Kennedy, Toribiong said was instrumental in the U.S. programs Palau has been benefitting from and these are in the areas of education and health care.
“We always remember Sen. Kennedy for his stand on democratic principles, human rights and social justice not only in the United States but throughout the world, especially in the Micronesian region of the Pacific,” Toribiong said.Kennedy died in his home on Aug. 25, 2009 in Hyanis Port, Massachusetts. In May 2008, Kennedy was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.In a letter to President Barack Obama, the president said that Kennedy has always championed programs that will benefit Palau since it was part of the United Nations Trust Territory under the administration of the U.S. and since it achieved sovereignty in 1994 under its Compact of Free Association.“We shall always cherish in our hearts the memory of enduring advocacy of social justice for minorities and for less fortunate members of society. We offer our thoughts and prayers for his loving wife and to all those who mourn his loss. We respectfully request your good office convey our grief and condolences to the Kennedy family,” Toribiong said.
