{"id":4116,"date":"2017-08-03T15:34:31","date_gmt":"2017-08-03T15:34:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hawaiiankingdom.org\/blog\/?p=4116"},"modified":"2017-08-03T15:37:07","modified_gmt":"2017-08-03T15:37:07","slug":"big-island-video-news-bivn-teachers-union-to-document-illegal-occupation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiiankingdom.org\/blog\/big-island-video-news-bivn-teachers-union-to-document-illegal-occupation\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Island Video News (BIVN): Teacher&#8217;s Union to Document Illegal Occupation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bigislandvideonews.com\/2017\/07\/30\/video-now-is-time-for-hawaiian-kingdom-fact-finding-sai-says\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>HILO, Hawaii &#8211; The political scientist, acting as an agent for the government of the Hawaiian Kingdom in international proceedings, believes the time is right to go forward with an International Commission of Inquiry at the Hague.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ir_OWX031O0?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>(BIVN)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 \u201cThis is big,\u201d announced Dr. Keanu Sai in the gymnasium of the Boys &amp; Girls Club in Hilo on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Sai, one of several featured speakers in a two day educational seminar organized in celebration of the Hawaiian holiday of La Ho\u2018iho\u2018i \u2018Ea, was talking about the news that came from the National Education Association\u2019s Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly in Boston, Massachusetts on July 4th.<\/p>\n<p>A group with the Hawai\u2018i State Teachers Association \u2013 the NEA affiliate union representing the public school teachers of Hawaii \u2013 successfully convinced the teachers of America to approve New Business Item 37, which stated:<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HawaiiStateTeachersAssociation\/photos\/pcb.10155394592413340\/10155394591193340\/?type=3&amp;theater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cThe NEA will publish an article that documents the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy in 1893, the prolonged illegal occupation of the United States in the Hawaiian Kingdom and the harmful effects that this occupation has had on the Hawaiian people and resources of the land.\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>HSTA credited Chris Santomauro, a teacher at Kaneohe Elementary, with introducing the proposal and Uluhani Waialeale, a teacher at Kualapuu charter school on Moloka\u2019i, for presenting an \u201cimpassioned and articulate argument in favor of the Hawaiian overthrow measure\u201d which \u201cswayed a majority of teachers from across the country to support it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s big. This is not political, this is education,\u201d Sai said as he explained the HSTA proposal to those gathered for his talk in Hilo.<\/p>\n<p>According to Sai, the HSTA Secretary\/Treasurer is Amy Perruso, a teacher from Mililani High School. She was one of the first teachers to begin teaching about the illegal overthrow of the government of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the illegal American occupation that followed. Perruso even teaches from Sai\u2019s textbook,\u00a0<em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.puafoundation.org\/product\/ua-mau-ke-ea-sovereignty-endures-textbook\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Ua Mau Ke Ea\u2014Sovereignty Endures: An Overview of the Political and Legal History of the Hawaiian Islands<\/strong><\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI pretty much can guarantee you that the teachers that are teaching about Hawaii\u2019s occupation probably came through one of our classes at the University of Hawaii,\u201d Sai said, claiming he had nothing to do with the HSTA\u2019s plan to draw up the agenda item. \u201cThat\u2019s the impact right there,\u201d Sai said, \u201cwhere they are taking their kuleana and maximizing it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ever since Sai\u2019s first trip to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2001, where he represented the Hawaiian Kingdom government in the\u00a0<em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bigislandvideonews.com\/2017\/02\/22\/video-larsen-v-hawaiian-kingdom-case-explained\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Larsen v the Hawaiian Kingdom<\/strong><\/a><\/em>\u00a0case, Sai has made the education of Hawaii\u2019s people his top priority.<\/p>\n<p>Now, inspired by stories like the one of the HSTA in Boston, Sai feels affirmed that \u201cit\u2019s time to go fact-finding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the time is right. Let\u2019s enter into an agreement with Lance Larsen, go fact-finding,\u201d Sai said, adding that during the 2001 proceedings before the the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the tribunal \u201cdidn\u2019t say you can create the fact-finding within 20 years. It said all it needs is an agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sai said two of the arbitrators are now sitting judges on the International Court of Justice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, what we\u2019re going to do is convene the original arbitrators who made the statement to be that Commission of Inquiry,\u201d Sai said. \u201cBecause I found out that sitting judges on the International Court of Justice can also serve as arbitrators and commissioners at the permanent Court of Arbitration.