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Tufele reports FPSSC findings to U.N.: He suggests A.S. be called something besides "colony" Tufele Liamatua, chairman of the Future Political Status Study Commission (FPSSC), told the UN Decolonization Committee that American Samoa prefers to maintain its current political status with the United States and suggested that the committee come up with another term to be used for American Samoa instead of continuing to be list it as a "colony." Tufele's address was before the Pacific Region Seminar of the Decolonization Committee held two months ago in Bandung, Indonesia and has been released by the committee's office of public affairs. Speaking at the seminar, Tufele said, "every time the question of sufficiency of our political status came up for review, in unison, the people overwhelmingly opted for status quo." He said the response brought no surprise, given the fact that the territory continues to receive financial assistance from the U.S. to fund about 70% of government activities. He told the gathering that American Samoans, who are U.S. nationals can freely travel and live in the U.S. as well as receive equal treatment under U.S. law; therefore it's natural for American Samoans to wish to maintain the current political status, although the territory cannot vote in U.S. Presidential elections. |
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However, Tufele said there is real fear that if the territory were to change its political status to better define its relationship with the U.S. by having Congress approve an organic act, the current protection for land ownership inherent in the Deed of Cession may be determined to be unconstitutional because it (may be seen) as violating the basic democratic principle of equal rights. "As long as there is this uncertainty, American Samoans will continue to choose status quo. It is unlikely that the Territory of American Samoa will aggressively pursue an alternative political status," he said. "While American Samoans have acclaimed their status as Americans, they equally celebrate their uniqueness defined by culture." He also said that issues such as establishing a federal court in the territory, automatic U.S. citizenship for persons born in American Samoa, electing senators by popular vote, to name a few, are continually being debated. "Yet, at the end of the deliberations, the majority elects not to change," he said. "The underlying fear is again predicated on the possible adverse impact of these actions on our land tenure system... Unless the land ownership issue is settled, American Samoa will not entertain a change in its political status." Tufele noted that American Samoa is concerned with its very limited economic options exacerbated by federally induced minimum wage hikes which are threatening the continued presence of the canneries or transformation of their operations, forcing the direct termination of over 80% of the canneries' workforce and residual workforce reductions in the government and private sector. He said the demise of the local canneries is being perpetrated by federal policies and it makes little sense that "our parent country is responsible for the economic hardship that will be faced" by the territory. "Instead of improving our economic viability and long term economic growth, the U.S. government has been primarily responsible for the economic instability experienced by the territory since the delegation of administrative authority to the Department of Interior," he said and noted that bilateral agreements between the U.S. and other foreign countries have jeopardized the territory's economic interest. "The package of federal incentives which improved American Samoa's competitive advantage are slowly being eliminated thus killing any advantage to entice entry of foreign investments integral to our economic development efforts," he said. Tufele informed the UN committee that the FPSSC's main recommendation is to maintain the territory's current political status. Additionally, it's the "overwhelming desire" of the people of American Samoa to continue its association with the United states "in some fashion or form", he said. Tufele did point out that there are some prevailing elements of American Samoa's relationship with the U.S. which are deemed to take on the colonial mode. For example, he said the American Samoa constitution has to be approved by the U.S. Congress before it is deemed valid and Congress has the ultimate power to legislate any law to regulate activities in the territory with or without the consent of American Samoa. Similarly, he added, the Interior Department has the absolute power over American Samoa. "Legally, it can annul local elections or evict a governor from position," he said. "While the authority is given to the people to elect leaders, the federal laws have not been amended to limit the powers of the Department of Interior over the affairs of the local government." Tufele also acknowledged that the current political status of American Samoa "legitimizes our being listed as a continued colony of the United States", but at the same time, it is by choice that American Samoa opted to maintain its current classification. He told the committee that American Samoa has been very blessed with the 108 years relationship with the U.S., adding that "we have not experienced....any abuse of our human rights and civil liberties" in spite of claims during the last three years where the FBI handcuffed local residents and took them off island for arraignment in defiance of local laws and jurisdictional issues. In closing Tufele suggested that the committee recommend to the U.N. General Assembly to provide a new definition to recognize special cases like American Samoa where the people are fully contented and accepting of the prevailing political status even though it does not neatly fit the mold of decolonization. Reach the reporter at fili@samoanews.com. Del Monte expects sale of StarKist to be finalized by fall 2009 Del Monte Foods Co., expects the sale of StarKist and its subsidiary StarKist Samoa to be completed by the fall of 2009, a company official said yesterday. The sale is subject to a working capital adjustment and regulatory approval and is expected to be completed in the fall, around September of 2009, which is the second quarter of the company's 2009 financial year. Upon the closing of the deal, "all direct plant employees" of StarKist Samoa will join Dongwon's workforce, said the off-island official, who added that Del Monte has no plans at this point to make any changes (in workforce or production) to current StarKist Samoa operations. The official said StarKist Samoa management was informed Sunday night about the sale of StarKist to Dongwon. Del Monte said in a statement on Sunday that all direct plant employees related to the seafood business and about 34 other salaried positions are expected to join Dongwon. The company said the sale of StarKist is expected to generate