THE CONTEMPORARY PACIFIC· SPRING 1993 Roman Tmetuchl, Ngiraked's political obsolete once the status issue is rival for a senate seat in the then Con­ resolved. gress ofMicronesia. In 1984, prior to The mission was not impressed by Remeliik's reelection, Ngiraked Belau's economic situation. It con­ declared that Remeliik's government cluded that the national master plan was one of despair and emptiness and being prepared could be a guide for called on the president to resign. Judge development, but that possibilities for Loren Sutton set bail for Ngiraked and small-scale rural development projects his wife at $25,000 each and ordered should not be held up by the approval the couple to surrender their travel process. The mission had serious con­ documents and be placed under house cerns about the debt national and state arrest. Remarii and Heinrick were governments had incurred for capital already in prison for convictions unre­ improvement projects. It recom­ lated to the Remeliik assassination. mended greater emphasis on career Special Prosecutor David Webster will training for the tourist sector and that a take the case to trial in November 1992 high priority be given to maximizing but, as in the Bedor Bins case, the future revenue from fisheries. Finally, veracity of the evidence will be the key the mission strongly recommended that element in this sensational case. Belau officials pay close attention to The United Nations dispatched a sound non-debt-creating investment in visiting mission to Belau in March 1992 future development projects. to obtain firsthand information con­ The United Nations visitors noted cerning political, economic, and social progress in health care, prison condi­ developments in the world's last trust tions, and the campaign against illegal territory. The mission concluded that drugs. They urged the United States to many Palauans want resolution of the assist Belau in dealing with the long­ political status issue as soon as possible standing problems of illegal fishing, the and expressed hope that the political survey ofland, and adjudication of status impasse could be resolved speed­ land claims and disputes. The 1992 trip ily "so that the Trusteeship Council will likely be the last time the United and Security Council can proceed to Nations sends a visiting mission to the termination ofPalau's Trusteeship Belau. status, which is now something of an DONALD SHUSTER anachronism" (Report ofthe U.N. Vis­ iting Mission to Palau, p 31). The mission heard complaints about COMMONWEALTH OF THE Secretarial Order 3142 because NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS Palauans viewed it as a "step backward and a limitation on their political status Throughout the year 1991-92 there under the 1979 Constitution" (Report, was a running battle over the authority p 31). The mission adeptly side-stepped of the inspector general of the Depart­ this issue by providing several pieces of ment of the Interior to audit CNMI good advice to Belau's government and income- tax collection. The inspector noting that the order would become general claimed to have a mandate POLITICAL REVIEWS. MICRONESIA 139 from the US Congress to audit all insu­ ing a hearing into the matter, and lar territories, whereas the CNMI raised the possibility of prohibiting the claimed that the covenant gives federal use of "Made in USA" labels on gar­ authorities no jurisdiction over purely ments manufactured in CNMI. Critics internal matters. contend that the garment factories are Late in 1991 the inspector general foreign owned and staffed, and that the issued a subpoena for the tax records, extremely favorable access provision in but Governor Guerrero swore he the covenant was not meant to provide would go to jail rather than violate his jobs for aliens. Some five thousand mandate to maintain self-government. people, most from mainland China In June 1992 the Federal District Court and Thailand, work in the garment on Saipan was charged with settling the industry. issue of jurisdiction. Although the In late June some Thai garment inspector general's actions are widely workers filed suit for back wages cov­ viewed as challenging CNMI's self­ ering the time that they were required governing status, most local authorities to be in their barracks after working privately admit that the inspector gen­ hours, and a group of female bar work­ eral does have the necessary legal ers filed a similar suit alleging nonpay­ authority. Ways of removing that ment of contract wages and overtime. authority are being investigated in the Hearings scheduled for late July 1992 in context of the ongoing "902" discus­ Washington, DC, could result in federal sIOns. control of immigration, as well as the Other federal regulatory agencies, imposition of the US minimum wage of such as the Occupational Safety and US$4.35 per hour to replace the present Health Administration (OSHA) and the rate of US$2.15, from which construc­ Fair Labor and Standards Administra­ tion