パラオの麻薬問題を大々的に地元誌 Island Timesに取り上げたインド人のEshan Kalyanikar記者が突然いなくなっていた。知人に一言もなく。
パラオの麻薬問題。犯人は政治家の家族だったり、さらに法務大臣自ら取締を妨害しているのだ。この法務大臣が次期大統領候補なのが、恐ろしい。
私はEshan Kalyanikar記者からのリクエストで何度か同紙にオピニオンを書いた。これも消される前にここにコピーしておきたい。
Kalyanikar記者の記事も全ては無理だが、私の麻薬撲滅活動がきっかけで書いてくれたいくつかをコピーしておきたい。彼はパラオの人たちから命を狙われるぞと警告を受けた、と私に言っていた。殺される前に脱出したのかもしれない。
パラオはそういうところです。初代大統領始め何人かが殺されています。日本の暴力団も入っています。笹川も。。
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2019 around August, Dr Rieko Hayakawa
EEZ vs Territorial water - Island Times
What is EEZ – Exclusive Economic Zone? It is international water, not territorial water. Territorial water is only 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a coastal state, while EEZ is set at 200 nautical miles. So what is the right and obligation of a coastal state for its EEZ?
Recently I found that President Remengesau made a contradictory statement at a press conference when he said that:
“[We] would like the U.S to be a strong partner in the Indo-Pacific Strategy which aims to ensure that there is freedom of navigation, that there is freedom of respect, so you don’t just sail through the waters of Palau without recognizing that we do have our [Exclusive Economic Zone(EEZ).”
Because of freedom of navigation, any ship can sail through Palau’s EEZ without recognition, but any ship cannot exploit natural resources in Palau’s EEZ. Coastal states have a sovereign right for only natural resources such as fish.
In this news article, President Remengesau strongly supports US (and Japan) Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy which encourages promoting cooperation with a Japan-US alliance for Indo-Pacific security. We can proceed with a “Free and Open” ocean space only if global society follows the “rule and order” such as International Law.
I am very impressed that President Remengesau makes a clear position on PRC because I have been worried about Chinese ships exploring and exploiting Palau’s EEZ. Yes, they can conduct research only with permission from the Palau government. I believe that the Palau government has specific laws which allow foreign ships to explore and exploit the natural resources in the EEZ. My concern is that Palau law enforcement does not have capacity to provide surveillance for illegal activities such as the recent Chinese government science ship which was reportedly conducting “research” in Palau’s EEZ without permission. These illegal activities were discovered by the USCG who has a special security arrangement with Palau. If Chinese ships sail through Palau’s EEZ, how can the Palau government determine whether these ships are innocently passing, or exploiting their valuable resources?
PNMS violates UNCLOS
In 2016, the Headquarters for Ocean Policy of the Prime Minister Office of Japan issued a report that included a comment on Palau National Marine Sanctuary, stating that PNMS violates UNCLOS. Since I had been observing PNMS under President Remengesau’s administration, I was surprised that no one from the Japanese government or any US officials had pointed out this issue to the Palau government.
I understand the capacity of the Palau government and their challenges in dealing with hundreds of treaties and international laws with only a handful of experts in their country. How about Japan? The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has at least 100 experts on treaties, with the capability to solicit advice from external experts such as academics and policy makers within Japan.
I have observed that the Palau government was only offered advice from NGOs such as PEW, who do not understand international law or have any knowledge on fisheries. I also found that no one from Sasakawa Peace Foundation has precise knowledge on UNCLOS. Furthermore, international media uses celebrities to promote PNMS, without any knowledge of international law or marine science data.
In conclusion, the EEZ is not Palau’s water, but Palau has the right and obligation to protect the resources within its EEZ, taking into perspective international laws and scientific data, and the Japan-US alliance can certainly help. We should not forget that the world-known PICRC (Palau International Coral Reef Center) was established as a Japan-US common agenda in 1993.
