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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 8:00 p.m., Friday, May 16, 2008

IOLANI PALACE
DLNR denies sovereignty group's bid for new permit

Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

This file photo shows members of the Hawaiian Kingdom Government at 'Iolani Palace. It has been denied permission to gather on the grounds of ‘Iolani Palace for the coming week as it has been doing since April 30.

Advertiser file photo

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The Hawaiian Kingdom Government has been denied permission to gather on the grounds of 'Iolani Palace as it has been doing since April 30.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, which oversees the palace grounds, cited several infractions in its explanation why the permit was being denied for the week of May 19.

In a letter hand-delivered today, Board of Land and Natural Resources chairwoman Laura H. Thielen said further permits won't be granted to the organization "until we obtain assurances that members of your organization will comply with permit conditions."

Thielen said three infractions of the permit occurred the week of May 5, including the setting up of a tent outside the permitted area, money-collecting by the organization, and attempts by group members to enter the palace itself.

Thielen also pointed out that on Wednesday, Hawaiian Kingdom Government head of state Mahealani Kahau and several other organization members entered the Kana'ina Building, the former archives building on the palace grounds that houses the Friends of 'Iolani Palace, the nonprofit that operates the palace as a museum. Kahau was escorted off the grounds later that day and told not to return for the rest of this week.

"Over the past two weeks, Mahealani Kahau and members of the organization have demonstrated that they will not comply with permit conditions," Thielen said. "Accordingly, we cannot process your application until we receive satisfactory assurances that all members of the organization will comply with permit conditions."

The Hawaiian Kingdom Government is one of several Hawaiian sovereignty groups that claim not to recognize the authority of either the Hawaii'i state government or the United States.

Up to 75 members of the organization have occupied the mauka lawn of the palace weekdays since April 30 through 5 p.m. "conducting business."

The first day, the group commandeered the gates to the palace grounds and shut off entry for eight hours to anyone who was not Hawaiian or media, effectively shutting down both palace operations and the Hawai'i State Archives building, which is also on the property.