Illegal

and unconstitutional State action is a far greater threat to the community

than rocks in the road.

The State proponents of the Thirty Meter Telescope are busy pumping out
propaganda to smear the Protectors of the Mountain and to hide the illegal nature of
the State agencies activity.

In the case of Mauna a Wkea, the State agencies promoting the TMT are trying to
equate a few people misbehaving, out of the hundreds who have come to the
Mountain as Protectors, and the righteous placement of rocks in the road, with the
desecration of a sacred site and regulations that severely restrict religious practice
in violation of the United States Constitution.

Taking those items one at a time, the log of the Mauna a Wkea Rangers identify a
few instances of bad behavior which they attribute to the Protectors, whether there
is evidence of that connection or not.

The feces smeared on the mens bathroom wall and removal of insulation
underneath the Visitor Center building are acts committed by unknown persons.
Given the strong commitment of the Protectors to kapu aloha, such acts would never
have been sanctioned by the Protectors holding the vigil.

The appearance of an invasive ant species in the area where the Protectors have
been holding their vigil does not prove a Protector brought in the ants. There is
food where the Protectors are staying. Ants already on the Mountain or brought in
by someone other than a Protector could well have been attracted to the area by
that food. The appearance of the ants would in that case have nothing to do with a
Protector.

Gestures of throat slashing by one person and a threat to kill by another person are
not the responsibility of the Protectors. At the time those events took place, the
Visitor Center area was open to everyone, whether they embraced kapu aloha or
not.

The Rangers acknowledge that most Protectors have been helpful, polite, and
assisted in keeping the peace. The University spokesman said that the incidents
recorded reflect a very, very small number of people up there.

Nevertheless, these few instances are being blown out of proportion to discredit the
Protectors.

Then, of course, there are the rocks. The only mistake the Protectors made related
to the rocks was apologizing for their placement in the road. Those who placed the
rocks had no malicious intent. They understood that there was tension building up
between the aggressive enforcement officers within DLNR and the Protectors
blockading the road. Substituting rocks as the blockade removed the Protectors

from directly confronting the DLNR and, therefore deescalated the situation before
someone got hurt.

In the emails reported by the Hawaii Tribune Herald on Friday, July 10, 2015, it is
worth noting that DLNR was developing a plan in May, long before the rocks
appeared, to restrict public access to Mauna a Wkea as a means of frustrating the
Protectors. Now they are using the rocks as an excuse.

The isolated acts of bad behavior, many of which are attributed to the Protectors
without proof, are manini compared to the acts of the State.

The Office of Mauna Kea Management put out rules for religious practice that
required any practitioner wishing to ascend the Mountain, to pule (pray) or
otherwise engage in spiritual practice, to be present at 1:00 p.m. as the only time
available. No more than ten people could go up and their practice was limited to
one hour. A Ranger had to accompany the group.

These obviously unconstitutional limitations on religious practice contrasted with
the water trucks, nitrogen trucks, astronomers, and others who could go up and
down the Mountain without restrictions. That different treatment of those not
engaged in religious practice means that the limitations imposed amount to
religious discrimination and violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United
States Constitution guaranteeing equal protection of the law.

The restrictions enforced by the Rangers are part of a plan orchestrated by the
Governor and the Attorney General to drive the Protectors off of the Mountain and
suppress their exercise of First Amendment rights to assemble and petition for
redress of grievances.

In the emails reported by the Hawaii Tribune Herald, you see State officials trying to
figure out how they can stop the movement to protect the Mountain while
disguising their efforts as general regulatory actions. They clearly want to target the
Protectors while hiding that intent. The Attorney General is part of this effort to use
regulatory powers in a manner designed to evade constitutional requirements.

Outlaw State agencies actively suppressing religion and political dissent are far
more dangerous to the community than any bad behavior on the part of isolated
individuals. To try to misdirect public attention away from the lawless behavior of
State agencies by making a big deal out of not much is an effort to minimize the
seriousness of the State violations taking place.

Lanny Sinkin is Alii Manao Nui (Chief Advocate and Spiritual Advisor) to Alii Nui
MI (High Chief/King) Edmund Kelii Silva, Jr. www.KingdomofHawaii.info. Mr.
Sinkin has also brought suit on behalf of the Kahuna of the Temple of Lono against
the Governor, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, and the Office of

Mauna Kea Management challenging the State restrictions placed on religious

practice by those who hold Mauna a Wkea sacred.