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Darkness of Palau - Island Times
Darkness of Palau 2019 around May Dr Rieko Hayakawa
The Internet provided us with easy access to information on the dark side of island society. Although still shocked I vividly remember when the Hon Kuniwo Nakamura told me that most of the children of Peleliu had experienced marijuana. It was on the boat from Koror to Peleliu more than 10 years ago.
In 2017 I was suddenly fired by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation where I had worked for 26 years. Many of my Palauan friends were surprised and invited me to visit them. Palau is very special for me in many ways. One of them is the Hon Nakamura who has always encouraged me to keep heading up and strengthen the role of Japan for the Pacific region.
I was invited by the Hon Nakamura for the lunch and we talked more than two hours. I thought it would be the last time to visit Palau and say thank you and goodbye. However, the Hon Nakamura gave me some new homework, which is the help cease the drug problem of the children in Palau. It was more than shocking as he explained and asked me: "Rieko, Marijuana is OK, but ICE is not OK for kids. Tasukete-yo".
Hon Nakamura said that many small islands needs marijuana as an earning but not ICE which is a methamphetamine that destroys the brain and ones whole life. It comes in from the Philippnes and China.
In Japan I talked with many drug experts and found that rather trying to stop such use, it is better to make some activities which kids will get involved in. Thus Ms Jennifer Anson who supports kids with Judo and Mr Shigeyoshi Takano, who is the founder of Judo in Palau, with me planned a kids painting competition.
However, the drug problem in Palau is more serious than a painting competition, as Eshna recently revealed in his article. Again I was shocked by rumours over the years that the family members of many Palauan leaders had been involved in drug circles.
I was invited by the Japanese Parliament special committee to present a few lectures , and explain the dark side including all kinds of transnational crimes in the Pacific Islands. Next month I have been invited by a Japanese news company to present a lecture again on the darkness of Islands and Chinese erosion in the region to an audience of over 100 people.
Now I understand why the Hon Kuniwo Nakamura asked for my help to solve the drug problems in Palau. It is only people from the outside that can write and take action, because the reality causes too much pain and hurt in Palau society.
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Painting for a drug free society: open children’s competition
The ‘Drug-Free Palau Campaign’ has a painting competition for all children of Palau.content/uploads/2019/03/slide8-
download.jpg)The competition is organized by Palau Judo Kids Support Circle which is also a part of
the ‘Drug Free Palau Campaign’ and Palau Judo Federation in collaboration with Japanese NGO.
Jennifer Anson who is the Leader of Palau Judo Kids and serves as the Anti-Human Tra!icking O!ice coordinator said, “Paintings should depict a peaceful, beautiful drug- free Palau, but can also demonstrate the negative e!ects of drugs on life in Palau.”
“Paintings can also compare and contrast life in Palau with drugs and life without drugs.” Anson added.
The submission of painting will be by digital data and the deadline is the end of April, those interested should send their entries at hayakawa.rieko@gmail.com (hayakawa.rieko@gmail.com) or contact the organizers for more details. The Japanese NGOs and experts will select 12 paintings using anonymous votes and form the image for the 2020 Calendar.
The organizers have planned to distribute calendars in Palau, Japan and other Pacific Island Centre nations. Although, the distribution and production of copies will depend upon the budget which shall be fund-raised.
Reiko Hayakawa who works with Anson on the initiative said, “H.E. Kuniwo Nakamura, is my mentor. I knew him since 90s. I was invited lunch by him a few years ago and he asked my help to solve drug problem in Palau, especially for kids,”
Hayakawa believes that involving children in more activities can be a solution for the drug problem Palau faces.However, she also said that there have been no entries up till now. The competition was started in the month of February.
”We encourage schools, the community, and families to provide education and information for kids about their paintings. We are going to find some small presents for the kids from Japanese companies.” Hayakawa added.
According to Hayakawa, there are other Pacific Islands that are dealing with drug related problems. She expresses her wish for Palau to take initiative for other Pacific Islands as well. (Eshan Kalyanikar)
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Anti-human traQcking raids to happen soon
The Anti-Human Trafficking Office which has established two years ago by the President has been planning to raid facilities that are reportedly involved in prostitution.
