VZCZCXRO8657
RR RUEHKN
DE RUEHKN #0163/01 3040249
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 300249Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY KOLONIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2143
INFO RUEHSV/AMEMBASSY SUVA 0043
RHHJJPI/PACOM IDHS HONOLULU HI
RUEHKN/AMEMBASSY KOLONIA 2499

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KOLONIA 000163 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE DEPARTMENT FORR EAP/PD AND EAP/ANP; SUVA FOR RPAO-JEFF 
ROBERTSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC OIIP FM
SUBJECT: FOURTH QUARTER PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PROGRAMS SHINE A SPOTLIGHT 
ON THE FIRST VISIT OF A U.S. NAVAL HOSPITAL SHIP, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW, 
AND GRANT AID 
 
SUMMARY 
 
¶1.  Fourth quarter public diplomacy programs exemplified 
America's concerns for regional partnership, good governance, 
and assistance.  The USNS Mercy made the last stop on Pacific 
Partnership 2008 in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), 
anchoring in the lagoon of Chuuk.  This U.S. Naval hospital 
ship, based in the FSM's largest state, delivered medical 
services to some 17,000 Micronesians.  Positive print and radio 
media coverage on this and other U.S. activities in the FSM, 
along with timely Embassy media releases, increased 
significantly.  End summary. 
 
 
EMBASSY COORDINATES FIRST PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP VISIT TO MICRONESIA 
 
¶2.  The USNS Mercy stopped in Chuuk during the last leg of 
Pacific Partnership 2008.  A flyaway team from the ship treated 
3,567 patients in Pohnpei (over 10% of the population) and 2,288 
patients in Yap (over 20% of the population) in community based 
medical, ophthalmology and dental clinics, with pharmacological 
support. 
 
¶3.  The first ever visit by a U.S. military hospital ship (the 
world's largest) to the FSM's most populous state of Chuuk 
brought unprecedented direct engagement between Americans and 
Micronesians at the local level.  Medical services via mobile 
health care teams reached 10,832 patients on thirteen islands in 
Chuuk Lagoon.  Over 200 patients received eye, ear, nose, 
throat, gastrointestinal, endoscopic, urological, gynecological, 
pediatric, orthodontic, plastic or general surgery on board the 
ship. 
 
¶4.  Environmental health officials provided mosquito control, 
food sanitation inspection, and waste treatment plant inspection 
for Chuuk State.  Embarked medical doctors consulted on ongoing 
cases of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis at the Chuuk 
Hospital.  Veterinarians conducted roving clinics in the lagoon 
islands, performing veterinary surgery and animal de-worming. 
In less than four weeks, U.S. Navy Seabees completed extensive 
construction work at three major engineering project sites. 
They renovated the Chuuk State Hospital as well as public school 
buildings on two Chuuk Lagoon islands. 
 
¶5.  The historic visit of the Mercy to the FSM's largest state 
sparked unprecedented media attention.  Coverage included a 
special 'Mercy Edition' of the FSM's sole newspaper, with a 
total of 394 column inches of Mercy-related coverage in six 
issues.  FSM President Mori participated actively in three days 
of Mercy mission activities in his home state of Chuuk.  He 
personally welcomed Commodore Kearns and other Mercy dignitaries 
pier-side upon arrival at Weno Harbor.  He led local officials 
on a VIP tour of the ship and its extensive facilities.  Along 
with members of his Cabinet and FSM Congressmen, he visited 
Mercy medical sites and engineering projects on several Chuuk 
Lagoon islands.  In a final expression of heartfelt gratitude, 
the FSM Congress, Chuuk Legislature, Pohnpei Legislature, and 
Yap Legislature each passed resolutions expressing deep 
appreciation for Pacific Partnership activities with the United 
States in their islands. 
 