workers, farmers, fishers, and tion (FLSA), took an interest in the local domestic workers are exempt. The construction and garment industries potential impact of these measures on during the year. Their inspections CNMI's economy and social structure resulted in millions of dollars in fines IS enormous. for nonpayment of minimum wages The release of the 1990 census fig­ and overtime, substandard living con­ ures was one of the most significant ditions, unsafe working conditions, events of the year. The census revealed and a variety of other violations of fed­ that the indigenous population now eral law. represents only about one third of the The extensive negative publicity in total resident population, and that Fili­ the United States over the alleged mis­ pinos constitute the single largest treatment of garment workers has group (Table I). threatened the commonwealth's Head­ The issue of casinos on Tinian note 3A (duty-free) access to US mar­ reared its head again in 1991-92. One kets. On 2 June 1992 thirty-four con­ company, ASA ofJapan, had its license gressmen (mostly from southern application rejected on the grounds of garment manufacturing states) wrote alleged connections with the Yakuza to Congressman Ron de Lugo request- and financial questions. A court deci- THE CONTEMPORARY PACIFIC. SPRING 1993 monwealth during the period under Table r. Ethnic Origins review. The "ice" comes mainly from the Philippines, resulting in intensive Filipino 14,160 scrutiny of all flights originating in Chamorro 12,555 Manila. However, legitimate tourists Chinese 2,881 and business travelers from the Philip­ Koreans 2,571 pines have complained about their treatment at the airport, and the Philip­ Carolinians 2,348 pines Consulate in Saipan has threat­ Chamorro of mixed ened retaliation at Manila airport. parentage 1,639 In May 1992, in spite of appeals for Palauans 1,620 leniency from the governor, the bishop, Chuukese 1,063 and the local college president, Judge Other Asians 936 Alex Munson ordered that Oscar and Caucasians 875 Ponciana Rasa begin three-year sen­ Japanese 784 tences in federal prison. In 1988 the Carolinians of mixed brothers, one a former Speaker ofthe parentage 639 House and the other a former President Pohnpeians 522 of the Senate, had pled nolo contendere Other Pacific Islanders 197 to charges ofwire fraud in connection with the award of a contract for con­ Yapese 152 struction of the new hospital. Their Marshallese 92 efforts to beat the charges finally failed Black 24 when the US Supreme Court refused to Kosraean 17 hear their appeal. The third individual All others 270 convicted in the case, former chairman of the Saipan Gambling Commission TOTAL 43,345 Leo Pangilinan, had earlier begun serv­ ing his five-year sentence. These are the Source: 1990 Census ofPopulation and first relatively highly placed individuals Housing: CNMI, 1992. Washington, to be successfully prosecuted for cor­ DC: USGPO, p 20. ruption in the commonwealth. Several independent candidates per­ formed well in the November 1991 elec­ sion resolved a conflict between the tions. One ofthe leaders of the June commonwealth government and the 1991 "job action" that won higher sala­ Tinian Gaming Commission over pri­ ries for government employees, Jesus macy of law, clearing the way for the Mafnas, defied all odds and won a seat issuance of conditional licenses. It is in the House of Representatives. How­ expected that the first casino license ever, his bid for the speakership was will be issued before the end of 1992. unsuccessful. This was the first time an Increased drug trafficking, particu­ independent candidate had defeated larly of crystal methamphetamine, candidates from both official parties. became a major problem for the com- The Marianas Public Land Corpo- POLITICAL REVIEWS. MICRONESIA 141 ration continued to stir up controversy -and self-government-Can the fed­ in its leasing of public land. One lease eral government intervene in purely to a developer included land used for local matters? The CNMI team has the Boy Scout camp, which had to be been appointed but the composition of relocated to a less desirable site. How­ the US group has yet to be announced. ever, the corporation did undertake not A final report is due by August 1992. to lease further land for golf courses. The "702" talks were far less fruit­ Legislative efforts to dissolve the cor­ ful.·Over several meetings between poration have so far been unsuccessful. Mangloiia and Assistant Secretary of The CNMI Supreme Court deter­ the Interior Stella Guerra, the United mined that land purchases by the local States has gradually reduced its offer agents of outside developers (who then for the third seven-year financial sup­ lease the land to the developer) was a port package. Mangloiia originally violation ofArticle XII of the CNMI asked for about US$500 million over constitution, which prohibits the alien­ the period, and Guerra countered with ation of land to persons of non-North­ an offer of about $150 million.