Anti-Human Trafficking Office investigator Ricklet Antonio said that the raids will be conducted with the help of Bureau of Immigration, Division of Criminal Invetigation, Division of Labor, and the customs office as the Anti-Human Trafficking Office alone has limited resources.
“We have been communicating with them since last month. We’ll pick a particular place that has a report and follow up on that one,” Antonio said.
“We need cooperation from other agencies and so we need their schedule. There is varying time di!erences and availability so it takes some time to come up with a plan,” Antonio added.
At present the Anti Human Tra!icking O!ice has been dealing with labor tra!icking cases of individuals who have come forward to report being trafficked.
According to Antonio, people are o"en deceived into coming to Palau for work under the promise of a high salary. When they arrive in Palau, the salary is way less than the promised figure.
Although, the immigration o!ice and the labor o!ice happen to keep a tap in the background on the facilities that reportedly carry out illegal activities such as prostitution, Antonio said that the immigration o!ice and the labor o!ice check the tari!s, number of employees, and their salaries.
He added that the data collected shall be complied and as the schedule of other agencies match up, raids will be conducted.
Meanwhile, Immigration O!icer Levi Idechong, who has been acting as a liaison to Anti-Human Trafficking office said, “We provide a list of companies and employees to the Anti-Human Tra!icking O!ice and then the o!icers investigate.”
According Idechong, there is also a labor o!icer who liaises with Anti-Human Tra!icking O!ice, however the Div. Of Labor hasn’t commented yet.
The 2017 Tra!icking in Persons Report (http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2017/index.htm) by the US places Palau under tier two.
The government agencies have taken e!orts to improve the tier two status by creating shelters for the victims of human tra!icking and developing a national action plan.
There have been prosecutions for human tra!icking as well. Special Assistant to the Minister of Justice Keiden Kintol said, “We are taking e!orts and whatever happened in the past, we are improving.” (By Eshan Kalyanikar)
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2019 around August
Woman gets 25-year imprisonment for meth trafficking
Woman who was caught at the Palau airport arrivals for possessing meth in her body got sentenced to 25 years imprisonment and a fine of $50,000.
Happy Fritz, 39, carried 50 grams of methamphetamine in her body while entering Palau from Manila, Philippines on Saturday.
Fritz is ordered to serve first ten years in the correctional facility and is given 15 years of probation after serving 10 years.
Fritz’s sentence starts from Thursday this week and upon the completion of her sentence, she has been ordered to seek treatment and recovery program at the behavioral health.
Fritz who was searched at the Palau airport and Belau National Hospital was arrested on the a"ernoon of the same day.
According to the statements by Det. Miwa Nebayama who is a special agent with the Narcotic Enforcement Agency (NEA), Fritz le" Palau on the 16th of this month for a meeting with a friend in the Philippines about a business opportunity and came back on the 20th.
An x-ray conducted at the hospital, which according to the NEA o!icial was volunteered by Fritz, revealed a foreign object in her body.
This x-ray was however the last search to which Fritz voluntarily cooperated and happened a"er the series of previous searches conducted by the o!icials with cooperation from Fritz.
What was revealed from the x-ray search was 50 grams of field-tested positive methamphetamine popularly known as ice.
While Fritz was in custody, additional charges were filed on her for possessing 42 grams of methamphetamine inside her prison cell. The case against her has been dismissed. (By Eshan Kalyanikar)
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2019 around August
Ton of marijuana seized, burnt by NEA
The Narcotics Enforcement agency seized over a ton of marijuana from Peleliu and burnt all of it away near the Marine Law Enforcement office.
Search and seize operation were held on Friday last week and marijuana was seized from about 20 houses of Peleliu residents.
NEA official said that residents from whom marijuana was seized intended to sell it. He also added that Peleliu is known to grow marijuana it is illegal.
Director of NEA Ismail Aguon said that the operation was conducted after several public complaints.
“Because of the increasing public complaints, we are going to continue raids throughout Palau,” Aguon said.
Palau has locally grown marijuana easily available and o"en minors are found smoking marijuana in isolated locations.
