Compact of Free Association Negotiations don't include U.S. Colony of Guam?

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay 

Here is an interesting piece of news that was recently reported on KUAM news that caught my attention with this headline: 

GovGuam won't have a seat at the Freely Associated States' compact renegotiation table

So many emotions running through my head... and all of them made me want to laugh out loud, or laugh my ass off! What's the other one? roll on the floor laughing!! 

How a colony of the U.S.A thought it could insert itself into negotiations between its colonial master and another country is beyond me.  I mean Guam can't even vote in elections for their own President, and has a non-voting delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives but wants to sit in on negotiations between two countries? If anything, our Guamanian friends are bold, which is not bad to be when one is the colony of a great power like the U.S.A. 

I totally understand Guam's perspective here.  Guamanians believe that since they have the highest numbers of FAS citizens outside of the FAS (Freely Associated States = sovereign countries of the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau) residing on their island, this qualifies them to sit in on re-negotiations for the Compact of Free Association.  

Unfortunately, this is not what their colonial master has deemed appropriate for these re-negotiations. As US Assistant Interior Secretary, Doug Domenech said in the article: 

"I'm aware that Guam has made this request. Their interest has primarily been related to compact impact funding, and the problem is compact impact is not really part of the negotiation. so there wouldn't be any benefit to them actually being there. This compact is between the United States and each country separately,"

There it is folks, the US Assistant Interior Secretary has spoken to the Government and people of Guam.  

I call attention to this development because of the many, many, many, many years of bad press that Micronesians have received in the Guam media.  Or as I call them, Guamedians.  

Plus, add on a government, in this case, GovGuam that has repeatedly called for compensation for the "impact" that compact or FAS citizens have made without even accurately calculating that impact for the over 30 years that FAS citizens have been 'impacting' Guam.  

What sort of re-negotiations do you think they would be? 

The actual facts of this matter are that Micronesians are not only legally allowed to travel to and reside in Guam (thank you compact of free association), but they have contributed so much to the island in their many years of living in Guam.  For the most part, and this is the important part, Micronesians have lived peacefully in Guam.  They have adjusted to modern life in Guam.  This is normal coming from a country (sovereign country :))that does not have the infrastructure or economy that Guam has. 

And please, name one group of immigrants to Guam or Hawaii or any U.S. State that has come with funding?  The compact impact funding mentioned in the article has poured millions into Guam over the years.  

You don't hear the many stories of Micronesians who have lived peacefully in Guam for years, working hard, and raising their families. Of course not, it doesn't sell papers or create a narrative to keep selling those papers.  They are the majority of hardworking Micronesians that have contributed to making Guam what it is today.  Make no mistake about it.  Micronesians have been and will continue to be part and parcel of what Guam has become.  

I feel for Guam, really I do.  But, in this case, it is clear that the USA and FAS countries are the participants for re-negotiations.   

So, cheer up Colonial GovGuam.  While you may not sit at the re-negotiation table between sovereign countries, you will benefit greatly as you already have from the compact of free association in human capital, diversity, and the long-standing benefits that come with them.  Not to mention the compact impact funding every year. It's a WIN-WIN-win situation.  Always has been.   

Some context on the history of modern-day Micronesia, through the political biography of one of her founding Fathers: 

 

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