RESETTLEMENT OF PEOPLE
1981 JANUARY Kwajalein: U.S. and Marshall
Islands government negotiators make public an agreement drafted as part of the
Free Association Compact which will give
the U.S. "free accesa to and unrestricted
control" of the Kwajalein Missile Range
for 30 years, with 100 year authority for
military "denial" (the right to foreclose
access to Kwajalein to any third aation
for military purposes).
though it a) allowed the Bikinians to
remain at the atoll and receive potentially dangerous amounts of radiation;
and b) knew as early as 1974 that seri-
ous questions existed as to the atoll's
safety."
MAY Bikini: The Marshall Islands govern-
ment confirms that it was approached by
the Japanese government about the possi-
bility of using Bikini to store nuclear
waste.
"The United States told us in
1978, when we were moved from
Bikini a second time, that it
would ‘undertake a program for the
permanent rehabilitation
No action has been taken
two years to make Kili a
home..."
Senator Henchi Balos,
Atoll, 1981.
of Kili.’
in over
permanent
Bikini
Bikini representatives, not of-
ficially notified of the discussions,
express "shock" at the proposal.
Enewetak: Enewetak leaders petition the
United Nations Trusteeship Council to
continue the Trusteeship arrangement
with the U.S. after the agreement has
been terminated for the rest of Micro—
nesia.
MARCH Kwajalein: Senator Imada Kabua, a
Kwajalein landowner, criticizes the draft
Missile Range agreement because it contains "no language about how we are going
to be treated as people." Kabua states
that Kwajalein landowners were not in-
cluded in the negotiations and he is
ee tee
“concerned that there may be 30 more
years of treatment as second class people
in our homeland, with one standard of
living for the Americans who live on
Kwajalein and another for the Marshal-
lese community on Ebeye."
island.
Bikini: The Bikinians file a class action suit against the U.S. government
seeking $450 million in compensation.
The suit charges, among other things,
that the U.S. “breached its fiduciary
obligations to the Rikinians by failing
from 1972 to 1978 to conduct a thorough
radiological survey of Bikini...even
9002632
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JUNE Kwajalein: A U.S. District Court
judge, in response to Kwajalein resident
Kinoj Mawilon'’s lawsuit seeking a
court order stopping the U.S. Army's
"search and seizure" policy against
Marshallese,
rules in favor of the Arny,
noting that the “base commander has in-.
{continued on page 39)
‘
and fear of remaining radiation on the
U.S.ARMY MEN CONSTRUCTING DOMEON ~RUNIT ISLAND, ENEWETAK;~> PAPER
RESPIRATORS ARE WORN TO PREVENT
INHALATION OF PLUTONIUM PARTICLES.
Defense Nuclear Agency Photo.
OeeS es
Enewetak: Approximately 100 E:ewetak
people return to Ujelang after living
on Enewetak since October.
They cite
lack of coconuts and other fresh fruits
available, nothing to do on Enewetak