According to the last Island Times report, in 2017 a group of 84 citizens of Anguar state signed a petition requesting the law makers to create a law permitting medical use of marijuana in their state.
When asked if marijuana can be completely legal in Palau with certain age restrictions imposed on consumption, Aguon said, “We cannot make same mistake with marijuana as we did with alcohol.”
There were similar raids conducted last year in the state of Anguar and the collected marijuana was seized and burnt away. (By Eshan Kalyanikar)
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2019 around July
Teens cited for possession of Marijuana
Earlier this month two teens were caught by a police official smoking Marijuana at Ngerkesoal smoking Marijuana near store.
According to an official at Bureau of Public Safety, Shyler Eyoel and Daizy Lemei who are both 18 were caught with less than an ounce of marijuana and were cited for possession of marijuana.
The incident took place on morning of July 1 and both the teens were caught near the LURS store at Ngerkesoaol.
The owner of LURS said that a police o!icial approached the teens and took them to the police station when he caught them smoking marijuana.
According to the owner, he was questioned by the authorities about the incident to which he responded that he was not aware of any details and the teens were smoking a little ahead of the store and not exactly in front.
Palau has locally grown marijuana easily available and o"en minors are found smoking marijuana in isolated locations.
According to the last Island Times report, in 2017 a group of 84 citizens of Anguar state signed a petition requesting the law makers to create a law permitting medical use of marijuana in their state. (By Eshan Kalyanikar)
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2019 around May
Inner circle of meth traders and users
It is a known fact that Palau has been facing the methamphetamine(meth/ice) since several years now. It makes one wonder about the inner circle of the money making industry.
The official ackowledgement of methamphetamine existing in the country goes back to 1998 in the United Nations assembly where former President of Palau, Kuniwo Nakamura said, “Even in the island paradise of Palau, the horror of illegal drugs is being experienced. Palau is a small, unpopulated and closely knit society, and the drug problem is escalating. Over recent years, a new methamphetamine drug called “ice” has become a major problem.”
Max(name changed) who was a meth user and has sold meth at times said, “The street value of one gram meth is about $2000 something dollars.”
However, according to the Narcotics Enforcement Agency director, the estimated street value of ice is $1000 per gram.
Max claims that he knows of people who are working with the national government and are a part of the meth industry. He, however, adds that he doesn’t have a proof of any government o!icial involved in the meth transactions.
“They have runners who do the selling for them,” Max said.
Max knows of one government worker in a personal capacity. However, he did not reveal the name of the person.
Although, he clarified that none of the people that he knows of are in a position to be voted but are the o!icial workers.
“The real kingpins....I have never met any of them. But, we over hear [in the circle] that there are some very high o!icials.” Max said. “There are certain people who are funding the operations. They are not users; they are just the money makers,” he added.
Max also points at favoritism and claims that there are drug dealers who have connections with the police and are le" alone. The people under the favored drug dealers are le" alone to do, as Max puts it, “whatever they want.”
“There are other drug dealers who are getting busted so that they[o!icials] can look good.” Max said.
Max used to spend $500 to buy half a gram of meth and then used to sell it for about $1500. In the previous reports, Island Times had reported minors exchanging sexual favors for meth. Max reiterates that and adds that it is not only minors but also adult female who do the same.
It is something very new for Max to know that there are reports of minors using it.
“When I used to go and buy from my drug dealer, there used to be constant cars coming. He would walk down, pass it on and get his money and come back.” Max said adding “It used to be like we’re going to a store.”
He adds that the transaction used to be during the daylight.
He further said that he used to make $7000 in one night when he had “a lot of drugs” on him.
“A lot of people say that marijuana is a gateway but I disagree. I started marijuana when I was 12 or 13 and I wasn’t curious about higher drugs.” Max said. He added that it was due to peer pressure that he started using meth.
Chuckling about the absurd and odd code words like Fat Bat, Malaun or frozen fish that the dealers use, Max says that the words are o"en random that you can shout across the room and no would understand other than you and the dealer.