net after-tax cash proceeds of $300 million and the proceeds will be applied toward debt reduction to de-leverage the balance sheet and reduce projected year-end fiscal 2009 Debt. Additionally, the sale is expected to improve overall margin structure and reduce earnings volatility. Besides StarKist operations in American Samoa, other plants affected are the two in Educador and certain manufacturing assets associated with StarKist seafood located on Terminal Island, California. Reach the reporter at fili@samoanews.com. Source: Samoa News Mosooi Soonata'u Mapu asks Court to reconsider "Satele" title decision Mosooi Soonata'u Mapu, one of the five men who vied for the paramount chief title "Satele" of Vailoatai, has petitioned the Lands and Titles Division of the High Court to reconsider its decision handed down earlier this month awarding the Satele title to Galu T. Satele. Mosooi made request in a motion he filed last week. His attorney, Tauivi Tuinei, is off island and unable to travel due to health reasons, according to his motion. Mosooi contends that the Court should have used the "Sotoa rule" in determining which candidate prevailed as having the best hereditary right, the first priority criterion of the four criteria established by law to guide the Court in the determining who is awarded a matai title. According to Mosooi, applying the "traditional rule" as the Court did in this case was unconstitutional. (Under traditional rule, hereditary right is determined by a candidate's relation (blood tie) to their nearest ancestor that held the title in question. Under the Sotoa rule, hereditary right is determined by tracing a candidate's lineage to the original titleholder.) In applying the traditional rule, the Court found that Galu has a 50 percent blood hereditary right to the Satele title, and prevailed on this criterion. Mosooi, along with counterclaimant Solia La'auli F. Tosi, each held 6.25 percent blood hereditary right. Counterclaimant Fuga Tolani Teleso has 25 percent blood hereditary right; and Aofetalaiga Francis F. Leoso has 12.5 percent blood hereditary right. Mosooi argues that the traditional rule is used as an avenue to destroy the heart of the Samoan Culture within a family unit. "In using the Traditional Rule, the percentage system diminishes the bloodline of a family's link where the last titleholder within that family is distance from the current titleholders," Mosooi contends. "This Rule wipes out the birthright of the original tittleholders versus the most current holders of a matai title." He questions, "[w]here in Mosooi's DNA can we find the 6.25% of Satele blood?" "Mosooi beget from the original Satele titleholder. Which would mean Mosooi has 100% Satele blood in his DNA," he argues. "All subsequent Satele titleholders since the original Satele have thus benefited from Mosooi's ancestor. Whereby, stating that Mosooi only holds 6.25% Satele blood is an immense injustice to our lineage." He says matai titles are communal property of the Samoan families and unlike individually-owned properties, ownership of matai titles are owned by all blood members of the communal family. Mosooi further argues that the rights of family members are traced to the original titleholder of the matai title; the children or grandchildren of the first holder are the basis of family clans. "The weight of a person's right to the title is measured on your connection to the original titleholder," he says. "Samoan customs demands that the degree of one's right to the title depends in his generational relationship to the original titleholder. Mosooi says the words "percentage" or "fractions" are not part of the Samoan language. He argues that in the fa'a-Samoa there is a saying, "Mua mai takes precedent over Muli mai". He said this is the jewel of the Samoan culture. "Our elders (the original titleholders) paved the way for all succeeding holders who are now reaping the "sweat and blood" of those first "toa" of our family," he says. Mosooi further contends that the family clans supporting Galu T. Satele only created confusion with their math. "Within the Courts are records of Galu Teutasi Satele's brother Viliamu's horrific acts which caused the deaths of family members," he argues. "This horrific act [has] tainted the Satele name and [has] tainted the Satele bloodline in the eyes of God. Teutusi Poumele Satele, Galu's father's bloodline is questionable. In applying the Traditional Rule, the Court [has] officially recorded that our clan's bloodline is distanced to the Satele title." Mosooi claims that Galu T. Satele is not a matai in Vailoa nor does he provide tautua to the village. He said this is an injustice to all those residing in and out of Vailoa who are Vailoa matais and provide tautua to the village. Finally, Mosooi questions one of the sitting judges for this case, who he said was appointed by the late Gov. Tauese Sunia, the husband of Faga Satele Sunia, who is also a niece of the claimant Galu T. Satele. Associate Justice Lyle L. Richmond presided at trial and other in-court proceedings, but it was Chief Associate Judge Logoai Siaki, and associate judges Mamea Sala Jr., Saole Mila and Suapaia E.C. Pereira that made the decision on selecting the title successor. Mosooi's motion will be heard at a hearing scheduled for April 7. Reach the reporter at la@samoanews.com. According to the bill's language, a uniformed services voter is exempt from having to register in person at the Election Office to vote in the gubernatorial and local House races. But the military personnel desiring to register as a qualified elector for local elective offices must provide that their home of record and legal domicile is American Samoa. The bill also provides for the Chief Election Officer to establish absentee registration and voting procedures to afford maximum access to the polls by qualified absent uniformed services voters and adopt such forms as necessary to implement provisions of this act. Such forms, shall at a minimum require the applicant to furnish the information called for on the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), supplemented with the applicant's home of record/legal domicile, date of departure from American Samoa, and verification of applicant's active military status. In addition, the bill says a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services member shall provide verification of their dependent status. The Chief Election Officer shall also establish procedures applicable to elections subsequent to the applicant's initial registration. The bill now goes to the House for their review and approval. The House plans to review today its version of the measure. The administration and some lawmakers hope the bill is passed by the Fono before the current session ends on Friday (Apr. 4). Once approved by the Fono and signed by the governor, the bill goes into effect immediately, which means this provision will be in place for the November 2008 general election. Reach the reporter at fili@samoanews.com. |