DEAR Honorable Governor Palacios and CNMI Legislators,
We are writing in regards to a recent Radio New Zealand interview with the Honorable Governor of Guam, Lou Leon Guerrero. In her interview, Honorable Gov. Leon Guerrero defends the use of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles on Guam. We find this latest development troubling given our island’s historical stance against the introduction of nuclear storage and waste.
As a community organization dedicated to protecting our islands, seas and community from irreparable damage caused by harmful developments such as militarization, we write with urgent and grave concern to urge government officials to continue to support the voices of our people by speaking out against the introduction of nuclear weapons, storage and waste in our region of the world, let alone within our Marianas archipelago and surrounding waters. There is perhaps nothing more threatening to our islands and way of life than nuclear weapons which have the ability to destroy places for countless generations down the line.
As islanders, we see our land and sea as deeply connected to one another despite our distances. The invitation to bring nuclear power to Guam goes against the history of islander resistance to such dangerous technologies including anti-nuclear movements such as the Free and Independent Nuclear Pacific. We also find this to be alarming knowing the history of nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands, French Polynesia and other Pacific Islands, where islanders have long been used as test cases for scientific research in the name of mankind. We recognize that nuclear power is an existential threat to our islands and way of life.
We believe that the CNMI can become an environmental beacon throughout the Pacific, through our legislation and community practices that promote an equitable and nuclear-free region. Our elders have historically championed a clean and healthful environment and we want to preserve this wisdom for future generations. We want to highlight and reference Article I, Section 9 of the CNMI Constitution which reads:
“Section 9: Clean and Healthful Environment. – Each person has the right to a clean and healthful public environment in all areas, including the land, air, and water. Harmful and unnecessary noise pollution, and the storage of nuclear or radioactive material and the dumping or storage of any type of nuclear waste within the surface or submerged lands and waters of the Northern Mariana Islands, are prohibited except as provided by law.”
This constitutional provision mandates the CNMI government to oppose the plans of the Pentagon and the Territory of Guam to harbor nuclear weapons in such close proximity to the CNMI. We implore you and your administration to denounce and oppose the move to bring nuclear armaments and materials to our region. The idea of harboring weapons as a deterrence strategy for peace is unsustainable. The “security” behind the threat of mutually-assured destruction is not a livable option for anyone, much less the people of the Marianas.
Our goal as Pacific Islanders is disarmament-not more nuclear weapons-and envisioning a world where conflict and geopolitical tensions are resolved via diplomacy and genuine security, a term coined by the International Women’s Network Against Militarism (http://iwnam.org). In their definition, genuine security means: 1) that the environment can sustain life, 2) people’s basic needs are met, 3) human dignity is respected, 4) people’s sovereignty is assured, 5) and society is organized so as to prevent avoidable harms. The endless militarization we are witnessing in the Marianas, alongside the increasing use of nuclear weapons cannot assure us of anything other than destruction in the name of peace.
We would also like to highlight CNMI House Joint Resolution 22-11 that “oppose[d] any government’s actions related to nuclear testing, storage, and waste disposal in the Pacific, and reaffirm everyone’s fundamental right to a safe and healthy living environment.” Although this resolution was duly adopted by both legislature chambers in response to Japan’s decision to dump treated nuclear waste into the Pacific, the spirit of the resolution rings true for what will happen soon in Guam.
The resolution recounted the tremendous joint-effort of both the CNMI and Guam governors traveling to Japan and advocating against nuclear waste dumping in the Pacific. As present day Mariana Islanders, we must respect their efforts and the cause they championed. The move to bring nuclear weapons to our front door step goes against that spirit.
In closing, as community members dedicated to the protection of our lands we once again urge all government officials to uplift the message that nuclear weapons cannot bring peace to a region that has suffered from war. We do not believe that our islands are resigned to war “no matter what,” and instead want to state that this fatalistic perspective only promotes endless war-mongering and fear in the region. We believe in viewing security from the entire archipelago and surrounding seas where our connections to one another are prioritized, our environmental safety is respected and a future free from contamination is guaranteed to future generations.
We want to extend our sincere appreciation for giving us the opportunity to share our concerns. We are grateful to your administration for continuing to uphold our CNMI Constitution’s provisions. Si Yu’us Ma’ase, Ghilisou and thank you.
Respectfully,
OUR COMMON WEALTH 670
