Whatever
Happened...
Question: What ever happened to the case where Perfect Title co-founder Keanu Sai sued President Clinton in high court back in December 1997? Isle ‘illegal occupation’
lawsuit hit dead endby Pat Omandam.
pomandom@starbulletin.comAnswer: There were two failed attempts to resolve the so-called illegal occupation of Hawaii through the U.S. Supreme Court, explained Sai, who serves as self-proclaimed acting regent of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
On Nov. 17, 1997, Sai filed a writ of mandamus with the U.S. Supreme Court against President Clinton to compel him to execute the treaties entered between the United States and the Hawaiian Kingdom in the mid-1800s.
Sai said that petition was amended after jurisdictional issues were raised, but ultimately the Supreme Court denied it a hearing on March 23, 1998.
The second attempt to address the issue was made on August 6, 1998, when Sai filed a complaint in the U.S. high court against the United States for treaty violations. That complaint was denied a hearing on May 18, 1999, he said.
Sai said these futile efforts to address the illegal occupation prompted the Hawaiian Kingdom to concentrate its efforts at the international level. In December 2000, Sai appeared before the World Court's Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, Netherlands, to get the panel's ruling on whether it has the jurisdiction to settle a dispute between a Hawaiian nationalist and the acting Hawaiian Kingdom.
The international panel on Feb. 5 of this year ruled there is no dispute between the parties capable of submission to arbitration. And, in any event, the Tribunal can't consider the merits of the case because the U.S. is not a party to the proceedings and has not consented to them.
Ever wonder what happened to a person, event or issue
that has been in the news? We'll try to find out
for you if you call the City Desk
at 529-4747, email to citydesk@starbulletin.com or write us at
500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813.