The Question Mark - Micronesia

The northern boundary raises the difficult question of "U.S." Micronesia. As the U.S. has retreated from the Asian Mainland, it has consolidated its military presence in Micronesia.

Therefore, it will be extremely reluctant to in any way demilitarise this area which it has come to regard as essential to U.S. Security. But from the point of view of peace in the Pacific, and from the point of view of the decolonisation of Pacific peoples, Micronesia is one of the areas most desparately in need of demilitarisation. This seems to demand that Micronesia be included in proposals for a zone right from the start.

However, it is also debated that only those Micronesia islands without military bases be included, and that a timetable be established for the gradual inclusion of other islands.

Whatever decision is made regarding Micronesia will have an important influence on the control possible over American nuclear buildup in the Pacific. It is argued that to leave Micronesia out of initial zone proposals would be misrepresented by the US as recognition that it has special rights there.

So, the proposed zone would include all of the South Pacific forum and territories, and to the north, the equator would also help to form something of a natural boundary as it corresponds to an atmospheric buffer reducing radioactive fallout flow between the hemispheres.