 
EMBASSY BRINGS ACADEMIC EXPERTISE ON RULE OF LAW 
 
¶6. University of California-Berkley Political Science and Law 
Associate Professor Dr. Gordon Silverstein spent a week in two 
FSM states, sharing considerable expertise on the rule of law. 
The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs sponsored this regional trip to Micronesia and 
the Marshall Islands.  He participated actively in anniversary 
activities during the 26th FSM Law Week hosted by the national 
Supreme Court in Kosrae State.  Dr. Silverstein delivered a 
public presentation on the rule of law attended by over 150 
government staff, local business persons, NGO representatives 
and community leaders.  He also conducted an interview on the 
state radio station and discussed constitutional law issues with 
local legislators, jurists, and attorneys.  In Pohnpei State, 
Dr. Silverstein delivered another public presentation and 
participated in a panel discussion on rule of law.  He also 
conducted two radio interviews and a print interview with the 
FSM's national newspaper. 
 
OTHER EMBASSY OUTREACH EVENTS INFORM THE COMMUNITY 
 
¶7. Ambassador hosted the Mission's U.S. Independence Day 
celebration, attended by FSM President Emanuel Mori, other 
government officials, the diplomatic corps, media, NGOs, and 
 
KOLONIA 00000163  002 OF 004 
 
 
private citizens.  Keynote remarks toasted America's founding 
values of freedom, democracy and equality of opportunity as 
principles that are just as fundamental, useful and compelling 
today as they were 232 years ago.  The event underscored a 
renewed U.S. commitment across the board to generous and 
transparent partnership with the Federated States of Micronesia. 
 The FSM's sole newspaper carried key excerpts of the 
Ambassador's speech. 
 
¶8. Ambassador also orchestrated an alternative aid delivery 
mechanism that resulted in an innovative $3 million Compact 
infrastructure grant, which was apportioned equally among the 
FSM's four states.  The dedicated funding can be used only for 
local maintenance repairs related to education, health, potable 
water and public safety facilities.  A joint U.S.-FSM press 
event and media statements promoted this effort to direct aid 
flexibly and responsibly at the grass roots level.  In a rare 
public demonstration of solidarity, the FSM Department of 
Foreign Affairs toasted the media event with champagne. 
 
 
PRESS COVERAGE BUILDS BETTER APPRECIATION FOR U.S. ASSISTANCE 
 
¶9.  Newspaper articles on U.S. programs in the FSM totaled 958 
column inches in "The Kaselehlie Press," the FSM's biweekly 
national newspaper.  This coverage represents more than a 100% 
increase over last quarter.  Articles included: 
 
 --FBI Seminar Held in Pohnpei on White Collar Crime/Human 
Trafficking; 
 
 --Twenty-Nine FSM Citizens Join United States Army; 
 
 --Pohnpei and Neosho, Missouri, Become Sister Cities; 
 
 --U.S. Independence Day Celebrated in Pohnpei; 
 
 --U.S. Compact Sector Grants to FSM for June 2008; 
 
 --World's Largest Hospital Ship, USNS Mercy, to Visit FSM; 
 
 --U.S. Secretary of State Visits Asia Pacific Region; 
 
 --FSM President Goes to Guam Naval Hospital for Checkup; 
 
 --U.S. Ambassador Awards Cultural Preservation Funds to Yap 
State; 
 
 --Government Accountability Office Officials Visit Yap; 
 
 --USNS Mercy Mobile Medical Team Coming to Pohnpei; 
 
 --U.S. Department of Education Funding to FSM Tops $10,000,000 
This Year; 
 
 --U.S. Congress Warns FSM on Compact Implementation; 
 
 --DOI OIA Cuts Funding for Chuuk State for Three Compact Sector 
Grants; 
 
 --Three Pohnpei Schools "Bid-Ready" for FSM Compact 
Infrastructure 
   Sector Grant Funded Construction; 
 
 --DOI OIA Island Business Fellow Promotes Island Business Link 
in FSM; 
 
 --Chuuk Mercy Mobile Medical Clinics Scheduled; 
 
 --Chuuk Mercy Mobile Veterinary Clinics Scheduled; 
 
 --Pohnpei's Joab Paul Graduates from Asia Pacific Center for 
Security 
   Studies in Honolulu; 
 
 --Yap Mercy Mobile Medical Clinics Scheduled; 
 
