The testimony of Anson Chong, delivered on his behalf by Renee Furuyama (President of the Hawaii Committee for Africa/UH), before the Public Employment/Labor Committee of the Hawaii House of Representatives Chong explains the origins of his interest in South Africa when he was one of Hawaii's first Peace Corps volunteers in Africa, teaching in Nigeria. He then spent another year-and-a-half in Africa as a State Department economist. From these experiences, he learned of the deep commitment of African governments to support their brothers and sisters living under apartheid in South Africa. Chong argues that Hawaii must join in this support and is gratified the legislature is considering...
The testimony of Anson Chong, delivered on his behalf by Renee Furuyama (President of the Hawaii Committee for Africa/UH), before the Public Employment/Labor Committee of the Hawaii House of Representatives Chong explains the origins of his interest in South Africa when he was one of Hawaii's first Peace Corps volunteers in Africa, teaching in Nigeria. He then spent another year-and-a-half in Africa as a State Department economist. From these experiences, he learned of the deep commitment of African governments to support their brothers and sisters living under apartheid in South Africa. Chong argues that Hawaii must join in this support and is gratified the legislature is considering requesting the Employees Retirement System to divest its S. African investments, after last year's Senate and House resolutions condemning apartheid. The UHPA testimony eloquently states the moral and fiscal rationale for this important step. Chong's testimony describes what is happening in South Africa today as racism on a massive and brutal scale, and Amnesty International issued a major report last year documenting human rights violations in South Africa. Investing in South African-related stocks indirectly supports the torture and killings. Chong urges selling the small number of stocks (less than 6% of the pension fund total portfolio) and clear the good name of Hawaii.
