Sit-in at the University of Hawaii against the Navy
Save UH/Stop UARC Coalition, 29 April 2005

Aloha Aina Kakou,

The occupation of Bachman Hall to stop the UARC military research center is going well! We have been here at the beautiful Manoa campus for 27 hours now, with strong voices and a clear resolve to oppose increased militarization of our homeland.

We are requesting solidarity messages from organizations throughout Hawaii and the world. The UH administration, in conjunction with powerful politicians, and the US Navy, is promoting increased militarization of our university and our home. By now, hundreds of petitioners have stood up against UARC, and legislators have passed resolutions, and students and faculty have spoken out countless times. It's crucial, at this juncture, for the UH adminstration to know that there is substantial broad public opposition to UARC and the proposed military research center.

We ask that you please send messages of solidarity and support to us. You can send them to info@dmzhawaii.org, and we will share your message with the administration and the press. We are enclosing our current public statement so that you can see our talking points. Moreover, our website (www.stopuarc.info) is available with talking points. Your assistance will be very important in defeating this classified military research institute, which will be used to promote militarism and repression worldwide. We appreciate your help.

Mahalo & Aloha Aina, Ikaika Hussey DMZ Hawaii/Aloha Aina
Save UH/Stop UARC! www.stopuarc.info 808-221-2843

Statement of Save UH/Stop UARC Coalition
University of Hawaii at Manoa Oahu, Hawaii, 28 April 2005

Aloha aina kakou:

We, the students, faculty, and community are the ohana of the University of Hawaii. The health and security of our public institution of higher learning, and the community it serves, is our chief concern.

We are assembled here with a simple demand: that the highest authority of our University of Hawaii, Interim President David McClain, formally end the University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) project, which threatens the soul of our university and endangers the health and welfare of our community with secret military weapons research.

Frustrated by the UH Manoa Chancellors lack of transparency and honesty about the UARC, and concerned that the Administration is already determined to establish the UARC over the serious concerns and overwhelming opposition from all sectors of the campus and community, we are compelled to resort to nonviolent civil resistance to save our university. We remain steadfast in our opposition to the UARC project for the following reasons:

1. UARC would be involved in military weapons related research that is incompatible with the strategic plan, core values and educational mission of UH.

2. UARC compounds the historical injustices committed by US forces against Native Hawaiians and fuels military expansion and its negative impacts on the land and people of Hawaii. The Kualii Council, the body representing the interests of Native Hawaiians on the UH Manoa campus, testified before the Board of Regents: “Since the American military has done more to damage our ancestral lands than any other entity, we cannot support the establishment of a UARC at the University of Hawaii.”

3. Military secrecy subverts academic freedom and public accountability. Research programs need not be classified to be deemed “privileged”, and thus secret. The tragic history of secret military research programs does not permit us to trust that the UARC will be safe or beneficial, as proponents argue.

4. UARC is bad business for UH; it diverts resources from other research opportunities, imposes restrictions on the types of research pursuable, and places constraints on publishing. UARC may be in violation of Federal Acquisition Regulations that require full and open competition for major federal contracts.

5. UARC is implicated in and tainted by the Navy criminal investigation of alleged mismanagement of classified research contracts.  The military pork barrel, coupled with secrecy and possibly dangerous technologies makes UH more susceptible to ethical lapses.

6. Recent audit reports indicate that the UH Administration is currently unable to adequately handle existing research contracts.

7. UARC would be a major shift in direction for UH and the beginning of UH's demise ’Äì a mark on UH's reputation forever.

8. UARC is substantially different from existing faculty driven research. UARC would be like a marriage between UH and the Navy to provide the Navy with research on demand: “problem solving” vs. true research that expands human knowledge.

9. The process has been flawed, with the UH Administration pursuing secretive discussions for more than two years and failing to inform or involve the public until after significant decisions had been made and provisional board approval had been given.

For these reasons, and for others which may exist in the consciences of the people, we resolve to remain in Bachman Hall until such time as Interim President David McClain declares an end to the UARC proposal. Such a declaration is essential to the survival and prosperity of our communitys institution of higher learning. Until Mr. McClain makes that declaration, we will occupy and demilitarize Bachman Hall. We call out to all members of the UH community, the people of Hawaii and people of the world to join us in demanding that UH President McClain stop the UARC now. Make education the priority, not war.

 Aloha Aina,

Save UH/Stop UARC Coalition www.stopuarc.info