Political Reviews Micronesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 michael lujan bevacqua, elizabeth ua ceallaigh bowman, monica c labriola, clement yow mulalap Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 peter clegg, lorenz gonschor, margaret mutu, chris nobbs, ‘umi perkins, steven ratuva, forrest wade young The Contemporary Pacic, Volume 30, Number 1, 125–213 © 2018 by University of Hawai‘i Press 125 144 the contemporary pacific • 30:1 (2018) away on 1 August 2016 at the age Crux, Catholic News Agency. Crux of 75. Alfred Curie Ysrael, a million- Catholic Media Inc. https://cruxnow.com aire real estate developer, business- GDP, Guam Daily Post. Tamuning, Guam. man, owner of several tourist hotels http://www.postguam.com on island, and brother-in-law of the Guam Sports Network. Honorable Madeleine Z Bordallo, http://www.guamsportsnetwork.com received a state funeral on Guam when he passed away on 10 March Kaselehlie Press. Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. http://www.kpress.info 2017 at the age of 86. Looking to the future, Guam kuam, kuam.com: Guam’s News Net- continues in an atmosphere of work. Dededo. http://www.kuam.com/ political anxiety, especially as inter- Los Angeles Times. national relations across the Asia- http://www.latimes.com Pacific region may shift under the Marianas Variety. Monday–Friday Trump administration. In 2016, newspaper, Guam edition. Harmon, China developed new missiles dubbed Guam: Younis Art Studio Inc. “Guam Killers,” capable of striking http://www.mvariety.com/ Guam (Washington Post, 11 May Office of the Attorney General of Guam. 2016). Throughout 2017, North 2017. ag on the Plebiscite Case and the Korea conducted well-publicized doj’s Letter to Chamorro Land Trust. missile tests, which, while unlikely Press release, 21 March. http://www to cause much damage directly to .guamag.org/press%20releases/2017/ the continental United States, are AG%20on%20Plebiscite%20& capable of wrecking much havoc on %20CLTC%20Letter%2003.2017.pdf the Korean peninsula and surrounding [accessed 13 Sept 2017] GDP areas ( , 9 June 2017). PDN, Pacific Daily News. Hagåtña, Guam. MICHAEL LUJAN BEVACQUA AND http://www.guampdn.com ELIZABETH UA CEALLAIGH BOWMAN Pacific Islands Report. East-West Center online news. Honolulu. http://www .pireport.org References The Stream. Al Jazeera English online Bennett, Jesi Lujan. 2017. Review of news. Washington, dc. http://stream Guam Museum/Guam and Chamorro .aljazeera.com Education Facility. The Contemporary Washington Post. Daily newspaper. Pacific 29 (1): 195–197. Washington, dc. http://www Bevacqua, Michael Lujan. 2017. .washingtonpost.com Micronesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016: Guam. The Contemporary Pacific 29 (1): 104–111. Marshall Islands cia World Factbook. 2017. For the Republic of the Marshall http://www.ciaworldfactbook.us Islands (RMI), the period under CounterPunch. Online news. Petolia, review saw the passing of several California. http://www.counterpunch.org distinguished community mem- political reviews • micronesia 145 bers. Most notable were the deaths proponent of education and a sup- of two customary leaders from the porter of the national women’s group Rālik (western) islands. Iroojḷapḷap Women United Together Marshall (Paramount Chief) Anjua Loeak Islands (MIJ, 27 Jan 2017). died in early September 2016 and The Marshall Islands lost another was laid to rest at Aelōñḷapḷap Atoll leader and teacher in January 2017 later that month. Loeak was the with the passing of Captain Korent senior landowner for the domains of Joel, one the country’s last surviving Iroojḷapḷap Litokwa and Iroojḷapḷap ri-meto (traditional navigators). Cap- Loeak, which include approximately tain Korent had been instrumental in one-third of Kuwajleen (Kwajalein) the recent movement to revive tradi- Atoll and twelve wāto (land parcels) tional Marshallese meto (navigation). on Kuwajleen Island (PIR, 1 June He worked with the nonprofit organi- 2000). Kuwajleen Atoll is the site of zation Waan Aelōñ in Ṃajeḷ (Canoes the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile of the Marshall Islands) and Dr Joseph Defense Test Site, where the US Army Genz of the University of Hawai‘i at develops, tests, and tracks intercon- Hilo to document, preserve, and pass tinental ballistic missiles and missile on traditional navigational knowl- interceptors. In 2001, former Presi- edge. In his youth on Roñḷap Atoll, dent Kessai Note named Loeak to the Captain Korent learned a system of Compact Advisory Committee to help wave piloting in which navigators guide the Compact Negotiation Com- detect how islands disrupt the flow of mission in talks with the United States ocean swells and currents. In 2006, he on the renewed Compact of Free used the system to earn the status of Association, which went into effect ri-meto by sailing between Kuwajleen in 2003. Loeak was also a member and Ujae atolls. In 2010, Captain of the Kwajalein Negotiating Com- Korent helped guide a canoe led by