The Statement of May 15 2006 from Okinawa
Realignment of U.S. Forces in Japan, Japanese Remilitarization, and the U.S. Global Defense Posture Review will Never “Reduce Okinawa’s Burden”
The Realignment Initiatives released on May 1, 2006 by the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee denigrate and ridicule residents of Okinawa. Although both governments continue to portray these initiatives as a means of “reducing the burden on Okinawa,” in reality this statement represents nothing but an attempt to deceive the people of Okinawa. We, the undersigned, wholeheartedly protest the U.S. and Japanese Governments and declare the following four points.
1. The present Realignment Initiatives of U.S. forces in Japan will never reduce the burden on Okinawa.
2. The Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma should be closed immediately and unconditionally.
3. We strongly oppose the plan to construct a new facility in the areas of Henoko Bay and Oura Bay to replace MCAS Futenma. We are determined to stop this plan.
4. We deplore the joint use and bilateral training of U.S. forces and Japanese Self Defense forces in Okinawa.
In October 2005, the U.S. and Japanese Governments officially announced that the two governments reached an agreement on recommendations for realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, which supposedly affirm a commitment to “reducing the burden of Okinawa,” while maintaining an effort to restrain the overall number of U.S. forces in Japan. After this agreement of October 2005, the details of the realignment implementation of the U.S. forces in Okinawa were presented to the public as a set “coherent package” plan, including the following points: the construction of the Futenma Replacement Facility in the area of Henoko; the reduction and realignment of the bases located in the middle and southern part of the main Okinawa island; and the relocation of 8,000 Marine personnel to Guam.
On April 7, 2006, the Japanese Government and the Mayor of Nago City (the municipality where Henoko Bay is located) reached an agreement on the building of a new U.S. military base on the coast of Henoko. This agreement announced that the new facility would have two runways aligned in a "V"-shape and would include equipment that extends into the harbor.
We strongly condemn these two "agreements" and hereby declare complete disapproval of them. These plans do not reflect the will of the residents of Okinawa.
<1. The Realignment Initiatives of U.S. forces in Japan will never reduce the burden on Okinawa.
These two "agreements" were reached with complete and utter disregard for democratic due processes and the sovereignty of the people. The U.S. and Japanese governments totally ignored the recent poll in which more than 70 percent of residents in Okinawa Prefecture disapproved of the plan to build a new military facility in Henoko Bay, and the disapproval resolutions adopted by the Ginoza village council and local fishers' associations. A majority of Okinawan residents strongly oppose the realignment plan because it will never reduce the burden of Okinawa.
The Japanese Government has emphasized "the reduction of the burden on Okinawa" to justify the estimated cost of 6.09 billion dollars (approximately 700 billion yen) to relocate U.S. forces to Guam, which will be financed by Japanese taxpayers. In other words, the Japanese Government has conveniently manipulated the long-time hope of the residents of Okinawa in order to escape accountability to its people for such a huge financial expenditure during a time of national economic difficulty.
From the perspective of the residents of Okinawa, this package plan will never reduce the burden of the U.S. military presence in the prefecture. The relocation of Marine Corps personnel to Guam mainly consists of moving division headquarters and logistics personnel. The combatant unit personnel who have caused harm, committed acts of violence, and pose on an ongoing physical threat to Okinawan civilians will remain on the island. Also, the construction of the new facility in Henoko entails intensified militarization and fortification of the northern part of Okinawa island, thus increasing the risk of suffering and victimization caused by the presence of U.S. military facilities.
We thoroughly criticize the realignment initiatives announced by the U.S. and Japanese Governments. Rather than reducing the burden on Okinawa, these initiatives represent an attempt to intensify and to perpetuate Okinawa’s suffering. Again, we want to be clear that the catch phrase, "to reduce the burden on Okinawa" is nothing more than a means for the Japanese Government to deceive Okinawans and indeed all citizens and residents of Japan. Since it is our tax money that will be used to implement these realignment initiatives, we have the right and the duty to criticize and to protest these agreements, which involve unreasonably large expenses to finance the relocation of U.S. military forces.
2. The Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma should be closed immediately and unconditionally.
MCAS Futenma, which is located in the heart of the Ginowan City and represents a constant physical threat to local citizens, should be closed and removed immediately and unconditionally. The urgency of this situation was reaffirmed by the August 2004 helicopter crash, which occurred on the campus of Okinawa International University. We cannot allow the danger of MCAS Futenma to simply be relocated to Henoko, Oura, or any other part of Okinawa. We declare that MCAS Futenma must be closed and removed immediately and unconditionally for the safety of the local residents.
3. We strongly oppose the plan to construct a new facility in the areas of Henoko Bay and Oura Bays to replace MCAS Futenma. We are determined to stop this plan.
Following World War II and the Battle of Okinawa, the U.S. military occupied Okinawa for 27 years. Throughout this time and continuing to the present day, the expansion of U.S. military bases has largely occurred by force, through the appropriation of land by “bayonet and bulldozer.” However, the agreement to build a new base at Henoko might lead us to a different road. The residents of Okinawa definitely have a chance to refuse new U.S. military facilities on their island. If we accept the construction of new military bases, we undermine the lessons of Okinawa’s post-war history. Given the number of lives lost in the Battle of Okinawa and the experiences of the postwar era, we have learned the realities of war and must refuse to allow such events to be repeated anywhere in the world. We strongly oppose the plan to construct a new facility in Henoko, and we are determined to stop this plan.
4. We deplore the joint use and bilateral training of U.S. forces and Japanese Self Defense forces in Okinawa.
The realignment agreement of U.S. forces is based on a vision of strengthening functions of the U.S.-Japan military alliance. Reinforcement of the coalition of the U.S. forces and Japanese Self Defense forces is overtly stated as one of the central features in this agreement. The joint use and bilateral training of U.S. forces and Japanese Self Defense forces in Okinawa means further intensification of the suffering and the burden placed on the people of Okinawa.
During the Battle of Okinawa, many civilians wandered in the mountains to take refuge not only from U.S. enemy forces but also from Japanese forces who were supposed to protect the citizens of Japan. This unforgettable traumatic experience has yet to be healed and continues in living memory to this day. We strongly refuse the presence of armed forces, both American or Japanese, on Okinawan land.
The Realignment Initiatives represent a critical turning point for Okinawan residents, Japanese citizens, but also for citizens of the world. The realignment of U.S. forces in Japan and Japanese remilitarization are part of the larger U.S. Global Defence Posture Review, a plan to intensify and expand American military control around the globe. We, as citizens concerned about Okinawa and the future of peace in the world regardless of generations, national divisions, or places of living, refuse to support the construction of new military facilities in Okinawa and to allow Japan to become remilitarized. We thus address this statement to the citizens of the world.