American Samoa asks again to be removed from U.N. colonies list

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/American_Samoa_asks_again_to_be_removed_from_U.N._colonies_list

From Wikinews beta, the free news source that you can write!
May 29, 2005

American Samoa's government delivered another message to United Nations representatives asking to be removed from the U.N.'s list of world colonies. Commerce Department Deputy Director Lelei Peau was participating in a regional seminar held from May 17-19 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines by the U.N. Decolonization Committee.

The U.N. has promoted decolonization since its founding, particularly since its Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples was adopted in 1960. In 1945, about one-third of the world's population lived in dependent, non-self governing Territories. Today the U.N. lists 16 remaining colonies with fewer than 2 million total people.

American Samoa is asking to be removed from that list, on the grounds that it wishes to remain a freely associated territory of the United States. Its position has remained unchanged since the Lieutenant Governor first asked to be removed from the list in 1993.

"The position of the people of American Samoa, and its duly elected legislative representatives and government officials is that the current status of the Territory and the United States government is the desired relationship we wish to have," said Governor Togiola T. A. Tulafono last year. His message was delivered to the U.N. Decolonization Committee in their regional seminar held in the Pacific island country of Papua New Guinea.

<snip>

They are culturally the same except Samoa(former western Samoa and New Zealand colony) has self determination. The American Samoans want the U.S. because of the boost to their economy.