Malu 'Aina

Important Public Meetings

about the Military wanting to retain land

by State lease renewal, land swap, etc.

at the 133,000 acre

Pohakuloa Toxic Area

in the center of Hawaii Island that has been bombed and shelled for 75 years with a wide range of toxins including Depleted Uranium radiation.

6-8 PM Mon. May 6 Waimea District Park
6-8 PM Tue. May 7 ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center on UH Hilo Campus

Mark your Calendars!

See the draft #2 EIS

https://home.army.mil/hawaii/ptaeis/project-home

Please pass the word. Mahalo.

Pohakuloa

Radiation Dangers!

   Depleted Uranium (DU) radiation, is just one of many toxins used at the 133,000-acre military Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA), located in the center of Hawaii Island from over 75 years of bombing and shelling. After years of military denial that DU was used at PTA, information surfaced in 2007 that confirmed its use, not only at PTA but at Schofield Barracks on Oahu, likely Makua Valley, possibly Kaho’olawe, etc. Even before DU was confirmed to have been used at PTA, our organization detected elevated radiation readings with certified radiation monitors several times background levels, blowing in the winds off PTA. DU which has a half-life of 4.5 billion years, was first used at PTA as a spotting round for the Davy Crockett nuclear weapon system in the 1960s. Modern DU weapons are used as armor-piercing penetrating weapons.

     DU does not pose a danger when outside the body. But DU metal when burned creates tiny DU oxide particles that can be easily inhaled. Once inhaled, according to Dr. Lorrin Pang, MD, these particles can travel through the body’s lymph system and cause cancer in various organs. DU can also cause birth defects, and genetic damage that can be passed to future generations. Dr. Pang, a Hawaii resident, spent 24 years in the Army Medical Corps and was listed in the Who’s Who (top 3%) of America’s best doctors. Dr. Pang says especially vulnerable to DU inhalation are young children and pregnant women. See a short video by Dr. Pang on DU dangers here https://vimeo.com/19153948 Also watch an important 14-minute video about Pohakuloa – “Now that you know, do you care?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r10eRMjIRw Continued bombing and shelling at PTA can resuspend DU and other toxins that can be carried long distances in the wind.

      On Thursday, April 25, 2024, the military invited school children and the general public to “Experience Pohakuloa Day” on the base. Our organization sent letters, emails, and faxes to every school on the island advising against any student excursions to PTA out of health concerns. In a Public Service Announcement to the schools, we included the link to the video by Dr. Pang.

      The military has ignored a Hawaii County Council resolution (#639-08) that called for stopping all live fire at PTA and any activities that create dust until comprehensive, independent testing, monitoring and clean up of the DU present is done. So who, or what, is the military defending?

Protect Hawai’i Keiki!

Stop Bombing Pohakuloa!

1 . Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject violence & war as solutions. 3. Defend civil liberties.
       4. Oppose all discrimination: anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, anti-Black, anti-Asian, anti-Russian, anti-LGBTQ, etc. 5. Seek peace through peaceful means and work for justice in Hawai`i and around the world.

Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action

P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawai’i 96760

                             Phone (808) 966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org to receive our posts.

For more information see https://www.malu-aina.org

April 26, 2024, Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet – week 1178 – Fridays 3:30-5 PM downtown Post Office

Protect Hawai’i Keiki

On Thursday, April 25, 2024, school children and the general public are invited to the 133,000-acre heavily contaminated military Pohakuloa Toxic Area (PTA) in the center of Hawai’i Island from 9 AM – 1 PM for what’s billed as “Experience Pohakuloa Day.” Call your local school to voice safety concerns! Dr. Lorrin Pang, MD who spent 24 years in the Army Medical Corps warns of the health dangers of Depleted Uranium (DU), one of many toxins used at Pohakuloa. See https://vimeo.com/19153948

Also, watch the 14-minute video about Pohakuloa — “Now that you know, do you care?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r10eRMjIRw

STOP BOMBING

POHAKULOA!

Protest Experience Pohakuloa Day 8:30 AM PTA Main Gate Car pools leave Hilo –Saddle Rd. & Komohana at 7:30 AM

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No More War!

No More Weapons! 

Peace Now!

On April 1, 2024, Israel attacked Iran’s Embassy/Consulate in Damascus, Syria with missiles killing several people, including an Iranian top General. On April 14^th Iran fired missiles and drones at Israel. Fortunately, no one was killed. What’s next? A wider regional war? A Global Nuclear War? Our world needs a CEASEFIRE and negotiations for peace, not more war and weapons in the Middle East between Israel, Hamas, Iran, etc. Ukraine, Russia, NATO, and the US, between the US, China, Taiwan, etc. Remember what Mahatma Gandhi said: “An eye-for-an-eye will only make the whole world blind.” Or worse!

