Ritōl ro an Mili Atoll emōj aer kōjede imaan mājen Nitijela ke rej aje lo̗k ane en ane er bwe US en kōjerbal n̄an Military umwin elmakōt ak resolution 36 ilo allōn̄ in March 2020. Emōj bar kōjede imaan mājen team eo an Compact of Free Association n̄an lōmnak kake n̄e remaron̄ kōjerbal ane eo ak jet iaan jikin ko im ane jidik ko n̄an “defense site” “jikin kōjbarok.” Ilo ad rutto l̗o̗k im jela kōn jorraan ko eto aer pād belaakid rej wal̗o̗k jān US military, jān kir aolep n̄an aolep armej Mili im ro mōttad im jerad bwe ren koba tok im jutak ben n̄an ad jumae elmakōt ak resolution in, bwe jān maron̄ bōbrae im kōjbarok aelōn̄ ko ad. Elōn̄ armej in Mili im bareinwōt lerooj im irooj ro an Mili im rej jokwe ilo Hawaii im America raar jab jela kōn elmakōt in.  

US Military ewōr bwebwenato in an kōjorraan environment ko (belaak ko, ane ko, kein ekkan ko, den, im lojet) ilo jukjuk in pād ko ewōr military base ie. Ewōr 4,100 military base ilo US and 800 military facilities ilo elōn̄ l̗o̗k jān 70 lal ilo lal in – kajojo jikin kein, ewōr baijin ie im jako joko jikier. Military rej eddoin baijin ko einwōt radiation, dioxin, chemical im biological weapons ak kein pu ko, rej kōbaijin belaak ko im jukjuk in pad ko kōn bajin ko einwōt – asbestos, lead, fuel, pesticides im bar ko jet. Ane jidik ko ilo Mili ejelok armej rej jokwe ie, aibojwōj kōn menin eddōk ko einwōt wōjke im mar ko im rej aurōk n̄an aelōn̄ eo, im men kein remaron̄ joraan jān wōt an wōr Military ilo ane eo.

Ilo ad aje l̗o̗k Mili bwe en bar wōr US military base ilo Majōl emaron̄ wōr jidik jaan in jeramman jān wōt an boktok elap jorraan im elōn̄ nan̄inmej ko n̄an ajmour im lal eo ilo juōn ien aitok. Elmakōt eo ejjab ba etan China im inebata ko ikōtaan US im China, lōmn̗ak in aje l̗o̗k Mili eaar wal̗o̗k ilo juōn ien eo ejjejōt, elaptata ilo an Mili ebaak e Kiribati kōn 2,410 kilometers im ilo an Kiribati jemjera ippān China. Einwōt ad mōj ad loe jān jemaan, aelōn̄ ko ilo Pacific in ilo an lapl̗o̗k dikedoon im inebata ippān lal kilep ko elap l̗o̗k an aelōn̄ jidik kein mōjn̗o, jān wōt ad pād iumwin kōjbarok im aenneman. N̄e inebata im dikedoon elapl̗o̗k ippān US im Korea, rej kamijak kōn missile im missile kein rejjab jitōn̄ l̗o̗k mainland US, ak rej jitōn̄ l̗o̗k ane ko turud einwōt Hawaii im Guam, ane kein ruo elap an kajoor US military base ko ie. Aje lok Mili bwe en wōr military base ie, enaaj lapl̗o̗k ad mōjn̗o n̄an kein kaleln̄on̄ kein.

Ne elmakot ak resolution 36 enaaj erum juōn kien jenaaj aikuj koba l̗o̗k ippān armej ro ibelaak in lal in im emōj aer jako jimwe im maron̄ ko aer ilo aelōn̄ im joko jikier jān wōt US military, im aurōk tata jako kadkad, manit im kajin ko aer. Wunin ad jumae elmakot in kein kajuon enaaj jālet jemdoon ko ad ilo ad nej jumae kōn bwidej n̄e jerbal in ajej rejjab jimwe im jejjōt. Kein karuo ejaan kakure ak kōbaijin jukjuk in pād ko, aneo, den, mejatoto,  kein ekkan, menin mour, im lojet eo. Kein kajilu enaaj jako ad anemkwōj ioon ane eo im lojet eo.

Mili ej ijo jikum im jikin ajri ro nejim im ajri ro nejier. Koba tok ipped ilo ad jumae elmakōt ak Resolution 36 jān an erom juōn kien. Jej Diktak in Aelōn̄ in! Kwalok anikiem bwe ekajoor im emaron̄ ukwōt lōmn̗ak ko an ritōl ro ad ilo manit im Senator eo ad Wilbur Hein bwe en jol̗o̗k elmakōt ak Resolution 36.

English Translation

Mili Atoll's leadership has recently presented the use of its islands as a facility for the US Military under Resolution 36, introduced to the Nitijela this past month. It has been presented to the Compact of Free Association negotiating team for consideration for the use of the atoll or any part of it "as an additional defense site." Recognizing the long-term destructive nature and impact of the US military, we call on all people of Mili as well as allies and supporters to join us in standing firmly against this Resolution, so that we may safeguard and protect our islands. There are many people of Mili including local leaders chiefs who lived in Hawaii and the mainland wasn’t informed about the resolution.

The US Military has had a long and devastating history of the environment and the communities in which their bases are located. There are 4,100 bases in the US and 800 facilities in more than 70 countries - in each of these locations, there is waste, pollution, and loss of land that accompanies their establishment. The military has been responsible for radiation, dioxin, chemical, and biological weapons - but they have also contaminated surrounding communities with a number of other toxins as well - asbestos, lead, fuel, pesticides amongst others. And while many of the islands in Mili that have been offered may be uninhabited by humans, they are lush and thriving sites of biodiversity that are an important part of Mili's traditional ecosystem, and will ultimately be damaged by whatever military presence may exist in the islands.

The offer of Mili atoll as an additional base for the US military will have short-term economic benefits that will ultimately lead to longer-term damage and health disparities.  While the Resolution makes no mention of China and the ongoing tensions between the US and China, this offer comes at a conspicuous time, especially when taken into consideration Mili atoll's proximity to Kiribati at only 2,410 kilometers away from the island nation that has recently affirmed its diplomatic ties to China. As we have seen in the past, Pacific islands' positionality in these tensions only increases our nations' vulnerability, rather than our safety. When tensions increased between US and Korea, the missile threats were not directed at the mainland US, but rather to our neighboring islands of Hawaii and Guam, two islands that have a strong US military presence. Placing further military presence in the Marshall Islands, and particularly in Mili atoll, will only increase our nations' vulnerability to threats.

If we allow resolution 36 to become a bill we will join thousands of people around the world who have lost their land rights to the US military, and subsequently lost important ties to our identity. In conclusion, the reasons why we are against resolution 36 is because relationships and families will break from land disputes and violations of land rights; second, having a military base on Mili will bring damage and contamination to land, water, air, foods, animal and ocean; and lastly, people will have limited access to the land and ocean.

Mili is home to you and your children and their children. Join us in standing against Resolution 36 from becoming a bill. Diktak in Aelon in! Your voice is powerful you can convince our local leaders and Senator Wilbur Heine to revoke Resolution 36.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40871416​

https://thediplomat.com/2020/11/how-the-us-military-wound-up-poisoning-the-pacific/