BOL 494
|
STATEMENT OF TOMAKI JUDA
MAGISTRATE OF THE KILI/BIKINI COUNCIL
BEFORE THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERIOR.
~~
_
June 19, 1978
Mr. Chairman:
My name of Tomaki Juda, Magistrate of the Kili
Council.
With me today are Nathan: Note, Kessai Note and.
Jendrik Leviticus,
as well as legal counsel Jonathan HM.
Weisgall of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C.
Of the
four Bikinians before you today, only Jendrik Leviticus
currently lives on Bikini.
Mr.
Chairman, we accompanied High Commissioner Winkel
on his recent trip to Bikini and Kili, and we held many long
meetings with the people Living on both islands.
Based on
feed eb Ma me
these meetings, we can report to you that it is the strong
4
wish of the people living on Bikini that they not leave their
‘island.
They told-us that the President of the United States
”~
announced
in
1968
that Bikini Island
was
safe,
and they do
not now understand why it has now been declared dangerous.
Bikini had again become their home,
and they are confused as:
to why they must leave once again:
.
This confusion was increased by a recent visit of
Dr. @enard, who has regularly examined the Bikinians for many
years on contract with the U.S. Government.
Less than one
.
weékbefore we arrived with High Commissioner Winkel, Dr. Conard
visited the people living on Bikini and told them that Eneu