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Activists Chain Doors of UH Medical School
A group of Native Hawaiian activists chained shut the doors of the John A. Burns school of medicine Thursday (May 18th) in an attempt to facilitate a dialogue with the Board of Regents from the University of Hawai'i. Previous attempts to articulate their demands have been largely ignored by the University Administration. The two demands of the group and of the Hawaiian community at large are that the University drop it's patents of the Kalo plant and immediately halt the genetic modifications that have been going on for years without the approval or knowledge of the community. Last week the group conducted a candle light rally in front of the house of University President David McClain in hopes that he could be confronted and would be held accountable for the administrations position on the patents and also for approving the University Affiliated Research Center, which would allow the United States Navy to conduct secret military research on campus.
Security guards were posted at temporary gates in front of the two entrances to the house, preventing the group from delivering a list of their demands. The president did not return to his home that night and activists have persisted and are continuing to take the actions that they feel are necessary to have their demands met.
The group has made it clear that they will not go away and will escalate their actions every time they are forced to confront the University Administration.
Reprinted with permission from Hawai'i IndyMedia
Army Briefs Wai'anae Neighborhood Board on 8,000 Tons of Chemical Weapons Dumped off the Coast
On March 17, the Wai`anae Neighborhood Board met to discuss the latest information on chemical weapons dumping that occurred off their coast for thirty years beginning in the 1940’s and were recently discovered. Community and the board heard from Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for the Environment, Tad Davis, who provided a general summary of their findings in Hawai‘i waters. The military is working solely off of records from previous decades, which Davis claimed “give us the best information they have right now.” Further review, however, may be conducted. A group of approximately 75 concerned citizens asked questions, shared their knowledge and relayed a message to the Army rep, “ We don’t trust you”. This statement is not surprising when considering the U.S. military’s wake of destruction, including Makua Valley, Kaho`olawe and Pearl Harbor to name a few. Davis said that the information regarding the dumping was classified during the 40’s and became unclassified decades later. Terri Keko`olani responded with concerns that the secrecy and classified status only exacerbate the issue. She also noted the current struggle with the University of Hawaii and the proposed UARC ( University Affiliated Research Center), which would conduct classified research.
Many residents cited health problems resulting from chemical exposure. Dr. Fred Dodge of the Wai`anae Comprehensive Health Center stated that the coast is the leader among all the Hawaiian islands when it comes to three types of cancer. Another resident cited the unusually high rates of autism occurring on the coast.
While the army’s booklets said nothing of the chemicals’ effect on people, KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance provided an informational sheet citing immediate harm such as stomach pain and shortness of breath, as well as long term physical harms, including lung cancer, blindness, and coma. Instead the “Recognize, Retreat, Report” sloganed booklet gave ways to identify abandoned weapons and how to react. It also provided an anecdotal warning telling of two cowboys who were “unfortunately” killed when they came into contact with UXO (Unexploded Ordinance). KAHEA’s sheet also requested that a telephone hotline be established for the community to be kept up-to-date on the developments, as well as to leave information of findings and sightings. It was also suggested that one or two members of the community be on the committee “to provide truth.” “Feelings need to be taken into account” said one resident. If the army is indeed committed to a thorough review and remedy of this tragic situation as they claim, then they will need to work hard to restore Wai`anae and all of Hawai`i’s trust.
~ Jen Palmer, Aiea
Reprinted with permission from Hawai'i IndyMedia
