Trisha Kehaulani Watson: No Reason For A Mauna Kea Showdown
The Thursday deadline set by law enforcement for protesters to leave the mountain or get arrested is unnecessary — and counterproductive.
Islands are small towns. Not much happens without people finding out about it. It鈥檚 just the nature of things.
Word of a big announcement on the TMT was in the air for the last couple of weeks, and rumor had it that the governor would be making an announcement by Christmas. The rumors were coupled with hope, for if there wasn鈥檛 going to be a permanent solution, then at least there would be some development that allowed everyone to stand down and enjoy the holidays with their families.
Last week, Gov. David Ige announced a withdrawal of the law enforcement presence on Mauna Kea. Since mid-July, law enforcement, both state and county, have stationed officers around the clock near the area where kia鈥榠, or guardians, have built their encampment.
These law enforcement efforts have cost the state $15 million.
That鈥檚 $15 million that should have gone to real needs, like air conditioning in public schools or services for the homeless.
Ige鈥檚 announcement should have come as a relief for all. While not a signal on the end of the project, this could have been a welcome respite from the conflict, which has steadily hummed in the background throughout the second half of 2019.
Yet, Ige鈥檚 press conference had barely ended when word started to come out from the kia鈥榠 camp that law enforcement on the ground there were giving kia鈥榠 an ultimatum: leave by Thursday or get arrested.
So instead of making plans to be home for the holidays, kia鈥榠 and their supporters are planning to mobilize for this standoff.
The ultimatum is a bizarre addition to a situation already overflowing with mistakes and missteps. Particularly bothersome is the disconnect in communication between the governor and law enforcement on the ground.
If the governor knew during his press conference that the kia鈥檌 would shortly thereafter be issued an ultimatum, then he should have disclosed that at the press conference where the media had full opportunity to follow up with questions.
If he didn鈥檛 know the ultimatum was coming, then where did it come from? Is it actually a reflection of the governor or Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim鈥檚 positions, which at least made some overtures toward working with kia鈥榠 during the stand down?
It鈥檚 winter. Those construction trucks aren鈥檛 going anywhere. It would be extremely difficult and dangerous for large construction vehicles to safely navigate up Mauna Kea. Near the summit snow, high winds and ice often make the roads treacherous if not completely impassable.
There was no reason for the governor not to declare a full moratorium on construction and a full withdrawal of law enforcement. And that鈥檚 where he should have stopped. Full stop.
Had he simply stopped there, chances are kia鈥榠 would have reduced their presence as well. Or he could have perhaps asked the kia鈥榠 to consider reducing their presence.
As it is, the governor is clearly in no position to be making demands, and he鈥檚 in even less of a position to be making threats. What is confusing is that there appear to be multiple messengers, giving the impression that either Ige isn鈥檛 being fully truthful in his announcement or his administration and law enforcement are not on the same page.
Either way, what should have been a de-escalation of the situation is now a showdown.
No one wins. If law enforcement follows through and arrests kupuna again, it will catapult the conflict back into the national spotlight, attention that waned in the last couple of months. The only difference now being that law enforcement will be making arrests during the holidays for reasons that remain elusive.
TMT announced it’s not proceeding with construction right now, so the state has decided to make, as we say, 鈥渂ig body.鈥 Why now? The threat feels arbitrary and egotistical.
If state officials stand down, which is what they should do, it鈥檚 a bit of egg on their faces. But so what? This whole thing is already an international embarrassment for the state.
In my opinion, this is what the state should do:
- Publicly announce there will be no arrests on Thursday
- Continue with the withdrawal of law enforcement from the area
- Nicely, respectfully, kindly ask the kia鈥榠 to consider a reduction in their presence in the area, but leave the decision up to them
- Reopen Mauna Kea Access Road
- If the kia鈥榠 decide they also want to reduce their presence, see if they鈥檙e willing to negotiate and come to an agreement as to what that looks like. For example, offer them use of the restroom facilities at the visitor center. Help them to access the summit for cultural activities.
I don鈥檛 see any obvious reason that kia鈥榠 should not be allowed to maintain a presence that allows for continued monitoring of the situation on Mauna Kea, but also allows the state to withdraw its forces.