 --U.S. Government Delivers $3 Million in Compact Infrastructure 
Grant; 
 
 --Pacific Partnership 2008: A Voyage of Friendship; 
 
 --USNS Mercy Ship Arrival Ceremony in Weno Harbor, Chuuk; 
 
 --Project Handclasp Donates Food, School Supplies, and Toys in 
Chuuk; 
 
 
KOLONIA 00000163  003 OF 004 
 
 
 --USNS Mercy Doctors Deliver Critical Medical Services to Chuuk 
Lagoon 
   Islanders; 
 
 --USNS Mercy Community Relations Events in Chuuk; 
 
 --USNS Mercy Mobil Medical Teams Serve Chuuk Lagoon Islands; 
 
 --USNS Mercy Navy Seabee Engineering Projects Ongoing in Chuuk; 
 
 --USNS Mercy Medical and Dental Clinic Results from Pohnpei; 
 
 --USNS Mercy Medical and Dental Clinic Results from Yap; 
 
 --USNS Mercy Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Clinic Results 
from and 
   Navy Seabee Engineering Projects completed in Chuuk; 
 
 --JEMCO Meeting Held in Washington, D.C.; 
 
 --Pacific Diabetes Summit Held in Saipan; 
 
 --World Teach Meets Educational Needs in Pohnpei; 
 
 --U.S. Department of the Interior Island Business Fellows Come 
to FSM; 
 
 --Kaselehlie Press Interview with Retired Pohnpeian U.S. Army 
   Veteran; and 
 
 --U.S. Compact Sector Grants to FSM for August 2008; 
 
RADIO INTERVIEWS REACH BROADER AUDIENCE 
 
¶10.  Radio remains the main source of news and public 
information for most Micronesians.  The Embassy scheduled seven 
broadcast interviews as follows: 
 
--Ms. Kelly Miksa, Columbia University Graduate Student and 2008 
Island Business Fellow of the Department of the Interior, 
presented a new Island Business Link internet commercial 
networking tool during a broadcast on public radio in the state 
of Kosrae. 
 
--Dr. Gordon Silverstein, visiting Professor of Political 
Science from the University of California at Berkley, discussed 
the rule of law during three interviews on public and private 
radio stations in Pohnpei and Kosrae states. 
 
--Ensign Jennifer Franco, USNR, Seventh Fleet Public Affairs 
Office, briefed the public on upcoming visits by the Mercy 
hospital ship and its mobile units and Navy Seabees to Pohnpei, 
Yap, and Chuuk States in three interviews on public and private 
radio stations. 
 
 
EMBASSY MEDIA RELEASES KEEP LOCAL RESIDENTS INFORMED 
 
¶11.  U.S. Embassy Kolonia issued fourteen media releases during 
this period (nearly a 50% increase over the previous quarter), 
covering topics such as: 
 
--U.S. Compact Sector Grants to FSM (June 2008); 
 
--U.S. Compact Sector Grants to FSM (July 2008); 
 
--U.S. Compact Sector Grants to FSM (August 2008); 
 
--Ambassador's Independence Day Address Stresses Defense of Core 
  Values, Encourages Dialogue on Compact Implementation; 
 
--U.S. Navy Hospital Ship Mercy to Visit Micronesia; 
 
--U.S. Funding to College of Micronesia-FSM Tops $10 Million 
this Year; 
 
--U.S. Navy Medical Personnel Coming to Pohnpei; 
 
--U.S. Delivers $3 Million Infrastructure Maintenance Grant to 
the FSM; 
 
--Free U.S. Navy Health Care in Chuuk this Month; 
 
--Free U.S. Navy Animal Clinics in Chuuk this Month; 
 
--Free U.S. Navy Health Care in Yap this Month; 
 
 
KOLONIA 00000163  004 OF 004 
 
 
--U.S. Navy Medical Personnel Treat Over 3,500 in Pohnpei; 
 
--U.S. Navy Medical Personnel Treat Over 2,000 in Yap; and 
 
--U.S. Navy Medical Personnel Treat Over 10,000 in Chuuk. 
HUGHES