job for search are required to address environmental istry of Defence, Russian Federation; Sen- this country by leading this conference problems so that knowledge and capability ator Ted Stevens, Senate Appropriations in the last 3 days. And I just want to are used together. Committee Chairman, Alaska, USA; Con- urge all of my colleagues, Republicans Global fisheries agreements are now in gressman Curt Weldon, Chairman, Sub-Com- place awaiting ratification, setting the agen- and Democrats alike, that this is not a mittee of Research and Development of the partisan battle, this is a world struggle da for future work. More needs to be done to Committee on National Security, House of protect pelagia and fish habitat. Representatives, Congress of the USA, and to try to keep our oceans clean, to try Regional agreements are an effective way ACOPS’ Vice President from the USA; Dr. to keep our atmosphere from getting for nations to cooperate on environmental Leslie Whitby, Director of Environment and overheated so that the oceans will rise, issues. Governments need to harmonise their Renewable Resources in the Northern Affairs we know those things are going to hap- policies to ensure the effective interaction of Programme, Canada; and Congressman Don pen. We have to combat it. I thank the the respective agreements. Young, House Resources Chairman, Alaska, Governments need to act now and will need gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. USA. WELDON] for his leadership and I look much public pressure to initiate appropriate The panel discussed ——— actions. forward to working with my col- H. Presentation of recommendations and the Po- leagues. F. Panel on the Indian Ocean tomac Declaration f 56. Mr. Peter Mokaba, Deputy Minister of Congressman Curt Weldon, Dr. Jeftic, Prof. Environment and Tourism of South Africa Per Wramner, and Dr. Sebek chaired this SPECIAL ORDERS and Mr. Terry Jones, Director of Multilat- session which was devoted to the presen- eral Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Af- tation of the draft recommendations. The The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. fairs, Planning and Environment of Recommendations are attached to this re- GILLMOR). Under the Speaker’s an- Seychelles chaired this session of the Panel port as Annex II. nounced policy of January 7, 1997, and on the Indian Ocean. The draft of the Potomac Declaration was under a previous order of the House, 57. The panellists were: Prof. Dr. Khosla prepared on the basis of presentations and the following Members will be recog- Ashok, President, Development Alternatives, statements made during the meeting and on nized for 5 minutes each. India; Mr. Joseph Belmont, Minister for Ad- the basis of position papers distributed at f ministration and Manpower, First Minister the Conference and other relevant materials. Designate, Seychelles; Dr. Robert Corell, The draft of the Potomac Declaration was The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a Head of Geoscience Directorate, National discussed in detail and numerous amend- previous order of the House, the gen- Science Foundation, USA; Mr. Bernardo ments were agreed upon. The Potomac Dec- tleman from North Carolina [Mr. Ferraz, Minister for the Coordination of En- laration is presented in Annex IV of this re- JONES] is recognized for 5 minutes. vironmental Affairs, Mozambique; Congress- port. [Mr. JONES addressed the House. His man Peter King, House Foreign Affairs Com- H. Closing of the conference mittee, New York, USA; Dr. Mok Mareth, remarks will appear hereafter in the Minister of Environment, Kingdom of Cam- The closing session, at which short state- Extensions of Remarks.] ments were made by ———, was chaired by bodia; Mr. Philip Reynolds, Manager, Strate- f gic Initiative for Ocean & Coastal Manage- ———. It was agreed that the Conference was a ment, UNDP; Congressman Chris Smith, A SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO THE LATE great success and that it was not important House Foreign Affairs Committee, New Jer- GOVERNOR PETER TALI COLE- to implement the recommendations con- sey, USA; and Dr. Plodprasop Suraswadi, Di- MAN OF AMERICA SAMOA tained in the Potomac Declaration. rector General of the Fisheries Department, The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, f previous order of the House, the gen- Thailand. FURTHER REPORT ON CON- 58. The panel discussed ——— tleman from American Samoa [Mr. FERENCE OF ADVISORY COMMIT- G. Panel on oceans and the Russian Federation FALEOMAVAEGA] is recognized for 5 TEE ON PROTECTION OF THE minutes. Dr. Alexander Solovyanov, Deputy Chair- SEA man of the State Committee on