‘Tourism would be negatively impacted by nuclear weapons in Guam’

The Marianas Visitors Authority says if Guam were to move forward with housing nuclear weapons on Guam, it would negatively impact tourism in the Marianas.

MVA managing director Christopher A. Concepcion has weighed in on a recent issue regarding the storage of nuclear weapons on Guam stating that this move would negatively impact tourism on the islands.

“We believe it will negatively affect tourism if Guam proceeds with any plans to store or dump nuclear waste in their lands and waters. We are too close geographically to Guam for it not to affect us in the future. We are concerned about the rapid militarization of the CNMI as it has some negative connotations in our source markets. The CNMI is seen as a clean and peaceful tourist destination. Any attempt by the U.S. or Guam governments to alter that is troubling,” he said.

Concepcion also notes that in the CNMI Constitution, it specifically prohibits the storage or disposal of nuclear weapons or waste in the Commonwealth.

“So, we must uphold that. The history of nuclear weapons began on Tinian as North Field was the launching point for the first and only atomic bombs ever deployed in warfare, so we are naturally more sensitive to this issue. We trust our leadership on Capitol Hill will protect the interests of the Commonwealth in the short and long term,” he said.

Previously, a group of concerned CNMI residents wrote to Gov. Arnold I. Palacios about concerns regarding Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero’s statement “in defense” of nuclear weapons in Guam. However, according to Palacios, he has not seen these comments and does not know how he would address the issue.

Our Common Wealth 670, a group believed to be established by local CNMI residents, wrote to Palacios about concerns regarding Leon Guerrero’s statement “in defense” of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles in Guam.

“We are writing in regards to a recent Radio New Zealand interview with the honorable Gov. of Guam, Lou Leon Guerrero. In her interview, Gov. Leon Guerrero defends the use of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles on Guam. We find this latest development troubling given our island’s historical stance against the introduction of nuclear storage and waste,” said the letter.

“As a community organization dedicated to protecting our islands, seas and community from irreparable damage caused by harmful developments such as militarization, we write with urgent and grave concern to urge government officials to continue to support the voices of our people by speaking out against the introduction of nuclear weapons, storage and waste in our region of the world, let alone within our Marianas archipelago and surrounding waters. There is perhaps nothing more threatening to our islands and way of life than nuclear weapons which have the ability to destroy places for countless generations down the line,” the letter further states.

Palacios for his part said he hasn’t seen this letter.

“I haven’t seen the letter but I’m not sure if there’s going to be nuclear weapons in Guam. Guam is a defense community. They [have] facilities and installations like the Anderson Air Force Base and now they’re building a new Marine Corp. campus, a big one at that. I can’t be very specific because I haven’t read these comments,” he said.

When asked his stance on nuclear weapons in the Marianas, he said there is a concern but because the Marianas is in a different kind of environment, he is unsure how he’d address the matter.

“Let me be very clear, nobody, not any community in the world, is not concerned about that. The fact of the matter is we’re in a different environment today so I’m not sure how do we address this. We look to our Department of Defense to ensure that a lot of these concerns are mitigated. Again, I’m not fully aware of what’s going on with nuclear weapons in Guam or what our governor of Guam has said,” he said.

In the letter to Palacios, Our Common Wealth 670 states that as islanders, the land and sea deeply connects the Marianas to one another despite the distance.

“The invitation to bring nuclear power to Guam goes against the history of islander resistance to such dangerous technologies including anti-nuclear movements such as the Free and Independent Nuclear Pacific. We also find this to be alarming knowing the history of nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands, French Polynesia and other Pacific Islands, where islanders have long been used as test cases for scientific research in the name of mankind. We recognize that nuclear power is an existential threat to our islands and way of life,” the letter states.

Our Common Wealth 670 states that it believes the CNMI can become an environmental beacon throughout the Pacific, through legislation and community practices, that promotes an equitable and nuclear-free region.

“Our elders have historically championed a clean and healthful environment and we want to preserve this wisdom for future generations. We want to highlight and reference Article I, Section 9 of the CNMI Constitution which reads: ‘Section 9: Clean and Healthful Environment. — Each person has the right to a clean and healthful public environment in all areas, including the land, air, and water. Harmful and unnecessary noise pollution, and the storage of nuclear or radioactive material and the dumping or storage of any type of nuclear waste within the surface or submerged lands and waters of the Northern Mariana Islands, are prohibited except as provided by law.’ This constitutional provision mandates the CNMI government to oppose the plans of the Pentagon and the Territory of Guam to harbor nuclear weapons in such close proximity to the CNMI,” said the letter.

“We implore you and your administration to denounce and oppose the move to bring nuclear armaments and materials to our region. The idea of harboring weapons as a deterrence strategy for peace is unsustainable,” the letter adds.

The group notes that the “security” behind the threat of mutually assured destruction is not a liveable option for anyone, much less the people of the Marianas.

“Our goal as Pacific Islanders is disarmament-not more nuclear weapons-and envisioning a world where conflict and geopolitical tensions are resolved via diplomacy and genuine security. The endless militarization we are witnessing in the Marianas, alongside the increasing use of nuclear weapons, cannot assure us of anything other than destruction in the name of peace,” the group states.

“In closing, as community members dedicated to the protection of our lands, we once again urge all government officials to uplift the message that nuclear weapons cannot bring peace to a region that has suffered from war. We do not believe that our islands are resigned to war ‘no matter what,’ and instead want to state that this fatalistic perspective only promotes endless war-mongering and fear in the region. We believe in viewing security from the entire archipelago and surrounding seas where our connections to one another are prioritized, our environmental safety is respected and a future free from contamination is guaranteed to future generations,” the group adds.

Christopher A. Concepcion

Lou Leon Guerrero