Thread:Comments:Micronesia left behind by the Paralympic movement/Sounds like the writer's opinion...

The article says: "According to a member of the Oceania Paralympic Committee, the IPC recognizes fewer countries than the International Olympic Committee, with IPC rules prohibiting countries from becoming full members of the organization if their independence is not clear. This rule dates back to the organization's founding and no serious attempts have been made to change it since."

It does not say that the Member of the Oceania Paralympic Committee contributed at all to the following analysis regarding the independence of the Freely Associated States. It seems as if the writer of the article included his or her own opinion and asserted it as fact. While it is good to provide analysis, in this case the analysis is incorrect.

There is not question whatsoever that the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands are independent sovereign nations, each with their own separate Compact of Free Association with the United States, and each with their own separate Constitutions.

As editor of the FSM's only newspaper, I am aware of the existence of an FSM National Olympic Committee but not of a paraolympic committee. This may be the reason for the absence of the FSM at the games rather than some question about our own sovereignty.