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Category: News
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Published: Wednesday, 17 October 2018 22:29
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Written by Bill Jaynes
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Hits: 66
By Bill Jaynes
The Kaselehlie Press
October 10, 2018
FSM—On Friday morning, September 28, Air Niugini flight PX 073 crash landed in the lagoon short of the runway in Chuuk. I was aboard. It was the worst experience in my life but I am glad to be alive, thanks in large part to Chuukese locals who risked their own lives to save us passengers.
“I” is a very strange letter when it stands alone in a news article. “I”’m not sure I know how to handle that particular letter as a journalist but then “I”’ve never been involved in a plane crash before. “I” still don’t know how to handle that fact, neither in my life nor in this article. Still, “I” know, and have heard from many, that despite the fact that my face and voice were all over international news for almost a week, people will want to hear from me, though “I” most certainly was not the only passenger aboard nor even close to the most significant. I just ended up being one of the most visible. It’s such a strange situation in so many ways and I’m not sure I know how to handle it. Maybe I never will.
From the Top
I’ll start at the beginning.
The Indonesian government, who recently reached out to the FSM after many years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, invited me and a few other Pacific Islands journalists for an informational tour of their country. I was heading to Indonesia when I boarded Air Niugini, flight PX 073 on the morning of September 28 after finally having received my flight arrangements only a day and a half earlier.
I was the last passenger through the security checkpoint before they said it would close. The flight crew started arriving ten to fifteen minutes later. The flight was scheduled to depart at 8:50 but at that time, boarding hadn’t even begun.
Once aboard, my seat, 24F on the right side of the rear of the plane was comfortable and the flight attendants were courteous and pleasant. The safety briefing was pretty much like every safety briefing I’ve ever heard with one variance from my experience. Instead of instructing passengers on how to use the exit doors, the briefing said that a crew member would open the doors in the event of an emergency. I thought that was odd at the time but didn’t think much more of it.
Descent begins
When one of the cockpit crew members made the announcement that we were beginning our descent into Chuuk, the flight attendants immediately had the passengers open their window shades, fasten seatbelts and put seats in the upright position. It seemed quite a bit early as there was still 25 minutes left in the flight at that point but it took nothing to comply.
As the Chuuk lagoon islands began to appear among aqua sea set against blue sky and white fluffy clouds, I began to search the lagoon for white caps. The evening before my flight a friend posted a weather report for Chuuk on Facebook that indicated a low pressure system with possible cyclonic activity so I was vigilant. It carried a travel advisory for boaters. I don’t know what I thought I’d do if I saw white caps but the lagoon was calm so I relaxed into the descent.
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Category: News
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Published: Sunday, 07 October 2018 12:37
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Written by Bernd Riebe
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Hits: 569
By Chief Mass Communication
Specialist Matthew R. White,
30th Naval Construction
Regiment Public Affairs
9/17/2018
CHUUK, The Federated States of Micronesia (NNS) --
Sailors from the U.S. Navy’s Underwater Construction Team (UCT) 2 conducted an underwater demolition blast to remove a hazard to navigation at the Chuuk Main Cargo Wharf, in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Sept. 9.
The controlled demolition removed a shallow shoal and will improve the safety of ships navigating in and out of the port.
Following a bathymetric survey of the demolition site, the blast lowered the depth of the sea floor by approximately five feet, displacing more than 3,000 cubic yards of shoal.
“We are grateful to the U.S. Navy for taking this positive and proactive step to maintain safety within Chuuk port,” said Robert Riley, U.S. Ambassador to the FSM. “The action is emblematic of the steadfast and enduring nature of the security relationship that exists between the United States and the FSM, and is indicative of the close bonds that exist between our two countries. The sun will not set on our commitment to the defense of the FSM.” During the preparation leading up to the blast, UCT 2 divers drilled 29 holes approximately three feet into the shoal, and filled them with 252 pounds of explosives. The controlled demolition lowered the depth of the shoal, which was initially at a depth of 20 feet below the water’s surface, to approximately 26 feet. Throughout the planning and execution stages of the project, environmental safety measures were employed in accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act.
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Category: News
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Published: Sunday, 07 October 2018 12:10
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Written by Bernd Riebe
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Hits: 550
Pacific Island Times
September 20, 2018
Governor Eddie Calvo and President Peter Christian of the Federated States of Micronesia sat down to meet yesterday, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018. The two leaders discussed the need to work together to help FSM citizens living in Guam.
