Taongi Atoll was classified as the northernmost atoll of the Marshall Islands and is part of the Ratak    Chain of Atolls.  Ratak means sunrise in Marshallese.  The former President and Minister of Justice of the Marshall Islands both recognized Iroijlaplap Murjel Hermios as the true owner of Taongi and that same Iroijlaplap granted a 55-year power of attorney to his adopted brother, Taongi Alap, Robert Moore.  Robert Moore transferred his power of attorney to the Dominion of Melchizedek leaving 45 years to Melchizedek’s governance of Taongi.  An Iroijlaplap is a “Paramount Chief” similar to a king, and his decision may not be questioned.  The Alap is the second in authority. In December of 1998, the Iroijlaplap Murjel Hermios passed-on and his successor, Iroijlaplap Remios Hermios on May 5, 1999, signed a 50 years master lease and gave a speech for DOMTV granting sovereignty over Taongi Atoll to the Dominion of Melchizedek until the year 2049, similar to the creation of the venue of Hong Kong.

Taongi was occupied for a brief time during World War II by the Japanese.  The government of the Dominion of Melchizedek, while not yet permanently settled, is planning its future capital to be established here.  Towards this end, they have made preliminary contacts to construct an off-shore plant producing one megawatt of electricity from the rise and fall of wave motion.  This or an alternative energy source will provide power for the inhabitants and a desalination plant while not polluting the environment.  Tourist facilities will be provided but kept small to protect the marine areas and breeding grounds.

On the front page of the May 21, 1999, RMI Journal, the government of the RMI Foreign Affairs Minister is alleged to have “discouraged all diplomatic and commercial ties with the ‘Dominion of    Melchizedek,’ however, the map surrounding that statement records DOM as the political authority over Taongi also know as Bokaak.

The map posted on the RMI’s official website as of October 31, 2000, concedes that Taongi is no longer part of the RMI, as it fails to reflect the area wherein Taongi lies north of its territory, north of Bikar. There is only one reference in the Constitution of the RMI where it refers to “Bokak,” in Article IV Section 2, “Bokak …. shall … be included in the electoral district with which it is most closely associated, (but it is only associated with the Iroijlaplap and not a district) pursuant to the customary law or any traditional practice.”  The customary law and traditional practice of Taongi or Bokak is that the exclusive lland rightsincluding sovereignty belong to the Iroijlaplap.  Even if it were argued that this obscure reference to Bokak placed it under the control of the RMI, a closer inspection of the signatures on said constitution reveals that the Iroijlaplap of Bokak never signed it, so the reference would be inapplicable.  However, here is another quote from the same Constitution.  “Article X Traditional Rights Section 1. Traditional Rights of Land Tenure Preserved.  (1) Nothing in Article II shall be construed to invalidate the customary law or any traditional practice concerning land tenure or any related matter in any part of the Marshall Islands, including, where applicable, the rights and obligations of the Iroijlaplap, ….. (2)  Without prejudice to the continued application of the customary law pursuant to Section 1 of Article XIII, and subject to the customary law or to any traditional practice in any part of the Marshall Islands, it shall not be lawful or    competent for any person having any right in any land in the Marshall Islands under the customary law or any traditional practice to make any alienation or disposition of that land, whether by way of sale, mortgage, lease, licensing or otherwise, without the approval of the Iroijlaplap, Iroijedrik, where necessary, Alap and the Senior Dri Jerbal  of such land, who shall be deemed to represent all persons having an interest in the land.  In the case of Taongi or Bokak, there is no Senior Dri erbal or Iroijedrik since it is an uninhabited atoll until DOM begins to develop it; and both the Iroijlaplap and the Alap also known as “Alab” have signed the master lease in sovereignty to DOM under their absolute authority.