Tinian watches from sidelines

The municipal council of Tinian feels “left out” in the two-day visit of Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko on Saipan beginning today.

It was on Tinian that U.S. forces B-29 bombers took off to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 61 years ago.

“We’re trying to go to the imperial visit but unfortunately, I think Tinian is left out quite well on this one. We do very much feel left out,” said James Miyahara Mendiola, executive director of the 10th Tinian Municipal Council.

In a way, he said, Tinian is covered by the central government, which is represented in the imperial visit by Gov. Juan N. Babauta.

“As a municipality, we don’t really have any seats on the table. Obviously the governor represents the CNMI and the Office of Insular Affairs represents the federal government. But we really would like to have an opportunity since we are championing peace this year,” he said.

The council, together with the Tinian Mayor’s Office, is holding a Tinian Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Ceremony in August this year.

Part of the event is the holding of Hibakusha Experience, a first-person account by atomic bomb survivors and an exhibit showing the damage of the bombing. Three Hibakusha members are expected to arrive in the CNMI to participate in the event.

Governor press secretary Peter A. Callaghan said that all CNMI mayors, including Tinian Mayor Francisco M. Borja were all invited as members of the Welcoming Committee for the imperial couple.

“All the mayors were invited,” said Callaghan.

He said it was the Governor’s Office that sent out invitations to the local dignitaries.

Meantime, Mendiola said that the municipal council has not received funding for the peace ceremony and Hibakusha Experience.

He said Tinian requested for some $25,000 for the event.

“To be very frank, we are not receiving the financial support that we should be receiving. We’re trying to get it from the central government,” he said, noting that the government had spent huge sums of money for last year’s 60th anniversary of the Battle of Saipan and Tinian.

At the same time, he said the government must have a considerable amount of money for the imperial visit.

The municipal council is being criticized for its plan to bring in the Hibakusha together with the U.S. war veterans.

But Mendiola said that the council has no plan to force the two parties to meet.

Except in optional activities, he said, which they could skip if they want to, there is no way that the war veterans and the atomic bomb survivors would meet.

The Japanese imperial couple is set to arrive this afternoon to pay tribute to the war dead in the Battle of Saipan.