His Majesty Edmund K. Silva, Jr.

Nou Ke Akua Ke Aupuni O Hawaii

June 30, 2015

Mr. Thierry Montmerle
General Secretary
International Astronomical Union
Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris
Paris, France
Email: montmerl@iap.fr
Subject: The Absence of Righteousness
Aloha mai e Mr. Montmerle,
Greetings from the Kingdom of Hawaii; I wish this letter could be written under more pleasant
circumstances that would be good for the spirit. Unfortunately, the situation today warrants
blunt communications between your Union and my Nation. I pray that someday we can come
together on my fishing boat and share good thoughts about culture and traditions that are
meaningful to the soul.
Imagine, if you will, that a group of tourist organizations determined that the land where the
Eifel Tower is currently located would be the ideal place for a visitors center. They proposed
that the Eifel Tower be torn down and the visitors center be built in its place.
Or perhaps the tourist organization decided upon the Arc de Triomphe as the best location and
proposed tearing down this monument and replacing it with a tourist center.
Or even better, what if the tourist organization decided that the Cathedral of Notre Dame was
the best place and proposed destroying the Cathedral to make way for their center.
Finally: LOURDES, FRANCE - In 1858, a fourteen-year-old peasant girl named Bernadette
Soubirous had a series of eighteen visions of the Virgin Mary who appeared in a niche in the
grotto of Massabielle near Lourdes, a village on the Gave de Pau River in the foothills of the
Pyrenees in southern France. The first apparition occurred on 11 February 1858.

Ka Puuhonua O Na Wahi Pana O Hawaii Nei

kingdomofhawaii.info
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bilateral_treaties_signed_by_the_Kingdom_of_Hawaii
The United Nations Charter provides the rest of the authority to do it. (An autonomous independent sovereign nation-state contemplated
under Article 1 of the 1933 Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States requiring the state as a person of international law
possessing the four qualifications of (a) a permanent population, (b) a defined territory, c) government;
and (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states.)

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This is most significant because the vision was at the Pyrenees Mountain, a site that is revered
and sacred to the French people and the Catholic Church. Many people from around the world
make an annual pilgrimage to this holy site.
What if the tourist organizations selected Lourdes for their new tourist center that would,
unfortunately, destroy the grotto?
Would you expect the people of France to look with favor on any of those proposals? Or would
the response be outrage at even the suggestion that any one of these sites be selected?
Now journey with me to my beloved Kingdom of Hawaii. You may be aware that the
proponents of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) are proposing that their huge telescope for
astronomical tourism be built by bulldozing lands on the most sacred peak in Hawaii -- Mauna
a Wkea.
I can assure you that the people of Hawaii are well aware of this intent to desecrate a holy site.
Thousands have come to the Mountain to express their love for Mauna a Wkea and their
determination to stop the TMT.
On June 24, 2015, approximately 750 people came to the Mountain to block the road to the
summit and prevent the TMT construction crew from reaching the TMT site. A large police
presence did nothing to reduce the commitment of the Protectors of Mauna a Wkea. Their
determination forced the convoy to turn around and abandon their effort to reach the site.
Now the Governor is embarrassed that he was unable to keep his commitment to the TMT that
they could proceed with construction. He is planning to escalate the force brought to bear on
the Protectors.
That escalation will only empower the Protectors and bring thousands more to join them. Any
injuries will be placed at TMTs door. The discredit that has already been earned by the
arrogance and insensitivity of the TMT promoters will continue to spill over onto the
astronomical community in general.
You may find it worthwhile to consider the situation awaiting your convention in August. How
will your participants handle a picket line to be crossed? How will the facilitators handle people
speaking who are not on the program? How will you respond to requests to set up educational
presentations in places where the attendees can be reached?

Ka Puuhonua O Na Wahi Pana O Hawaii Nei

Nou Ke Akua Ke Aupuni O Hawaii
kingdomofhawaii.info
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bilateral_treaties_signed_by_the_Kingdom_of_Hawaii
The United Nations Charter provides the rest of the authority to do it. An autonomous independent sovereign nation-state contemplated under
Article 1 of the 1933 Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States requiring the state as a person of international law possessing the
four qualifications of (a) a permanent population, (b) a defined territory, c) government; and (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other
states.

Page 3

Will you provide a session examining the issues raised by the TMT, e.g. respect for sacred sites
and the right of a government overthrown to be restored?
Consider for a moment how the people of France would have felt if the Vichy Government had
remained in place after World War II. That is what happened to the Kingdom of Hawaii. Our
government was overthrown when the United States landed Marines to intimidate the Queen.
The illegitimate governments established by traitors have a record of suppressing the traditional
faith of the Hawaiian people and exploiting the resources of the Kingdom. After more than 120
years, we are still waiting for the occupation to end.
More than forty people have been arrested so far. In pursuing their defense, we have filed
lengthy pleadings in various courts. If you wish to educate yourself about the issues, I
encourage you to read the pleadings posted at the Mauna a Wakea tab on our website at
www.KingdomofHawaii.info.
I am also accompanying this letter with copies of other letters I have sent on this matter. If you
have any questions or other responses, I am certainly open to receiving them.
In closing: I am asking that this project be stopped and moved to another site accepting of the
project. I dont understand why this would be so difficult? Moving the project brings peace and
tranquility to my people. I call upon your integrity and honor to bring your influence to bear on
the TMT proponents to end this confrontation before something tragic transpires.
E waikhi ka pono I mnalo
It is well to be united in thought that all may have peace.
Ua Mau ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono,

Edmund K. Silva, Jr.

Alii Nui Mi
cc:

Na Kupuna Council O Hawaii Nei ame Moku

Alii Manao Nui Lanny Sinkin
Minister of Foreign Affairs

Ka Puuhonua O Na Wahi Pana O Hawaii Nei

Nou Ke Akua Ke Aupuni O Hawaii
kingdomofhawaii.info
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bilateral_treaties_signed_by_the_Kingdom_of_Hawaii
The United Nations Charter provides the rest of the authority to do it. An autonomous independent sovereign nation-state contemplated under
Article 1 of the 1933 Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States requiring the state as a person of international law possessing the
four qualifications of (a) a permanent population, (b) a defined territory, c) government; and (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other
states.