Political interference:
About 5 years ago a Marshallese congressman attacked the United States
and
the medical team with absurd charges concerning the exposed Mershallese
‘and medical examinaticas and in 1971 he invited a Japanese "medical
the Marshalls to check-up on our
reporters
cxawinations.
with one Japanese woman doctor.
High Crumissioner because of
team" to
The team was compescd of largely
The attempt was thwarted by the
inadequate credentials of the group.
This in-
furiaied the politicians who caused our Narch 1972 examinations of the Rongelap and Utirik people to be aborted.
A special committee on Rongelap and
Utirik was formed by the Congress of Micronesia who organized a medical
“ observer group in 1972, referred to at the beginning.
The.caomittee publish-
.ed a sizcable book covering our examinations avi the observers report, the
results of which were generally favorable to us and did much, at least,
temporarily, to quiet the unrest.
Congress of Micrcnesia bills and TIPT - ERDA esrecrent:
During the past few years two bills were formulated at the instigation of
the Congxess of Micronesia
1) A hospital benefit bill (Public Law 5-52) to
allow for free hospitalization, transportation and per diem for exposed
Rongelap and Utirik patients and included the control group cf uncxposed
Rongelep people who are on 7h examination list.
This hes been the cause of
further unrest, which no doubt plays a strong role in the present crisis, particularly in Utirik.
The complaints associated with this lew largely concerns
the fact that the Utirik people feel that there should bé a control group fer
their popylation.
The unexposed Utirik people are not entitled to the binefits
of the bill as are the Rongelap
coniro} population.
Vidrik pesple as pointed cut: above feet
(in
Also the Rongelap and
that the children of exposed parents
ba-«77)