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Commissions of inquiry under the auspices of the Permanent Court serve in a similar capacity as grand juries, Sai told the audience. Commissions of Inquiry not only review sets of facts, but also assign responsibilities regarding these facts. That could be civil liability or criminal liability in international law, Sai said.<\/p>\n<p>To date there have only been five International Commission\u2019s of Inquiry, Sai said. The first was Great Britain and Russia in 1905. The most recent was Great Britain and Denmark in 1962.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is not\u2026 a happy time, but this is a serious time,\u201d Sai said. \u201cNow, what\u2019s important here is, this agreement which will form three commissioners under the Hague Convention\u2026 they will answer the first question. First, what is the function and role of the government of the Hawaiian Kingdom in accordance with the basic norm and framework of international humanitarian law?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Humanitarian law is the law of occupation and laws of war, Sai said. \u201cBefore you can address what is the role of the Hawaiian government during occupation, you have to do that in the light of what happened since 1893. You have to address what the United States did or didn\u2019t do that got us into this situation of possible culpability of the Hawaiian government toward one of its Nationals. Is it our fault that everybody\u2019s brainwashed?<\/p>\n<p>Who\u2019s responsible for that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Before the commission can answer that question, they have to \u201caddress over a hundred years of non-compliance to humanitarian law,\u201d Sai said. \u201cThat\u2019s how it works. Then, in light of all this\u2026 what do we do? Are we liable?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sai says the commission will also ask, \u201cwhat are the duties and obligations of the government of the Hawaiian Kingdom toward Lance Larson and \u2013 by extension \u2013 toward all Hawaiian subjects residing in Hawaii, and abroad?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do we do about Lance Larson? Do we sign a reparation where we now have to pay him?\u201d Sai asked. \u201cDo we report the crimes to the International Criminal Court for prosecution? Where do we go?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet them tell us,\u201d Sai said. \u201cThey have the authority. We\u2019re in the procedures. So, I don\u2019t know what they\u2019re going to say. I don\u2019t. Just as I didn\u2019t know what they would say during the proceedings of arbitration. I just know I have to take every step to protect the Hawaiian government. Because we\u2019re in it. We\u2019re now being put to that test.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sai added that once the Commission has been convened, they are going to make an important recommendation. \u201cWe\u2019re gonna have the hearings in Hawaii,\u201d Sai said, to a round of applause.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean, this is not a political stunt. This is procedural,\u201d Sai said. \u201cBecause\u2026 back in the year 2000, we entertained whether or not the tribunal could have their hearings in Hawaii. That was under consideration. And, after complete review, we said \u2018no, there is confusion at home\u2019. Now, I think our people are ready. They have the knowledge, they have the understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sai again pointed to the recent HSTA victory in getting their \u201cillegal occupation\u201d proposal passed at the NEA meeting in Boston.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan you now understand,\u201d Sai asked the crowd, \u201cthe Commission of Inquiry will probably be looking into these very issues.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>HILO, Hawaii &#8211; The political scientist, acting as an agent for the government of the Hawaiian Kingdom in international proceedings, believes the time is right to go forward with an International Commission of Inquiry at the Hague. (BIVN)\u00a0\u2013 \u201cThis is &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiiankingdom.org\/blog\/big-island-video-news-bivn-teachers-union-to-document-illegal-occupation\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8,5,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","category-international-law","category-national","category-war-crimes"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p31YBQ-14o","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hawaiiankingdom.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hawaiiankingdom.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hawaiiankingdom.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiiankingdom.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiiankingdom.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4116"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiiankingdom.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4116\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4120,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiiankingdom.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4116\/revisions\/4120"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hawaiiankingdom.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiiankingdom.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiiankingdom.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}