Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 3, 1 March 1996 — Plebiscite... fate of Hawaiians Hangs in the Balance [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Plebiscite... fate of Hawaiians Hangs in the Balance

land and no change for Hawaiians. Participation amounts to agreeing to the suicide of a self-determined Hawaiian nation. Allowing the Hawaiian Sovereignty Elections Council (HSEC) to control the process is suicide. HSEC does not represent selfdetermination for the Hawaiian people. HSEC represents a Statecontrolled process for achieving a State-controlled outcome — an outeome that protects State interests, not the interests of the Hawaiian people. Jose Luis Morin, a Puerto Rican international human rights lawyer and former staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York City, asserts:

whieh illegally suhjugated them. That there are Kanaka Maoli members on the HSEC does not make the process any more valid. The HSEC was created by the state government; the one question on the ballot was decided by the state legislature; HSEC information, brochures and materials are all paid by the state; and HSEC board members receive perdiem stipends paid by the state. HSEC is not independent of the state government. HSEC is a creation of the state government and must fulfdl the state i mandate according to law. HSEC is accountable to the state legislature, notthe Hawaiian people. " Regardless of how we vote—

They Call lt Plebiscite, We Call lt Suicide

Regardless of the outcome of the vote, the State Plebiscite is a loselose situation for the Hawaiian people. If Hawaiians vote YES: Hawaiians will be playing into the hands of the State, in effect endorsing ihe State's Plan for a Constitutional Convention — a process that was imposed on the Hawaiian people by the State Legislature in 1993. Furthermore, in this socalled "plebiscite," Hawaiians will be voting for a paper nation — there is no land provided for by the plebiscite. IfHawaiiansvoteNO: The State will say that Hawaiians are

satisfied with the status quo and do not want sovereignty. The State will elaim that Hawaiians accept their wardship status, and that it should therefore maintain control over Hawaiian lands. Onee this plebiscite has been held, Hawaiians cannot negotiate for sovereignty. Negotiations for Hawaiians as equals in the sovereignty process will have been terminated by this State Plebiscite vote. Participation in the plebiscite process means you are agreeing to the parameters of House Bill 3630 where sovereignty is defined as no

"YES amounts to an endorsment of a staterun sovereignty model whieh places the state's interests above those of the Hawaiian people . . .NO amounts to a complete refusal of your rights to self determination."

"HSEC brochures state that 'when Hawaiians form their nation, they must negotiate with ihe state and federal governments to press their claims. The laws and constitution will then be amended, or changed, to reflect the results ofthese negotiations. ' But under intemational law, a people 's decision about their sovereignty must be respected by the government

we lose. Don't vote. Don't participate. Don't allow the State to subvert our right to reclaim our sovereignty. Take a stand for yourself and the future of the Hawaiian people. Contact your State Representatives and Senators and urge them to support Senate Bills 3023 and 3101 whieh will repeal the laws whieh created HSEC and the plebiscite.