the Protec- Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, tion of the Environment of the Russian Fed- (Mr. FARR of California asked and I rise to honor the memory of a distin- eration and Senior Policy Adviser to ACOPS, was given permission to address the guished Pacific leader, the late May 21, 1997 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H3145 Uifa’atali Peter Coleman, former Gov- to serve as governor in the Pacific. He Furthermore, by the authority vested in ernor of American Samoa, who passed held that position until 1961. me by the constitution and laws of American away last month after a long battle When American Samoa held its first Samoa as executive head of this territory, I with cancer. A dedicated public servant gubernatorial election in 1977, he ran hereby order the flag of American Samoa to for office and became the first elected be flown also at half staff. I would also like with more than 50 years of public serv- to ask all the departments, agencies, and of- ice, Governor Coleman was our first Governor, a position which he held fices of the American Samoa Government American Samoan statesman, a Pacific three times. During his elected years in and the people of American Samoa to ob- American with a truly regional vision. office, he continued to forge close ties serve in the most appropriate manner and It is that vision for which he will al- between the territory government and custom befitting the occasion of the passing ways be remembered by our people. Washington DC and with Federal and of this great leader. He was someone important for whom State agencies and institutions. He was In witness whereof I set my hand and seal I had tremendous respect. Governor responsible for American Samoa’s on the 28th day of April, 1997, at Utulei, American Samoa. Coleman was always cordial and cour- membership in both the National Gov- ernors Association and the Regional TAUESE P.F. SUNIA, teous to me and always extended the Governor of American Samoa. hand of friendship. Although we dis- Western Governors Association. In 1980 agreed on certain issues, we agreed on he became the first territorial Gov- [From the Hawaii Star-Bulletin, Apr. 29, many others, and among them the im- ernor to serve as chairman of the West- 1997] ern Governors Conference. He was portance of a strong American presence PETER COLEMAN, ‘‘MAN OF THE PACIFIC’’ elected a member of the executive com- in the Pacific region. (By Mary Adamski) I learned from him how to handle the mittee of the NGA in 1990. As a regional leader, Mr. Speaker, HONOLULU.—Peter Tali Coleman was called stress of political life, how to take the ‘‘a man of the Pacific’’ in one of the many Governor Coleman’s record is equally storms in stride and never make a dis- honorary degrees he was awarded, but that agreement into a personal matter. He distinguished. He co-founded the Pa- was not a fanciful title. It would serve as a was the kind of individual of whom po- cific Basin Development Council in 1980 summary of his life. litical opponents like former Governor and was its first elected President in He was the first Samoan to be appointed 1982. In 1982 he hosted and chaired the governor of American Samoa, a US territory A. P. Lutali could say, ‘‘Uifa’atali and South Pacific Commission’s annual and later the first elected governor there. I may have been adversaries in politics, conference in Pago Pago, American His service as governor bridged five dec- but in life we were always friends.’’ ades, first from the appointment in 1956–61, Mr. Speaker, Governor Coleman ex- Samoa. At a special SPC meeting in 1983 and later in a conference in to three elected terms, the most recent end- emplified all the traits of a true Sa- ing in 1993. moan leader. He was a soldier and a Saipan, he argued strenuously for He spent nearly 17 years as an American warrior, a pioneer and a man of vision, equal membership in SPC for Pacific appointee in administrative roles in the territories. This he ultimately was suc- a statesman and a man of wisdom. He former U.N. Trust Territories of Micronesia. cessful in obtaining for the territories. Then he served as an advisor to the govern- possessed that quality which Samoans He was two times a member of the ment and the emerging Western Pacific na- value most in our leaders, that of tofa standing committee of the Pacific Is- tions as they gained independence. He found- mamao, which denotes a leader with a lands Conference of Leaders. He was on ed PTC Inc., a government relations firm sense of vision or understanding and the founding board of the Pan-Pacific specializing in Pacific island matters, was anticipating future events. Above