Press Conference: Stop the OHA Settlement Bill
Monday 3/17, 1:30 pm at the Queen Liliuokalani statue
(prior to a 2:45 pm hearing on the OHA settlement bill)
Speakers:
Mililani Trask, Former OHA Trustee
Moanikeala Akaka, Former OHA Trustee
Clarence Ku Ching, Former OHA Trustee
Written Messages from:
Walter Ritte, Former OHA Trustee
Jon Osorio, UH Manoa Center for Hawaiian Studies
The OHA settlement agreement has received a very critical response from the Hawaiian community. Since its unveiling on January 17, the 115th anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian government, the Hawaiian community has soundly rejected the measure, both as an affront to democratic processes, and as a negotiated agreement which undercuts native interests.
We are calling for all versions of the OHA settlement bill to be killed, to prevent this dangerous agreement from moving forward.
Speakers at this press conference will elaborate on the following points:
• Lack of democratic process on the settlement agreement
• Arbitrary, low dollar amounts
• Multiple beneficiary requests for OHA valuation reports, with no response
• Evidence of toxic land at Kalaeloa
• OHA manipulation of public labor unions to support bill
• Broad "waiver of claims" forecloses native and national rights
• No audit or inventory of "ceded lands"
• OHA privatizing assets, preventing public or beneficiary oversight
• Need for operational and financial audits of OHA
• High dollar amounts spent on Akaka bill and Kau Inoa, contradicting self-determination rights of future generations
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