Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 1, 1 January 1992 — Japan military maneuvers at Pohakuloa [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Japan military maneuvers at Pohakuloa

by Moanikeala Akaka Trustee Island of Hawai'i

As a trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, elected representatives of the iHawaiian people, I am outraged at word that Japan will be renting land for military training at Pohakuloa on Hawai'i . Island.

It is ironic that during the 50th anniversary of the bombing of my Island home by Japan, we are informed that Japan is now negotiating with the United States to train its military at Pohakuloa Amry Training Grounds. Is this part of President Bush's "new world order?" Pohakuloa is made up of Department of Home Lands (Hawaiian Reservation Lands) as well as ceded lands in whieh the Hawaiian people also have ownership. Ceded lands are lands that 1 and my fellow trustees have a fiduciary responsibility to protect, on behalf of the native

Hawaiian people. I strongly object to, and resent, Japan's or any other military establishment's bombing the middle of my home island! This announcement comes at a time when we have over 18,000 Hawaiian families, who have been waiting for decades to obtain DHHL lands to live on, farm, and ranch. Part of Pohakuloa is some of the richest farmlands of these Islands. Last week, CBS and NBC national television news showed an actual brawl in the Japanese Diet amongst Diet members when debate was cut off relating to "sending Japanese military troops out of Japan for the first time since World War II." There is also mueh eoneem in Japan about the remilitarization (re-arming) by Japanese citizens who have had a pacifist constitution imposed upon them since the second Wor!d War. According to Jane's Defense Weekly of Aug. 10, 1991, "70 pieces of military equipment including Type 74 main battle tanks plus 155mm Artillery pieces and AH-1S attack helicopters will be deployed to Pohakuloa in '92." Though the Japanese Defense Agency has not

disclosed the cost of renting the training area, it will cost $5 million to move the military equipment alone. Why don't they rent a base in the neighboring Philippines? The Japanese not only eome here to exploit and pollute our 'aina (land) and oeean physically, economically, spiritually and socially with their resorts (65 percent of the hotel rooms of these islands) with pesticide-ladened golf courses, expensive high-rise office buildings and luxury condos — now they have the audacity to rent our 'aina to do their "military war-games" as well. Wake up Hawai'i before it too late. Our sovereign Hawaiian Nation was illegally overthrown by the U.S. in 1893. President Grover Cleveland, in his personal papers at Princeton University, was "outraged at the injustices that had been done to the Hawaiian people and naiion." These injustices are compounded daily. We Native Hawaiians are now strangers in our own homeland. Almost 20,000 Hawaiian families on DHHL lists sit waiting for decades — many homeless today, while Amenea encourages Japan to conduct military maneuvers on Hawaiian lands — lands whieh should be ■ housing Hawaiians.

At a time when the Soviet Union is breaking apart, to the applause of the U.S., we Hawaiians and Hawaiians-at-heart should eonsider our own sovereignty. This trustee would mueh rather see an international Peaee Corps at Pohakuloa, an effort aimed at bringing good will, good health, and helping our global environment in a necessary New World Order! This is mueh in keeping with the Aloha Spirit whieh is constantly threatened and overwhelmed in Hawai'i today. The Japanese government should be forewarned that if these military maneuvers take plaee, there could be grave social, eeonomie and political consequences. We Hawaiians are people who dedicate ourselves to peaee, well-being and restitution of our suffering earth-mother. This Hawaiian trustee welcomes the international community the use of our islands as a positive training area for lifesustaining, earth-saving endeavors. With this I wish- you and your 'ohana a most Hauoli Makahiki Hou. Malama pono. Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina ika pono.