all, Alliance for Trade and Development the Republican national committeeman from Governor Coleman was a humble per- American Samoa, and an attorney. and a founding member of the Offshore Coleman, 77, died yesterday (Monday) at son who thought less of how he would Governor’s Forum. be remembered in the future than of his Honolulu home after a two-year struggle His regional stature was widely ac- with cancer. what he could accomplish today. knowledged, Mr. Speaker. In 1970 he ‘‘He was early recognized as a leader and Uifaatali Peter Coleman was born on was granted an honorary degree by the will be remembered as one of the forerunners December 8, 1919, in Pago Pago, Amer- University of Guam, who cited him as in the Pacific among native-born leaders ican Samoa. He received his elemen- a ‘‘Man of the Pacific.’’ In 1978, he re- who helped their nations chart their own tary school education in Tutuila and ceived an honorary doctorate from destinies,’’ said Hawaiian Governor Ben graduated from St. Louis High School Chaminade College in Hawaii. Pacific Cayetano. ‘‘His contribution will be long and recalled in Honolulu, where he joined the Na- Magazine called him, ‘‘a man who is tional Guard and enlisted in the U.S. with respect and affection.’’ probably on a first name basis with ev- Governor Tauese P.F. Sunia of American Army at the beginning of World War II. erybody from the heart of the Pacific Samoa ordered the United States and Amer- Assigned to the Pacific theater, he was islands to their most distant corners.’’ ican Samoa flags to be flown at half-staff for stationed in the Solomon Islands, Mr. Speaker, I recently attended the 30 days in Coleman’s home islands. Sunia Vanuatu and Hawaii. By the end of the funeral services which were held for will attend services in Honolulu next week, war, he had risen to the rank of cap- Governor Coleman in Hawaii. I am very according to his Chief of Staff. tain. In 1982, for his military service, glad to note that our Governor Tauese ‘‘There is no question of Peter Coloman’s he was inducted into the U.S. Army Of- P. Sunia and his lovely wife Faga were place in history, not only in American ficers’ Candidate School Hall of Fame Samoa, but throughout the Pacific,’’ said in attendance at the services. Addition- Sunia in a message to the Coleman family. in Fort Benning, GA. ally, the President of the Senate, High ‘‘I am proud to say I knew him, that I After the war, Governor Coleman en- Chief Lutu Tenari Fuimaono and his worked for and with him, and that I wit- rolled in Georgetown University, and wife Sinira, the Speaker of the House, nessed the progress and change he brought to in 1949 he received a bachelor of science High Chief Mailo Sao Nua. American Samoa.’’ degree in economics from that institu- In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like Kitty Simonds, Executive Director of the tion. While in college he worked as a to offer my condolences to Governor Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Manage- staff secretary to a Member of Con- Coleman’s dear wife Nora and his chil- ment said: ‘‘He really knew the heart of the gress, became a member of the U.S. dren. I am sure that the proud legacy Pacific people.’’ She recalled Coleman’s ef- Capitol Police Force and in what was which he left them will live on in their fort to affirm native islanders’ fishing rights, a move not popular with the American fish- then the Office of Territories at the hearts and in the hearts of all the peo- ing industry or the tuna packing firms in U.S. Department of the Interior. He be- ples of the Pacific. Pago Pago. came the first Samoan to my knowl- PROCLAMATION City Councilman Mufi Hanneman said: ‘‘He edge to receive a law degree from a Pursuant to the authority vested in the was definitely a role model for many major U.S. university. After that, he Governor of American Samoa, under the flag Samoans. Through his example, he embodied returned to American Samoa, where he code prescribed by the Congress of the Unit- the best ideals and values of a public states- became the first Samoan to serve as ed States of America shall be flown at half man.’’ D.E. ‘‘Rags’’ Scanlan, president of Royal public defender and later became attor- staff as a mark of respect and a tribute to the memory of Uifa’atali Peter Coleman, Guard Security, said Coleman was ‘‘distin- ney general. former Governor of American Samoa, and guished by his work for the betterment of all In 1956, he was appointed Governor of one of the fathers of the government and the in the South Pacific.’’ Scanlan whom Cole- American Samoa by President Eisen- territory of American Samoa from April 28, man tapped to coordinate relief efforts after hower, one of the first Pacific Islanders 1997, until May 28, 1997. a 1991 hurricane devastated Samoa, said the H3146 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 21, 1997 man was ‘‘very unpolitical. He was in poli- get teased and slapped in the head by the the Cuban people feel under the Castro tics but wasn’t a politician, he worked be- other kids. dictatorship. Unfortunately, the Amer- hind the scenes.’’ One time my brother Milton ran away ican people never learned of this story J.E. Tihati Thompson of Tihati Produc- from home because he didn’t want his hair in the so-called mainstream media. It tions said: ‘‘I will always respect him for the cut. Anyway he finally returned home when assistance he gave not only to the people of he got too hungry. And of course the rest of was not in the major newspapers, nor Samoa, but also to the Tokelau people of us promptly reported him to Dad. Misery in the television networks. Why? Be- Swains Island Atoll while in office. He grew loves company. Milton got his spanking, cause the press prefers to promote Cas- into a very gracious statesman who many which made us gleeful and after his haircut, tro’s propaganda of Cuba as a tourist would consult for political advice.’’ lost his appetite. paradise rather than exert some effort As kids we didn’t fully appreciate that in reporting the repression subjected [From the Samoa News, May 15, 1997] those haircuts showed Dad to be a true vi- on the people of the island every day. A EULOGY IN MEMORY OF PETER TALI sionary. Today these haircuts are considered Just this past Sunday, the Washing- COLEMAN fashionable and quite stylish with the ton Post travel section had a lengthy younger crowd. Dad was ahead of his time. (The following eulogy was presented by piece on how to travel to Cuba. The Mom was always behind the scene, provid- William Patrick ‘‘Dyke’’ Coleman at the re- ing her strengths to support Dad and the story’s author, Elinor Lander Horwitz, cent funeral of his father, former Governor family. For all this intelligence, strength of could barely control her excitement Peter Tali Coleman. Dyke was Governor character and self-discipline, his sense of about being in the forbidden island as Coleman’s chief of staff in his most recent humor was how he kept life in perspective, she walked past children engulfed in administration (1989–1993).) Dad introduced us to Samoa during the everything in balance. poverty, the deteriorated beauty of Ha- He used humor to fend off criticism, to summer of 1952 when we first arrived in Pago vana, and the lack of the most basic laugh with others, to tolerate the inflated Pago Harbor on board the Navy transport needs such as soap that the Cuban peo- egos his line of work brought, and even to vessel the USS Jackson. We kids were just ple endure daily. laugh at himself. His sense of humor was his overwhelmed and excited by the beauty of The author soothes her guilt of, as way of remaining within himself. the Harbor and the majesty of the surround- One day when he was still at Queen’s Hos- she calls it, of having a good time ing mountains on that July morning. while being surrounded in this poverty Grandma Amata had accompanied us on pital I went to visit with him. He had just awakened and I sat there making loose talk by handing out two pesos to a poor the trip from Honolulu and Chief Tali, Aunty Cuban child. Oh, wow. Now she can re- Mabel and Snookie and other family mem- and joking with him. I told him casually bers were there to welcome us. that Amata had called earlier from Washing- turn once again to her paradise vaca- The living quarters we were assigned to ton. tion. was the old nurses’ quarters at Malaloa. the He asked what she had wanted. I told him Throughout the article, not one house was spacious, wide open and struc- she asked how he was doing and that he word, not one single word, is men- turally sound and we kids loved it. Mom and should start thinking about the governor’s tioned about the destruction caused on Dad learned later that these quarters had race for the year 2000. He laughed so hard he Cuba by the Castro tyranny and the cried. been condemned but that really never both- misery that has resulted from it. How- ered us because we didn’t know what that God bless you. f ever, she makes sure to provide tips on meant and didn’t care anyway. how to circumvent the United States To Dad, as long as the family’s safety and CUBA’S REPRESSIVE REGIME health were not being compromised, the embargo in order to travel to Cuba. label was of no consequence and the con- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a I wonder, Mr. Speaker, what