By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

A HISTORY instructor at Northern Marianas College is calling on the government and the community to act together in maintaining the old Japanese jail in Garapan.
Samuel McPhetres said his students have been cleaning up the old jail
Last week, a video depicting the personal accounts of the manamko’ about the jail was submitted to the Historic Preservation Office, American Memorial Park and to Rep. Cinta M. Kaipat, Covenant-Saipan and one of the volunteers of Beautify CNMI! which was urged to include the site among its priorities.
“This is a very important historical site and the absence of so much information on what really transpired here during the Japanese occupation seems to me a great challenge,” McPhetres said. “I am really frustrated that the community and the government are not aware of the importance of the old Japanese jail to us,” he said.
He said NMC students have conducted interviews with the sons and daughters of prisoners during the Japanese era.
“These stories have never been told…these are personal accounts of people during that time,” McPhetres said regarding the content of the students’ video.