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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, May 6, 2008

IOLANI PALACE
Group gets permit to gather at palace

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Hawaiian sovereignty organization that has occupied the mauka lawn of 'Iolani Palace during daylight hours on weekdays since last Wednesday now has a permit to do so through Friday.

The Hawaiian Kingdom Government was issued a public assembly permit yesterday morning after submitting the application last Friday afternoon.

Such permits are required for any group that holds an assembly of 25 or more people at a state park, state Land Board Chairwoman Laura H. Thielen said yesterday afternoon.

"We have given them conditions that they must meet while they are exercising their First Amendment rights there," Thielen said. "They've told us they will be meeting those conditions. And we are ready to enforce them."

The permit for a "public assembly" was signed by Mahealani Kahau, who identified herself as "Her Royal Majesty" for the organization. The permit lists the nature of the activity as "Aha for Nationhood." "Aha" is Hawaiian for a meeting, gathering or assembly.

Where it requires a signature for someone to sign agreeing to abide by state statutes there is handwritten "Hawaiian Kingdom Law, 1859 Civil Code, 1869 Penal Code."

The permit calls for a public address system and a 20-foot-by-40-foot tent "to be taken down daily."

Among special conditions is that members of the group not enter any of the buildings on the grounds, including the palace, although the group will be allowed limited access to public restrooms in the 'Iolani Barracks.

Members of the Hawaiian Kingdom Government, one of several Hawaiian organizations that claim to not recognize the authority of the United States or Hawai'i state governments, believe they have the right to conduct business from the 'Iolani Palace grounds as their "seat of government."

Since Wednesday, up to about 75 people from the organization have gathered on the lawn, but not entered the palace itself. It is not the first Hawaiian sovereignty group to gather on the palace lawn. But on Wednesday it was the first group to bar access to the general public, turning away non-Hawaiians except media until about 2 p.m.

It stopped the blockade at the request of law enforcement officials with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. On Thursday and Friday, it did not block access into the palace grounds but continued its occupation of the mauka side.

But on Friday, DLNR officials made it clear to the group's leaders that they would need to abide by the same park rules as everyone else. Thielen said that would include paying for metered parking.

Thielen said yesterday nothing bars the group from applying for the same permit to be on the premises next week.

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com.