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.

According to the OPC President when asked, the FSM does not have one because they are not eligible to have one. This was what was told to us by him and is not a matter of opinion. If you want to get us in touch with the FSM's Olympic Committee so they can explain why you don't have a Paralympic Committee, then we can report that. In any case, the region is still left behind because no Micronesian nations are represented at the Paralympics.