Resisting U.S. Bases in Okinawa: Despite intense crackdowns, activists on the Japanese island of Okinawa continue to resist the construction of new U.S. military bases Environmental groups returned to court to continue their attempts to stop the construction on environmental grounds. Meanwhile, Okinawan activists have sustained a prolonged and creative campaign of direct action through sit-ins, flotillas, and marches. A recent slogan sums up their approach: “We will win if we never give up.” Rather than an alliance between the United States and Japan based on militarism, we call for an alliance that will foster genuine security among all our communities. This includes making apologies and appropriate reparations for atrocities committed during the Second World War. The United States has yet to apologize or provide compensation for the atomic bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki that caused instantaneous devastation of those cities. Meanwhile, the Japanese government has not made amends for the brutal terror that their troops committed during the Battle of Okinawa. Genuine security requires respecting the will of the Okinawan people and stopping construction at Henoko, as well as reducing the militarization of the Asia-Pacific region by—among other things—enacting a moratorium on all new bases... As Diet member Itokazu said, recalling the Battle of Okinawa and the people’s enormous suffering, “Life is a treasure. We are against war. We do not want to lose our precious lives by getting involved in war.” It’s time for the international community to join Okinawan citizens in mobilizing toward that end. By Ayano Ginoza, Michiko Hase, & Gwyn Kirk, members of Women for Genuine Security (WGS)/FPIF: fpif.org/resisting-u-s-bases-okinawa/
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 07:54:44 +0000
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