led demned house he viewed as a minor, tem- previous order of the House, the gentle- these refugees I have described earlier porary inconvenience that was not worth woman from Florida [Ms. ROS- tonight to leave the paradise that this complaining about. LEHTINEN] is recognized for 5 minutes. author so aptly describes? Is it the lack The house, for now, served our purposes. Ms. ROS–LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, of human rights under Castro, the lack He adapted and taught us to do the same. this past week we were once again re- of civil rights under the last totali- Don’t get hung up on the minor things. He tarian dictatorship of the hemisphere? never lost focus of his larger destiny. minded of the lengths that the Cuban people will resort to to sink freedom The complete mismanagement of the Things that would bother many of us never Cuban economy by the Communist seemed to bother him. He handled criticism from the repressive regime. Eleven the same way. Those who knew him well can Cuban refugees were rescued by the ex- elite, the complete control of the popu- attest to that. He reserved his energies for cellent men and women of our United lation by Castro’s police state? I ven- life’s larger problems. States Coast Guard after being spotted ture to say that it was a combination Only he knew that, very soon thereafter, by an aircraft of the humanitarian of all of these put together. he would occupy the best house on island, Cuba remains, whether the Washing- group, Brothers to the Rescue. the governor’s mansion. Occupying the gov- ton Post or other publications admit The refugees had spent 17 days in an ernor’s house itself was not the goal. He as- it, a repressive totalitarian state. Just isolated area of the Bahamas known as pired to lead his people and never lost focus ask Ana Maria Agramonte, a promi- Dog Key. Dog Key, Mr. Speaker, is of that objective. nent Cuban dissident who was recently Dad practiced law during these early days nothing but a rock, a big rock in the sentenced to 18 months in prison for and his clients would often instead of cash middle of the ocean. pay him with live chickens and pigs. The contempt against the regime. It is For 2 weeks the refugees had little to clear that the paradise as portrayed by house was the perfect place in which to learn drink or to eat. They ate snails and and develop responsibility to raise and care the Washington Post must feel like for them. birds to survive in the middle of the hell for Ms. Agramonte and the rest of Of course some of these animals soon be- ocean. her compatriots who have to endure came pets. We had a pet pig named Porky One of the refugees, Rolando Mar- Castro’s brutality. that we let into the house all the time, and tinez Montoya, would break snail Let us hope that the press will one Grandma Amata would get angry and chase shells with his teeth so that his chil- day wake up to the horrors of the Cas- the pig out with a broom. On school days dren who accompanied him on this hor- tro’s tyranny, to the repressive police Porky would always greet us when we got rible journey would be able to at least state, to the complete lack of, and the home. One day Porky didn’t meet us. We eat the inside of the snails. combed the entire area around the house and violation of the most basic of civil the mountainside. We couldn’t find him. Unfortunately, Mr. Martinez’ daugh- rights. Dad had now become Attorney General and ter, Camilla Martinez, only 4 years old, Mr. Speaker, I insert for the RECORD we kids had become so upset and distraught and his step daughter, only 13 years the article from the Washington Post that Dad called the police force to help look old, died at Dog Key last week. by Elinor Lander Horwitz which I ear- for our pig. We never found Porky. We knew Twenty-six-year-old Leonin Ojeda lier referred to. he ended up in someone’s umu. It took a long Rivas also died after complaining of [From the Washington Post, May 18, 1997] time for us to get over that loss. chest pains soon after trying to swim RETURN TO A FORBIDDEN ISLAND Dad used to cut our hair, even after he be- toward a passing ship in a desperate at- came Governor. His haircuts made us very IN IMPOVERISHED CUBA, NOTHING—AND sad and we cried every time we had to get tempt to be rescued. EVERYTHING—HAS CHANGED one. We wanted to look like Elvis but ended Mr. Speaker, the tragic search of (By Elinor Lander Horwitz) up looking like Fred Flintstone. The hairline these Cuban refugees for freedom por- Maritza smiles wistfully and passes her was almost always uneven and so we would trays the picture of desperation that tongue slowly over her lips. ‘‘The ‘52s and