by Nick Delgado

Guam - Meetings between the FSM president and the community continue as officials look for solutions to the growing problem of crime involving citizens from the Federated States of Micronesia. A committee has been formed to address the problems and encourage these citizens to positively contribute to the island.

"When I observe the Guamanians or Chamorros, they go to the States and they go to school and then they come back here and buildup their island. But what about us? Why can't you leave just to rebuild our island? Why do we have to stay here and Hawaii and other states? What are we going to do 20 years from now? Are we going to fill up the whole Guam," said an unnamed resident of Micronesian descent.

Solage Rapolei added, "Unfortunately there are certain family issues, language barriers and other concerns within the community kind of refrain them from excelling, and that's the reason why we see some of our youth not productive on Guam."

This was part of the questions and concerns during last night's Federated States of Micronesia community meeting - Micronesians on Guam wanting answers about their status here, and how recent criminal acts done by several from the FSM community will impact them. The crowd sat before a panel of high-ranking officials from the FSM along with FSM president Emanual Mori. The president briefly touched on concerns about migrants made by the U.S. Congress.

Mori said, "We are going to position ourselves to be prepared should they ask what are we doing and that also would also help the DOI and Department of State, we have to understand the bigger picture that there is a financial problem right now everywhere," he said.

FSM leaders on Guam have formed a committee to come up with an action plan in hopes to address and minimize violence committed by their citizens on Guam. FSM Association of Guam president Sam Illesugam presented the proposal, saying, "We are going to work together to help our churches and non-profit organizations that have not been organized legally and file their documents so that we can network and train us to begin to reverse the tide of the problem that we have contributed to the islands.

"We are going to organize a lot of mini-youth rallies to bring our young people to play volleyball and at the end we can sit down and have them talk about their issues and have them try to discuss their solution to their own problems."

Illesugam says Micronesians on Guam need to use common sense and be good role models in the community. He says the committee is also discussing ways to cut down on the number of FSM citizens that get involved with teenage pregnancy and prostitution on Guam, as well as the high amount of population in Department of Youth Affairs and the Department of Corrections. "I appeal to you my brothers and my sisters - let's do it together, we can do it," he said.

Former FSM consul general of Guam Gerson Jackson also had a message for the Micronesian population who let their island homes for opportunity, noting, "You leave, to go to school, seek employment and also seek medical and health services. This should be the only three reasons why we should be here. If you don't fall under these three categories then you become wards and charges of the government and at the same time if you are convicted of certain nature and felonious crimes, you become deportable."

The meeting continues this evening at the Dededo Senior Citizens Centers where the FSM president will be speaking solely to the Chuukese community on Guam.