＜“Princess Jeannie”現れる＞
パラオの美しいリーフ内に突然、クルーズ船 “Princess Jeannie”が出没。しかも記事（＊１）によれば錆だらけの船で、海洋ではなく川用のクルーズ船だという。
中国本土の旅行社所有である同船をパラオに運行してきた船員は飛行機でパラオを飛び立ったという。
噂は広まり、廃棄のためにパラオに持って来たのではないか？とか、カジノのためではないか？とか、大物政治家が絡んでおり調査が進んでいないとか。。。現在も“Princess Jeannie”の正体は明らかにされていない。
＜ISB Management Ltd.＞
記事によるとこのクルーズ船はパラオ船籍だという。
しかも登録は明日11月25日に切れるという。なぜ登録期限終了直前に、パラオに運ばれたのか。これも謎の一つ。
パラオの便宜置籍船制度が開始したのは2012年。この登録制度を管理しているのが1988年に設立されたISB Management Ltd. という世界に展開する便宜置籍船登録企業だ。
＜便宜置籍船の起源＞
話が少し飛ぶがISB Management Ltd.が1988年に設立されたとあったので思い出したのがマーシャル諸島の件。
wikiによると便宜置籍船の起源は1920年代の米国。船員の賃金上昇と登録規制強化に辟易した船主がパナマ登録をした事がきっかけ。
太平洋島嶼国で便宜置籍船を始めたのは1986年のマーシャル諸島ではないかと思う。1986年ーマーシャル諸島独立の年である。しかもブッシュ大統領の友人であり、自由連合協定交渉者のFred Monroe Zeder IIが立ち上げ、息子に運営させたという話である。（＊２、３）
＊２
Fred Monroe Zeder II: Businessman and Diplomat dies
＊３
US TAX DOLLARS AIDING ESTABLISHMENT OF PACIFIC SHIP REGISTRY
＜パラオ、テキサス＞
“Princess Jeannie” 関係者にブッシュの息子がいる、とこれも噂だが聞いている。ブッシュといえばテキサス。Fred Monroe Zeder IIもテキサス。
関連性は確認していないが、今議論されているパラオ北部カヤンゲル州での海底鉱山開発もテキサス州の会社が絡んでいる。人身売買を摘発したローズ司法長官が更迭された後、８月新たに司法長官に指名されたのもテキサス州出身のジョン・ブラッドリー氏。そして４月にはテキサス州リック・ペリー知事がパラオを訪問。名誉市民として表彰された。＊４
実は、中国よりテキサスの方が脅威かもしれない。
映画『パリ、テキサス』ならぬ『パラオ、テキサス』。こちらもなんだか映画のような話である。
＊４
Texas Governor Rick Perry Bestowed The Title Of Palau Honorary Citizenship
Posted on April 10, 2014 by Oceania TV News
＊１
Island Times
Chinese cruise ship presence stirs surprise, speculations
By Jose Rodriguez T. Senase
Reporter
Palau is abuzz with speculations over the coming of 250-room cruise ship from Mainland China.
The “Princess Jeannie”, which is reportedly owned by a Chinese national, arrived in Palau last week and is currently anchored near the Rock Islands.
There are speculations that the ship is intended to be a floating casino/hotel owing to the fact that it is equipped to operate a casino.
According to the website of China ETours, a local Chinese travel service, states that the “Princess Jeannie” together with sister ships “Princess Sheena” and “Princess Elaine” were built in Germany in 1993 and operated by the China Regal Cruises (CRC).
The only all 5-Star western managed Yangtze River cruise company, the CRC was the first Yangtze cruise company to gain the coveted 5-Star designation from the Chinese National Tourism Bureau -- and remains the only western managed cruise company to have the 5-Star designation for all ships in its fleet.
The China ETours website further states that “the ship has marketed the first and only cruise fleet to bring European - standard inland waterway cruise ships to the Yangtze River.” Also it says that the three RCC Princesses - Jeannie, Sheena & Elaine offer high quality services and events available for travelling the Three Gorges and other famous sights along the Yangtze River.
According to the same website, the three ships were built by the German shipbuilding company Elbewerft Boizenberg and enetered service on November 1993. Weighing 5,936 tons and 425 feet long, the ships can carry 258-270 people.
The China ETours website said that the “Princess Jeannie” and her sister ships feature: Fully stabilized: quiet operation and highest safety standard; lateral docking ability w/ 360 - degree - turn bow thrusters; furnished full outer decks (3,4 & 5) ;German - standard water purification and sterilization; central Air Conditioning and most advanced navigation equipment on the Yangtze.
The mystery surrounding the ship was further heightened by the report that its 20-man crew left Palau on board a China Airlines flight on Sunday, November 16, 2014.
An official at the Division of Marine Law Enforcement said that he saw first the vessel on Thursday, November 13, 2014. The vessel could be clearly seen from Malakal, Koror.
“We were surprised by its presence. A boarding party was sent and it was found out that the ship is dirty inside and outside with rust clearly visible,” he stated.
An official of the national government confirmed that the ship was once eyed as a solution to the possibility of hotel room shortage during the 45th pacific Island Forum (PIF) summit which Palau hosted from July 29 to August 1, 2014.
But according to the same official, the national government has no knowledge and does not have a part in its surprise coming last week.
“We were caught by surprise,” he said, while disclosing that the matter is under investigation.
He said that a Palauan, believed to be the local partner of the Chinese owner, is being investigated for his role in bringing the ship over here.
The Bureau of Immigration is also in the process of conducting their own review of the ship and its documents.
Hayes Moses, Director of the Bureau of Commercial Development of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Industries and Commerce (MPIIC), was quoted as saying in a report that came out in another newspaper that the ship which traveled from the Chinese city of Shanghai came to this island nation flying a Palau flag.
Moses said that a ship flying the Palau flag is not authorized to operate inside the waters of the island nation.
The BCD Director was further quoted in the report as surprised why the Palau International Shipping Registry allowed the ship to travel from Shanghai to Palau with the ship registration about to expire. According to him, the “Princess Jeannie” registration was set to expire on Nov. 25, 2014.
The Palau International Shipping Registry is managed by the ISB Management Ltd.
Moses said that when his office inspected the ships’ documents, the ship’s charter states that the “Princess Jeannie” will be based in Palau providing tourists’ cruise to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the region.