To assist the island of Guam with the typhoon recovery, President Christian told Governor Calvo the FSM will be making a $100,000 donation to the island.
Governor Calvo has said both governments need to work together to compel the federal government to live up to their part of the Compact agreement and help Guam and FSM. Both leaders expressed their frustration that discussions with U.S. Federal counterparts are mired in regulation and policy instead of solutions.
The Governor raised the issue of the FSM citizens who need help recovering from Typhoon Mangkhut but whose non-immigrant status with the U.S. Federal government means they can’t get FEMA assistance.
President Christian said the FSM has been trying to find solutions. In discussions with the U.S. Embassy located in FSM they have asked if U.S. AID can step in since FEMA cannot assist families.
President Christian said he and the FSM government have been discussing options for helping to ensure citizens are prepared for life in Guam and other jurisdictions before leaving their home nation. He said the government cannot deny a citizen’s request for a passport but what they can do is work with those citizens making the request to ensure they have confirmed jobs, homes or schooling plans awaiting them if their intent is to travel to Guam or another U.S. Community.
President Christian said his administration’s efforts are aimed at ensuring that people leaving the FSM go abroad and gain enlightenment but then return home to help their island.
President Christian has charged the FSM community to find ways to reach out to those not abiding with the precepts of the Compact Agreement between the U.S. And FSM.
“We are very concerned,” said President Christian about recent videos depicting violence by apparent Guam FSM residents. He added that the FSM community on Guam has communicated with him their worry that a small percentage of the Micronesian community is causing trouble and casting a cloud of negativity and shame on those nationals abiding by local laws.
“Everyone is upset about this lack of civility.” President Christian added his desire to revive discussions he had with the previous administration on a housing program for FSM nationals on Guam.
President Christian expects to return to Guam next month to continue discussions.
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Category: News
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Published: Sunday, 07 October 2018 12:06
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Written by Super User
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By Bill Jaynes
The Kaselehlie Press FSM—
In March of 2018, Mrs. Karo Lelai, the chairperson of the Oceania National Olympic Committee Athletes Commission sent a letter to the FSM Swimming Association saying that it had received numerous reports that the Federation was discriminating in the selection process for elite FSM Swimming Association reminded of Olympic mandate for non-discrimination swimmers to compete internationally.
Since that time, Clark Graham of Chuuk has sent the letter several times to the Kaselehlie Press asking us to reprint it. His most recent demand came earlier this week, but the letter was copied to only four people and Graham’s name was not on that list. Mrs. Lelai expressly denied permission to reprint the contents of her letter.
“In my capacity as chairperson of the ONOC Athletes Commission and as far as I am aware, the matter was resolved,” Lelai wrote in response to our questions. “The issue was to ensure that athletes were given fair and equal opportunity to try out for the swimming team and as far as I know, this was the case.” Since that time, a young woman who has lived her life in New York whose mother is Chuukese went to Papua New Guinea for the Oceania Swimming Championships. Next week, she is going to the Young Olympic Games in Argentina representing the FSM as the FSM’s only swimmer. She is also going to the FINA world short course swimming championships in December.
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Category: News
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Published: Sunday, 07 October 2018 10:15
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Written by Bernd Riebe
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Hits: 578
By Bill Jaynes
The Kaselehlie Press
September 27, 2018 FSM— In a show of solidarity, Filipino workers across the FSM gathered together in each of the FSM states during the last two weeks to send the message to President Dutertre that they are not being abused in the FSM.
They asked their President to reinvestigate the total ban on processing and deployment of workers to the FSM.
Manila heard the message and today, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III announced that the Philippines government has entirely lifted the ban against overseas foreign workers in the FSM
A news article in yesterday’s “Manila Bulletin”, written by Leslie Ann Aquino indicated that the message sent by Filipinos working in the FSM was received in Manila. That article said that Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III would be meeting with Bernard Olalia, the head of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to see if there was any basis to lift the ban.
The article said that Bello had received many messages from workers in Micronesia saying that they were being treated well by their employers. The ban, issued earlier this month seemed to be based solely on the
recommendation of Marciano De Borja Philippines Consul in Guam. His recommendation seemed to be based, at least partially, on allegations of maltreatment and abuses from either one public health worker in Chuuk in 2017, or systemic mistreatment of Filipino doctors and nurses at Chuuk State Hospital. Those allegations led the powerful Philippines Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) to “blacklist” the Chuuk State Hospital.