mittee, which represented Kuwajleen Waan Aelōñ in Ṃajeḷ Director Alson landowner interests in the negotia- Kelen on a successful voyage between tions (pir, 31 Dec 2001). Following Mājro and Aur atolls using only the an eight-year standoff with the United wave patterns to guide them, and in States, Loeak joined Iroojḷapḷap Imata 2015 he prepared Kelen on land for a Kabua and Iroojḷapḷap and then successful repeat voyage from Mājro President Jurelang Zedkaia in sign- to Aur (MIJ, 12 Jan 2017). ing an agreement that extended US Several prominent political and use of the Kuwajleen test site through community leaders also passed away 2066 (pir, 12 May 2011). In Janu- during this period. Among them was ary 2017, the Rālik islands also lost former Senator Rellong Lemari, who customary leader Lerooj (Chieftess) represented Lae Atoll in the Nitijeḷā Seagull Kabua James, younger sister (Parliament) for nineteen years until of Iroojḷapḷap Imata Kabua. Lerooj his retirement in 2011 (MIJ, 3 March Seagull resided on Ebjā (Ebeye) Island 2017). Former Mile Atoll Senator and in Honolulu and was known Tadashi Lometo, who was elected the for upholding Marshallese culture first mayor of Mile in 1982 and served and traditions. She was also a strong in the Nitijeḷā from 1996 to 2008 (MIJ, 146 the contemporary pacific • 30:1 (2018) 26 Aug 2016), also died during this the outer islands, and health services. period. Lometo served as a member of Priority reform areas include fiscal the Public Accounts Committee, which management, social security, infra- investigated the sale of RMI passports structure planning and development, to citizens of the People’s Republic of management of cultural and historical China and other nations in the 1980s resources, nuclear accountability and and 1990s (pir, 12 Jan 1998), and justice, and amending the RMI Consti- as minister of health and minister-in- tution. Between August and December assistance to former President Kessai 2016, the Nitijeḷā passed nineteen Note in the early 2000s. Other deaths pieces of legislation that address include Clyde Heine, a cofounder these issues, and President Heine has and longtime general manager of the introduced several initiatives since Majuro (Mājro) Stevedore & Terminal January 2017 to help push her agenda Company and brother of President forward. The Constitutional Conven- Hilda Heine; Morean Ellen Kabua, tion also got underway in April 2017 wife of Council of Irooj (Council of and remains in session at the time of Chiefs) member Jimata Kabua; Salome this writing. Lanwi, who served as chief nurse at In terms of legislative action, the the Mājro hospital for several decades; Nitijeḷā enacted several laws focused and Deaconess Krojel Jabnil Wase. on environmental and community The period under review has been health and wellness. The Styrofoam productive for the RMI government. and Plastic Products Prohibition Act In what has been called “one of the 2016 bans disposable Styrofoam, most significant legislative sessions plastic bags, and plastic cups and for the Nitijeḷā since it was estab- plates, and establishes a ten-cent bev- lished in 1979,” the governing body erage container fee, an environmental enacted several important, and in fund, and a recycling program (RMI some cases controversial, laws that Nitijeḷā 2016g). The Import Duties will have lasting impacts on commu- (Funding Supplement Amendment) nities in the Marshall Islands and in Act 2016 addresses skyrocketing rates the diaspora (MIJ, 7 Oct 2016). The of type 2 diabetes and other health legislation was largely in response concerns by increasing import taxes to the plan introduced by President on alcohol and tobacco products and Heine in August 2016 and subse- instituting a new import tax on sweet- quently adopted by the cabinet as ened and sugar-added beverages (RMI “Agenda 2020: A Framework for Nitijeḷā 2016d). The Minimum Wage Progress” (RMI Office of the President (Amendment) Act 2016 raises the min- 2016). The plan identifies ten national imum wage to us$2.50 per hour and challenges and ten priority govern- an additional fifty cents per hour per ment reforms to be adopted over the year until it reaches $4.00 per hour next three years. Challenges include (RMI Nitijeḷā 2016e). The minimum economic growth and employment, wage in Marshall Islands had been education, climate change and disas- stagnant at $2.00 per hour since 1999 ter risk mitigation, water and food (MIJ, 19 Aug 2016). These three laws security, quality of life on Ebjā and and amendments have the potential to political reviews • micronesia 147 improve the quality of life of Marshall to eighteen years. The amendment Islanders across the country. to the Births, Deaths and Marriage In addition to legislation focused on Registration Act brings the Marshall enhancing the physical and environ- Islands into compliance with the mental health of Marshallese com- United Nations Convention on the munities, several laws were enacted to Rights of the Child (CRC), which the protect children and families.