The writer of this article shows a profound ignorance both on the history of Guam and the neighboring Marianas Islands, as well as the relationship between the Chamorro and other island peoples of the region with the United States.

Have you visited Guam? It is in almost every sense "America" in the Pacific. The residents of Guam are wholeheartedly American citizens. It's true we can't vote for our President. Are you aware that neither can the Americans in Washington DC, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other American territories? This is irrelevant to our status as Americans.

Guam has been an American territory for a lot longer than post-World War II, you should check your history book. We have been American territory since the late 1890's.

The US has allowed some of our neighbors to implement different forms of autonomy from the US government; Saipan and the Marianas for example. Guamians have seen how destructive this has been for their economies and their political situations. We don't want that for Guam. Most Guam citizens (both Chamorros and non-Chamorros) if asked would prefer to be a US State, and perhaps in time this will be done. We are confident that it will be done with the full democratic participation of the Guam citizens. To suggest otherwise is false.

Please, Check your facts before using Guam as a platform to attack US defense strategy in the region!

The previous poster clarified some of the mistakes in the article, but just allow me to add a bit of detail. Guam is most definitely a U.S. Territory. It is, in fact and in international law, a "possession" of the United States. The island was ceded to the U.S. by Spain in 1887, as part of the spoils of the Spanish American War. The U.S. also acquired Puerto Rico and the Philippines in the same way.

The U.S. voluntarily placed Guam on the list of non-self-governing territories under the United Nations, and is prepared to grant the indiginous people of Guam, the Chamorros, self-determination, and has been for years. The movement represents only a small proportion of the Chamorros on Guam, however. Most people on Guam, both Chamorro and non-Chamorro, prefer the present status or, as pointed out, Statehood.

Guam has the second highest standard of living in the Pacific Islands, exceeded only by Hawaii. It has a strong, varied economy supported by a vibrant visitor industry and the U.S. Military presence on the island. There is very little desire to become independent. The people of Guam are United States citizens fully vested with all of the rights of that citizenship save one, a vote for President and voting representation in the U.S. Congress.

Military units from Guam have been jointly participating with Australia in training exercises for decades. Australia is one of the staunchest allies of the United States and that relationship manifests itself in frequent exchanges of military activity between the island and your country. We're very proud of that relationship. You should be too.

It never fails to amaze us when ‘visitors’ from the U.S. appoint themselves as spokesmen of the indigenous people of Guam. Not only do these interlopers not represent us, they apparently don’t even know who we.
Guam is the homeland of the Chamoru people.
Guam is a colony of the U.S.
The Chamoru people of Guam resent their colonial status and have actively petitioned at the United Nations, for over two decades, the right of self-determination. The U.S. has refused to address the issue, every nation throughout the world is more than aware of this situation.
The author of this article has provided accurate information, for this we are thankful.

Hey DukDuk...whenever I read crusading 'let my people go' types, I always ask "Hmmm..to whom are they REALLY connected"? and what ideas are driving them? and more importantly, what other interests/countries are promoting such ideas, and why?

It goes without saying, that the strategic importance of Guam would be 'noticed' by many non American interests. To suggest that they would do nothing to undermine the American influence and status of the Island and promote 'nationalist' causes would supreme naivity of history and human nature.

One does not need to know anything about the Island to know this.
its just a simple predictable fact of life.

Are Chamoros downtrodden, oppressed, denied education, denied employement, treated as slaves, blocked from becoming entrepreneurs? I kind of doubt it.

So.. given that being unleashed from the USA would immmediately mean a political and military feeding frenzy from outside powers.. like China, Taiwan or 'U_name_the_country' to take advantage of the power vacuum,... why are you whinging ?

Is there a Chamoros king ? are you a relative ? is some country funding some kind of 'Chamoros' Liberation front ?

C'mon mate..we were not born yesterday.

i would guess the chamorros are better off as american serfs, simply because if they succeeded in chucking the yanks out, uncle sam would punish them.

the rest of the world would cater to the american revenge, no one would do business with them- unless china felt like establishing a base there. probably better to be an american aircraft carrier, than chinese.

While the majority of comments thus far are bogged down in the largely irrelevant semantics about how/when/what/etc Guam may or may not be a US territory, isn't the real point of this discussion whether Australia wants or needs to be inextricably linked to America's burgeoning military machine located just hours from the Australian coastline, whether it needs or wants to be associated with, and host, America's dangerous, destructive, self indulgent "war games", and whether it wants to see vast amounts of its sovereign, scacred, and valuable assets irredeemably destroyed against the wishes of the majority of its population?

There is no argument which can justify the impending horrors of exercises such as Talisman Sabre and the like.