A Hawaiian mediation process known as hooponopono is being offered to the first group of protesters arrested on Mauna Kea as an alternative to prosecution.
Mitch Roth, Hawaii County prosecutor, said up to 18 of the 31 Thirty Meter Telescope protesters arrested April 2 have agreed to follow the process. However, mediation isn’t being offered to the dozen people arrested on the mountain June 24 while blocking construction vehicles.
How that process will work, though, is still being assessed. Roth said he would like to get representatives of TMT, the state and the Hawaiian community to take part.
“At this point, I can’t tell you what kind of consensus or resolution these folks will reach,” he said.
The hooponopono solution was requested in court by one of the people arrested, Roth said.
Those arrested April 2 face charges of either obstruction or trespassing.
Roth said he agreed to mediation because he believes there is common ground on the issue.
“People need to be talking rather than shouting at each other,” he said.
Most of the 12 people arrested last week for obstruction will appear in Waimea District Court on July 16.
Asked why mediation won’t be offered to them, Roth said: “It was something to get people talking. The first group, we felt, that would be a good group to do it.
“Now that it’s continuing, we don’t want to open that up (to everyone). That doesn’t really help.”
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.