I’d like to commend the delegation from the United States. The activists from the United States have the hardest and the heaviest work to do because as they say they are the biggest bully with the biggest threat to the world. I’d like to commend you for the big work you are doing. I am here because about 3 weeks ago there were 2 helicopters that came to our airport in Palau. Saturday morning, we heard this plains, my grand daughter went to see them. They went run to the airport. There were American soldiers in a uniform, in the camouflage uniform. Having been an anti-nuclear, anti-U.S. military activist in my island, that clicked the rage that was in me. I was asking another man I said what’s happening and he said to me one agreement is in implementation. That means one of those agreements that was supposed make the deal, that is the Palau Compact of Free Association. Then I saw Cita, many of you know her, she came with me about 2 years ago, and she gave me this challenge. She said “why don’t you go to Japan and ask Joseph Gerson what’s happening in Palau.” Two years ago I challenged him to work. He talked about all the military activities in part of the United States, in the Pacific and Asia but he never mentioned the Palau island. So I give him and other American who are here a challenge of looking out a tiny voice in a tiny island. It’s not over yet. If it is not over a small island, you have the greatest challenge here in this conference today with Americans.
I’d like to talk to talk to the Japanese thank you for letting me come here to speak about my islands. Also you have a big challenge ahead of you because Article 9 is in danger. We voted 11 times because we were the first constitution to have a nuclear-free clause, and the Americans did not rest until they succeeded to get that out of our constitution. Again, Japanese, be aware and you are working hard, but to put more effort.
To my friend, Cora, from the Philippines. The Compact of Free Associations in Palau, there is a clause that says that the U.S. government is allowed to dredge, to alter any site but when they finished with it they have no obligation whatsoever to restore it to the original condition. We did vote for yes. We don’t even have ground for locals for clean-up after the use of island.
I had wondered how I am going to Japan working. I feel guilty, I didn’t feel right to be here if I didn’t have anything to work for, to justify my being here. And I am thinking. I am very simple minded. I’m like a simple farmer here. I thought what can I do? So I plant every day. Everyday I plant bananas, taros and tapioca. And I also have decided to work on experiences of Palauans during the war. I have documents of them. Nobody has done this. This year I have listened to them in Palauan and maybe next year when I come to the conference I will bring some of the work I have translated into English. So this is what I am doing to keep people, to be reminded of what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. No more Hiroshimas, No more Nagasakis, No more Hibakushas, More Kobe Formulas. More New Zealands.
Domo Arigato Gozaimasu.
To the 2001 Wolrd Conference against A & H Bombs