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Sunday, March 14, 2010

Challenging the appellation of Futenma "relocation," by Yasuhiro Miyagi,former Nago City councillor 宮城康博ブログ「なごなぐ雑記」より―「普天間移設」という呼称について

Challenging the appellation of Futenma "relocation," by Yasuhiro Miyagi, former Nago City councillor

Miyagi Yasuhiro runs one of the best and most read blogs, "Nagonagu Zakki,"which reveals the truths behind the base politics in Okinawa and represents the voices of Okinawans.

Here is his March 12 post about the term we are so familiar with and take for granted - "Futenma Relocation."
http://miyagi.no-blog.jp/nago/2010/03/post_4ab7.html

A rough translation of the part where he challenges that notion.
  • The term "Futenma Relocation" is seen everywhere in the media.

    13 years ago, it was called a "replacement facility," then a "heliport," then an "asset of Okinawans," and then an "airport for both military and civilian use." Then in 2005, the idea developed into a plan to build a massive comprehensive base for the air, naval, ground units of USMC with a military port function.

    Considering such history of ever-inflating plans, we know that calling this issue one about "Futenma relocation" is a political act. The government's plans even include one that suggests continued use of Futenma by SDF (Self Defense Force) to preserve the area for U.S. military use in case of emergency.

    How could we possibly call such plans are for "Futenma relocation"?

    Futenma Air Station, which is now managed by USMC, was a base that the US forces built for attacking the mainland of Japan during the war, by confiscating the land while they incarcerated Okinawans into concentration camps.

    Why on earth would we have to find a "relocation site" within Okinawa in order to remove the Futenma base to return the land to Okinawans, 65 years after the war?

Miyagi's blogs always leave me speechless with realization of how little I know about anything. I will try as much as possible to translate portions of his blogs that need to be heard and spread.

PeacePhilosopher

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