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cho', Fight for Guahan, Email: fightforguahan@gmail.com
Website: We Are Guahan www.weareguahan.com <http://www.weareguahan.com><http://www.weareguahan.com>

Colonel (Ret.) Ann Wright, Email: microann@yahoo.com Tel. 808-741-1141

NO MILITARY BUILDUP IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS
<http://mpwarner.smugmug.com/Aerial/Aerial-Guam/2315538_Yx7uE><http://mpwarner.smugmug.com/Aerial/Aerial-Guam/2315538_Yx7uE>
WHEN: 9:30AM, Monday, February 22, 2010

WHERE: Main gate of the U.S. Pacific Command, Camp Smith,
Aiea, Oahu

On Monday, February 22, 2010, at the front gate of Pacific CommandHeadquarters at Camp Smith, 'Aiea, Oahu, a delegation from Guam and theNorthern Marianas, joined by students from Okinawa and members of theHawai'i community including American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)and DMZ Hawai'i / Aloha 'Aina, will deliver the message to the U.S.Pacific Command that the people of Guam and the Marianas Islands opposethe catastrophic military expansion in their islands.

University of Hawai'i student Kisha Borja-Kicho'cho', a coordinator for the local organization "Fight for Guahan," said, "Thegrassroots voices of our people are being ignored by the military, U.S.politicians and the mainstream media. So, we came to deliver a messagedirectly to the Commander of the U.S. military in the Pacific that we,the peoples of Guahan, the Northern Marianas, Okinawa and Hawai'ireject any further military build up in the Pacific. Our islands arenot weapons to be used in wars against other peoples and countries. Wedemand peace."

She said that the media has misrepresented the level of support for themilitary buildup by Guam residents: "The truth is that most do NOT wanttheir island's population to increase by 25% with 8,000 U.S. Marinesand 34,000 Marine families and contractors moving to Guam from Okinawa."

Borja-Kicho'cho' and other Guam citizens will place at the front gate of the Pacific Command dramatic photos of unique andpristine areas of Guam that will be seized and destroyed by live firetraining and other military activities should the U.S. militarybuild-up take place on Guam.

Dr. Hope A. Cristobal, who has testified before the United NationsSpecial Committee on Decolonization, commented: "The Department ofDefense plans to have 40% of Guam and become the largest landowner onan island where its citizens have no right to vote for President orCongress because it is an Unincorporated Territory-an occupied land andthe occupiers are taking more land." Dr. Cristobal is featured in thePBS documentary "The Insular Empire: America in the Mariana Islands,"which will have its Hawaii premier 4pm, Sunday, February 21, 2010 atthe Architecture Auditorium, University of Hawaii-Manoa.

Retired Colonel Ann Wright said, "Across the Pacific - in Okinawa, inGuam, in Hawai'i - people are saying 'NO' to military expansion in ourregion. We want Admiral Willard to hear this: No Means No. When youforce yourself on someone against their will, it's called rape. We wantAmerican's to push our government to stop this military expansion inthe Pacific."

The U.S. wants to move the controversial Futenma military base to apristine coral reef area of Okinawa and transfer some Marines fromOkinawa to Guam. Okinawans nearly unanimously oppose the relocation ofthe base within Okinawa. The new Japanese administration is alsoopposed to a base relocation within Okinawa and wants to renegotiate abase relocation agreement negotiated by the previous Japaneseadministration.

AFSC Hawai'i Program Director Kyle Kajihiro said, "We've been presentedwith false options. Removing bases and troops from Okinawa, does notrequire moving them to Guam or Hawai'i. The military can reduce itsoverall footprint in the Pacific. Clean up and give back the lands ithas taken from the peoples in Okinawa, Guam and Hawai'i."

President Obama will visit Guam in March on his trip to Indonesia andAustralia and will be given a petition from tens of thousands ofislanders telling the President they do not want more military in theMariana Islands.

For more information, please see the following websites:

We Are Guahan www.weareguahan.com

Peace and Justice for Guam and the Pacific http://decolonizeguam.blogspot.com/

DMZ-Hawai'i/Aloha 'Aina http://www.dmzhawaii.org

US for Okinawa http://www.us-for-okinawa.blogspot.com/

Insular Empire www.theinsularempire.com <http://www.theinsularempire.com><http://www.theinsularempire.com>