R 130504Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY APIA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0383
AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 
INFO AMCONSUL AUCKLAND 
AMEMBASSY SUVA 
AMEMBASSY APIA

UNCLAS APIA 000058 
 
 
DEPARTEMENT FOR EAP/ANP AND DS/IP/EAP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL ASEC WS
SUBJECT: PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION AT EMBASSY OVER ARREST OF ASSOCIATE 
MINISTER JOE KEIL IN THE U.S. 
 
¶1.  Summary:  At 10:00am November 10 approximately 2,000 
peaceful protesters marched to the Embassy to deliver a petition 
for the release of Associate Cabinet Minister and prominent 
businessman Hans Joachim (Joe) Keil.  Mr. Keil was arrested in 
September in the U.S. on suspicion of passport fraud.  The 
protest, dubbed the "Free Joe March", began at the public 
grounds of the Government Building and went along the main roads 
to the Embassy, several blocks away.  The march organizers 
presented a petition to the Acting Charge calling for Mr. Keil's 
case to be dropped.  After a few speeches the protesters 
dispersed peacefully.  This is the first protest against the 
Embassy since it opened 20 years ago, according to senior LES 
staff.  (Despite our lack of practice all went well.)  End 
Summary. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
March banners/Anti-US Sentiment 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶2.  The march, organized by the U.S. Veterans of Samoa 
Association and the Keil family and friends, included a number 
of civic and business organizations, government employees and 
students.  The Speaker of the House participated and spoke of 
his family ties to Mr. Keil; the Deputy Prime Minister attended 
but did not speak.  Both marched as "concerned citizens and 
friends of Mr. Keil".  The marchers held out banners with 
slogans such as: "USA big bullies", "America: Free Joe", "We 
honor diplomatic passports", "Obama free Joe Keil" and "U.S. 
(Am)bassy release the truth from federal now! Or get out!". 
 
 
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Petition for the Department 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  Upon arriving at the Embassy, the protesters waited outside 
the ground floor of the ACC Building while two representatives, 
Mark Moors, President of the U.S. Veterans of Samoa Association, 
and Richard Keil, Joe Keil's brother, came up to our fifth floor 
office to deliver the petition calling for his release.  The 
reps presented their petition to the Acting Charge who accepted 
on behalf of Ambassador McCormick and the Department. 
Meanwhile, on the ground floor the President of the Council of 
Churches, the Speaker of the House and others spoke to the 
rally.  The two reps then addressed the marchers by stating that 
the Acting Charge accepted and will personally make sure copies 
are passed to the Department and had said he was surprised at 
the very large march.  Then a prayer was said and the march 
disbanded. 
 
 
----------------- 
Media 
----------------- 
 
¶4.  The media accompanied the march from start to finish.  Two 
television stations (one owned by Joe Keil), radio and press 
reps also covered the event.  No media were present at the 
handover of the petition.  For weeks prior to the march, 
numerous advertisements in the press and banners around Apia 
rallied support for the march.  The march itself has had 
extensive coverage on Samoan TV news and in the press. 
 
 
------------------------------------------ 
The Samoan Government's Role 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶5.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assisted in setting up 
police protection of the Embassy perimeter with strict 
instructions for the public not to enter Embassy property. 
There were at least a dozen police accompanying the march and 
one senior police officer was on the fifth floor Embassy the 
entire time.  Police were cooperative and peaceful in 
controlling the crowd of nearly 2,000. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Comment: An insult to "little Samoa" 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶6.  Some banners depicted anti-America sentiments, but the 
overall mood of the march was peaceful.  However, the marchers 
told the media that a trust has been betrayed and Samoa has been 
insulted by this arrest of one of their leading citizens who was 
carrying a diplomatic passport at the time.  Several embassy 
contacts report that there is a strong feeling over the 
perceived heavy-handedness by which his arrest and incarceration 
were carried out.  There seems to be a feeling that if this were 
not "little Samoa" the incident would have been handled 
differently by the US.  This peaceful protest has widespread 
support in the community although some have counseled a 
wait-and-see approach.  Nevertheless. There may be some damage, 
at least in the short-term, to the US.- Samoa relationship in 
the eyes of the person on the street. 
 
 
----------------------------- 
Transmittal of Petition 
----------------------------- 
 
¶7.  Post will forward to EAP/ANP and Embassy Wellington a copy 
of the petition which has approximately 2,500 names, mostly 
online sign-ups.  We will send by email a scanned copy of the 
petition's demands. 
 
 
CARTER