I. A. Factual Background The Past Thirty Years - The verified complaint describes in some detail the painful events of the past thirty years and will not be restated at length here. kept in mind. The essential truths, however, must be After living as a community in near solitude on their isolated atoll from time immemorial, the people of Bikini came under the control of the United States as an apparently insignificant part of World War II, in 1944. Verified Complaint, Gi 29, 42. Early in 1946, American armed forces, who had dispatched the Japanese from the Marshall Islands in convincing andoverwhelming ; fashicn, made platn to the people of Bikini the United States' desire to use Bikini to conduct atomic tests, States Naval > end a21 world wars." "for the good or mankind and to Verified Complaint, 9 43. III Richard, United administration of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands 510. (1957). , | With some of the traosings, but little or none of the content, cf veluntary, snowing agreement, the people of Bikini were removed from Sheir homeland within a month. Verified Complaint, @7 43, 50. Since March of 19-45, when they arrived on Rongerik Atoll, the life tne people of Bizini has been a constant struggle to avoid Svarvation, to survive as a people, and most of all, to return to their ancestral home. td., 97 32-41, 50, 52-55. The Bikinians were Shuttled from Rongerik, to Kwajalein and, in the latter part of 1942, to Kili Atoll, where most of them now remain. 2 ; Id., 94 32-41. “In addition: to tne "big stick" represented by any United States orricial, speakin=s nowever softly, Commodore B. Wyatt bemused the Civininans with ottlieosal comparisons between them and the children of Teoracl, "wrhom the Lord saved from their enemy and led into the Promised Land." TIT Pichard, supra 909-510; Kiste, "The Bikinians: A Soady In Ported Uisration" 27-235 (1974). A 90592101