Max is scared of Chinese gangsters coming in the country to carry out their meth operations. This is because he believes Palau has the highest priced meth and according to him the word is already getting out.
Pointing at KTV bars in the country he adds that it was one of the hubs for drug trade where people went in a private room, smoked meth and struck drug deals. “Some of the girls working there used it as well,” he said.
There are bulk containers that come in the country for di!erent companies, Max said, “It comes from the Philippines. There are certain businesses involved in the drug transactions. The person I used to run for used to collect it [drugs] from these places [containers].”
The Director of Border Security and Customs, John Tarkong Jr said that majority of the people who have tried getting meth in the country boarded the flight from Philippines.
When asked about businesses getting meth through large containers, Tarkong said “We’ve had instances where people have used legitimate business to bring in packages”
Max has heard of chatters in the inner circle that there is a person in NEA who is supporting the drug transactions in the country.
However, the NEA Director Ismael Aguon has turned this chatter in the direction of Belau Drug Enforcement Task Force that existed before NEA.
The former task force o!icer Kamesak Demek pleaded guilty for evidence tempering, obstructing government operations, misconduct in a the public o!ice and possession of controlled substance.
Aguon has denied reports of any current NEA o!icial being involved in illegal drug activities and has assured that there are unannounced drug tests conducted.
Although, Aguon acknowledged the possibility of meth coming in through containers meant for companies. Aguon has previously worked on a case of tobacco being smuggled through company containers
“One person who is smoking meth can a!ect five more people. Try to imagine the domino. The possibility of it going out of control is a big possibility,” Max said. (By Eshan Kalyanikar)
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2019 around April
Drug dealers ask sexual favors from minors in exchange for meth
The drug problem that Palau faces is intertwined with sexual exploitation of young girls.
According to Aguon, in exchange of methamphetamine (ice) minor females are sexually exploited by drug peddlers.
The NEA has been reaching out to school students from past three years talking to them about the dangers of getting into the consumption of illegal narcotic substances.
In 2017, the investigation held by NEA led to the trial of Wilhelm Rekis Aichi, Willibolt Demei, Mtoched Hideo and Sylvester Oiterong where all of them were proven to have links to hard drugs especially meth and their involvement with minor girls.
According to statements of Helenda Oimei who investigated the case, it started with the mother of one of the minor girls reported her to be missing. The minor females were believed to be with Oiterong and Demi who were allegedly giving the three females ice.
The minors were eventually found in a hotel room with a man named Melvin Iyechad who was 53 years old at the time. The o!icers who were involved in initial search and recovery of these minor girls were from the CID, BPS and NEA.
In the three separate statements given by the minors to the CID as to how they came in contact with Iyechad revealed the involvement of Aichi, Oiterong and Demei and uncovered the sexual abuse the young girls had to face.
One of the minors stated in the report that Sylvester introduced her to Melvin as his uncle who o!ered them ice to smoke. This pattern persisted in the statements of other minors as well where Sylvester introduced di!erent “uncles” with time.
One of the minor victims said in her statements that Sylvester would ask her to have sex with a much older man who in turn would give her meth that she would consume with Sylvester.
While there statements given by the victims of direct sexual abuse by the now convicts, there were also statements by the convicts. According to the statements, the minors were exploited sexually by Aichi, Oiterong and Demi at di!erent occasions which sometimes were on the influence of substance and sometimes in complete senses with a perspective of exchanging sex for drugs.
“There are handful who died because of the problems associated with drugs especially meth” said Aguon. He further added that marijuana acts as a gateway to stronger and hard drugs.
The social worker at a public o!ice who has worked in the field of child sexual abuse previously and now deals with drug addicts said, “They[minors] tell us that it is very common in high schools. The statistics only cover the surface.”
She further said that since Meth is expensive, the girls are either asked to exchange sexual favors for drugs or are made “runners”. According to her, the runners are girls who are required to pull in more girls in the system.
“They [drug dealers] find more girls from other runners. It is a chain.” She added.
