Honorable Richard Mh.
Page 9
May 4, 1973
Nixon
The purpose of this letter is to show the treatment of the
Bikinipeople bythe United States. government,andtodetailthe
sufferings and grievancesofthedisplaced people of Bikini”
Theyhave endured endless broken promises; three forcedrelocationsoftheir homes; malnutrition and near~starvation; atomic
destruction of”their homéland andirradiationOftheirsoil;
deteriorationof‘their social structureandToss”6f asense of
community;“loss of many skillsrequiredforfishingonan
atoll;
isolationandrejection bythe government; and thé certainrisk
of livingwiththedangérsofYadioactivity-”Forall ofthis
theyhaveYrécéiveda4trustfundthat~-toses money, some surplus
U.S.D.A. food and an isolated and miserable island far from their
home.
Surely the United States will not ignore their rights and
complaints.
Surely they are entitled to at least the same treatment that was awarded to the people of Enewetak.
In 1970, the United States government made an "“ex-gratia"
payment to the people of Enewetak, now residing on Ujelang, of
$1,020,000, in payment for the sufferings they had endured.
The
Enewetakese clearly deserve such a payment.
But the people of
Bikini have perhaps suffered much more at the hands of the United
States atomic-test program than the people of Enewetak.
Yet they
[have received a great deal less.
All they now ask is similar
treatment and a similar trust fund that will enable them to reach
a state of self-sufficiency.
Now is the time to open discussions
on such a subject, and act according to the resolution passed by
the Congress of Micronesia on January 30,
herewith.
1973,
and attached
The people of Bikini look forward to a prompt answer
from the United States government.
Sincerely yours,
MICRONESTAN LEGAL SERVICES CORP.
Counsel for Bikini People
HAMLET J. BARRY,
JAMES
LICKE
By
cc:
Washington, D. C.
Johnston
High Commissioner, TTPI
Saipan, Mariana Islands
and
EL
Hamlet J. Barry, YAl
Directing Attorney, Marshalls
Mr. Rogers C. Morton
Secretary of the Interior
Honorable Edward E.
III
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