1 . Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject violence & war as solutions. 3. Defend civil liberties.
       4. Oppose all discrimination: anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, anti-Black, anti-Asian, anti-Russian, anti-LGBTQ, etc. 5. Seek peace through peaceful means and work for justice in Hawai`i and around the world.

Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action

P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawai’i 96760

                                          Phone (808) 966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org to receive our posts.

For more information see http://www.malu-aina.org

April 19, 2024, Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet – week 1177 – Fridays 3:30-5 PM downtown Post Office

Take Action for Peace!

1. Support Hawaii State House’s proposed Ceasefire in Gaza Resolution. Call and email State House Culture, Arts and International Affairs Committee (CAI) chair Representative Adrian Tam 808-586-8520, email reptam@capitol.hawaii.gov and CAI committee vice chair Rep. Rose Martinez 808-586-9730 email repmartinez@capitol.hawaii.gov Ask the representatives to schedule a hearing and pass SCR 13 Ceasefire Resolution unamended. The committee must pass the resolution unamended so be sure to mention that when you contact the members. Go to bit.ly/hiceasefire to automatically send an email to the relevant CAI committee members, and then take the next step and make patch-through calls to their offices. Simple phone script included! The Hawaii State Senate and Hawaii County Council already have passed similar resolutions. We need the Hawaii State House to act now.

2. Submit testimony on or before 9 AM Friday, April 12, 2024, by email, postal mail, phone, and/or Zoom opposing the renewal of the military lease of State lands at Pohakuloa on Hawaii Island and Army bases on Kahuku, Kawailoa-Poamoho, and Makua training lands on the island of Oahu. The issue is Item D. Land Division on the State Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR). Also, oppose any land swaps as an alternative to lease renewals. Call for stopping all live fire on the above lands, a total clean up of the military toxins, and return the land to the Hawaiian people. Concerning Pohakuloa – that land is zoned CONSERVATION – the highest protected land status. Bombing and shelling are NOT compatible use with conservation zone land. Note Hawaii County Council Resolution 639-08 passed on July 2, 2008, by a vote of 8-1 that called on the military to take 8 actions, none of which have been done. The first action was to stop all live fire at PTA and any other activities that create dust until an independent and comprehensive assessment and cleanup of the Depleted Uranium radiation contamination already present at PTA. Also note PTA is located in a dry, windy area prone to wildfires caused by military bombing and shelling. It is a Lahaina firestorm in the making for Hawaii Island. To provide testimony – email blnr.testmony@hawaii.gov. Send postal mail to BLNR P.O. Box 621 Honolulu, Hawaii 96809. In person on Friday, April 12 testimony 1151 Punchbowl St. Room 132 Kalanimoku Bldg. In Honolulu. By telephone dial 1-669-444-9171 Zoom input the meeting ID: 844 0060 6532 and follow the prompts. To provide Video/Zoom testimony –send a request in a timely manner to blnr.testimony@hawaii.gov Oral and video testimony limited to 3 minutes. It should be noted that both the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands issued harsh criticism of Pohakuloa activities in EIS testimony in 2022. See https://www.civilbeat.org/2022/08/hawaii-agencies-criticize-a-big-island-military-training-site-amid-push-for-lease-renewal/

3. Protect Hawai’i Keiki – Protest “Experience Pohakuloa Day” school kids’ field trips to Pohakuloa on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Protest 8:30 AM PTA Main Gate Car Pools leave Hilo –Saddle Rd & Komohana at 7:30 AM For those who don’t want to go to the PTA main gate protest, set up picket lines on Saddle Rd. Hilo side at Komohana, Kona side Upper Kona Rd. and Saddle Rd.

4. Cancel RIMPAC 2024 planned for late June to early Aug. More than 25 countries (including Israel) are coming to conduct war games and bombing (air,, land, and sea). If it’s not canceled protests will take place. Meanwhile, end all military aid to Israel, Ukraine, etc. Ceasefire now! Negotiate peace!  Peace is a Victory for All!

No More War! Stop the Bombing

Worldwide!

1 . Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject violence & war as solutions. 3. Defend civil liberties.
       4. Oppose all discrimination: anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, anti-Black, anti-Asian, anti-Russian, anti-LGBTQ, etc. 5. Seek peace through peaceful means and work for justice in Hawai`i and around the world.

Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action

P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawai’i 96760

                            Phone (808) 966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org to receive our posts.

For more information see http://www.malu-aina.org

April 12, 2024, Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet – week 1176 – Fridays 3:30-5 PM downtown Post Office