She reveals that the drug dealers entice young females with cellphones, airtimes and car rides who then introduce them to drugs and the young girls end up getting more of their friends along eventually.
“Most cases come from broken families or single parents. There are missing factors in their family life that lead these kids easily towards this kind of lifestyle” the social worker said. (By Eshan Kalyanikar)
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2019 around April
Meth in the hands of children
The small sized island country of Palau has been dealing with a drug problem for a while now. This drug problem has now taken an uglier turn as it reaches the elementary and high schools of Palau.
From three government sources, it is confirmed that minors are exposed to heavy drugs. The Narcotics Enforcement Agency director Ismael Aguon confirms that minors end up getting sexually exploited in exchange of these heavy drugs, particularly methamphetamine.
The social worker at a public o!ice reveals that young girls are made “runners” whose job is to get more girls in the drug circle and are sexually exploited as well.
To understand the reasons as to why are young Palauan are choosing the life of drugs over their physical well-being, Island Times reached out to Clinical Psychiatrist Sylvia Wally at the Behavioral Health.
Meth a!ects the dopamine receptors of the brain and generates euphoria.
Wally said that this euphoric feeling comes at the cost of natural dopamine receptor being diminished with every use of meth.
When the dopamine is reduced to zero in the system, the body goes into withdrawal.
“You sleep a lot. You get depressed and the tendency for you to feel suicidal is very high because of the chemical imbalance.” Wally said.
If the consumption of meth goes up to 6-12 months, the damage is permanent and irreversible. The drug user starts to hallucinate as all the receptors that produce natural feeling are damaged in that period.
Eventually, the body develops tolerance which results into increase of dosage by the user. This reaches to a point where the body no longer produces natural dopamine as it is now entirely dependent on meth.
“This will cost you to have neurochemical imbalance which we call psychosis. You start to hear voices, you get paranoia and you start think that people conspiring against you. Wally said.
“This evidently can cause you to kill someday.” She adds.
People who have history of mental illness in the family can face episodes of psychosis earlier than six months. According to Wally, it causes psychosis in the first or second usage itself.
Wally further states that there are three risk factors that might push children towards hard drugs like meth; The adult peer pressure, poverty level, lack of family bonding.
The adult peer pressure starts with children being befriended by adults.
According to Wally this is being done by bribing children with expensive electronics, car rides, snacks and airtimes.
A friendly gesture eventually turns into children being introduced to meth.
“They become part of this drug transaction where they use the young teenagers to either sell[drugs] or introduce to their other teenager friends or classmates and in return giving them money.” Wally said.
On minors exchanging sexual favors for drugs, Wally said “Chemical imbalance could cause a person to judge wrongly about what they are doing or they are so doped with meth that they cannot rationalize what they doing.”
Wally said that a drug like meth can boost up the sex drive of teenagers which can lead to a poor judgment and decision making.
She further adds that a preventive measure is to educate the children at an early age about the consequences of drugs and to warn them about adults luring them into the life of drugs.
According to Wally, the use of drugs by a family member can influence the child to be a drug consumer as well.
While the youngest user for Meth is 12 years old, Wally reveals that Marijuana consumptions starts at an earlier age.
“First drug that is a gateway to Meth is Marijuana.” She said.
Wally claims that Peliliu state is known to grow Marijuana in Palau. She further claims that every state has plantations of Marijuana and a handful of people in a hamlet secretly grow personal marijuana plants.
“A lot of high crimes we see in Palau is a result of usage of Marijuana at a very young age.” She adds.
Wally said, “Families need to get to know their children better. Get connected to them emotionally. Not just feed them and make sure they go to school.”
“A lot of kids who get hooked to risk behaviours that includes drug use behaviours is because they are emotionally devpreived. They lack the support and advice. They lack the bonding.” She adds.
The neurochemical damage is so profound with meth that the recovery process takes almost a lifetime. Drug users who start using meth at an early, face damage at an early age and hence it takes longer for them to recover.
There is support available for drug addicts of all ages at the Belau National Hospital, Behavioural Health. (By Eshan Kalyanikar)
