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The owner of the land, Chamaro tribal chief Tony Sablan, who is also a disabled veteran, told RNZ Pacific he had been fighting for 45 years to gain access to the land.
photo: Alisa Fung/RNZ
In Guam, the battle over land rights continues in anticipation of a long-range missile test in December.
The Missile Defense Agency has withdrawn The number of affected landowners could range from hundreds to dozens.
The landowner and Chamaro tribal chief Tony Sablan, who is also a disabled veteran, told RNZ Pacific that he had been fighting for the right to his own land for 45 years.
He said that over the decades he had been held at gunpoint and detained by the military for trying to seize his property, and that his “family had lost over 5,000 acres of land in the name of the U.S. government.”
“It would be a lot easier if they took away the nuclear weapons, all the bombs, the military presence, and just kept Guam peaceful,” he said.
Sablan said further restrictions on his beachfront property, once a daytime retreat for Japanese tourists, were on hold for now.
“There is no development because the military restricts us in various ways,” he said.
“They don’t give us water or electricity; they block the road when we want to.”
Matthew Snabs, director of the Guam Bureau of Statistics and Planning, said landowners can withstand the eight days of disturbance expected each year over the next decade.
“These guys have private beaches,” he said.
“We’re not looking at distressed housing communities. People are not being evicted from their homes. They’re essentially targeting missile tests where they’ll have the least impact.”
In any case, Sablan said, military expansion would also have an impact on the entire economy.
“Absolutely – it’s going to hold back our economy. It’s concerning. All we hear is ‘bang, bang, bang, bang.’ It’s not a welcoming atmosphere for anybody.”
Santos disagreed that the missile tests would deter tourists.
In Guam, the battle over land rights continues in anticipation of a long-range missile test in December.
photo: Alisa Fung/RNZ
“The Japanese and Koreans … make up a large portion of our total tourists and they are used to this situation.”
RNZ Pacific TV asked a group of Japanese tourists on holiday in Guam this question directly: If Guam conducts missile tests, will you still come?
The reply was: “No, it could be dangerous.”
Guam’s governor said that despite opposition from some landowners, Complete independence from the military is impossible.
She said Guamanians and Chamorros would not be willing to give up their U.S. citizenship, and said people can be Pacific Islanders and still be patriotic and American.
Sablan holds another view.
“I want freedom. I don’t want American citizenship.
“I will absolutely give it up out of respect for my culture, my people and my island.”
Tony Sablan, owner and Chamarro tribal chief, claims his family lost more than 5,000 acres of land.
photo: RNZ Pacific/Eleisha Foon
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