沖縄の事件をうけ、米国からの怒りの声明！U.S. Activists, Organizations and Academics Call for Justice for Okinawans, Removal of Military Bases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE　プレスリリース

Contact: Alli McCracken, CODEPINK National Director, 860-575-5692, alli@codepink.org

Sam Ritchie, CODEPINK Communications Director, 347-452-0008, sam@codepink.org

U.S. Activists, Organizations and Academics Call for Justice for Okinawans, Removal of Military Bases
米国の活動家、団体、学者たちが沖縄の人々に正義がもたらされることを訴え、基地撤去を要求する

WASHINGTON, May 26, 2016 - More than 80 U.S. activists, organizations and academics have released a letter calling on the U.S. government to seek justice both for the young Okinawan woman recently raped and murdered by a former U.S. Marine and for all Okinawan victims of crime perpetrated by Americans stationed at the military base there. They further call on the government to honor the wishes of the Okinawan people by closing the bases on Okinawa and withdrawing from the island.

LETTER:

We are horrified by the recent rape and murder of a young woman from Okinawa by a former U.S. Marine. Crimes against Okinawans by U.S. military personnel - including sexual crimes and the recent murder of a young woman  and damage caused to the environment by the presence of U.S. military bases have been occurring for over 70 years. The U.S. has had a presence in Okinawa since the end of WWII and currently 33 U.S. military facilities and about 28,000 U.S. military personnel remain on the island.

Many of us have been to Okinawa, and stand with the peace-loving people there in demanding the complete withdrawal of U.S. military bases from that beautiful island. Further, we urge the Obama administration to hold discussions with Okinawa Prefecture Governor Onaga to address these crimes and to shut down U.S. military bases.

BACKGROUND:

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who, with U.S. support, is shredding Article 9, the peace and anti-war provision of the Japanese Constitution, hopes to use Henoko Bay, on the northeastern shore of Okinawa, to build a massive U.S. Marines base and a military port. Henoko, home to vibrant coral reefs, is filled with bio-diversity and is the home habitat for the endangered dugong, a cousin to the manatees. The plan to close Futenma Air Base, which is located in densely populated area, in exchange for the U.S. base in Henoko, has been delayed until the year 2025. According to General Robert B. Neller, commandant of the Marine Corps, the delays were "partly due to demonstrators and a lack of support by the government of Okinawa."

Between 70-90% of Okinawans oppose the U.S. military bases on the island. For many years, Okinawans have non-violently protested to end the military colonization imposed on them. From entering live-fire military exercise zones to forming human chains around military bases, they have made clear that the continual growth of militarization by both the Japanese and U.S. governments is harmful, unjust, and must be stopped.

Activist Signatories (list in formation):

Christine Ahn, Women Cross DMZ

Jim Albertini, Jim Albertini Malu 'Aina Center For Non-violent Education &
Action

Michael Beer, Nonviolence International

Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK

Phyllis Bennis, Institute for Policy Studies

Diana Bohn, Nicaragua Center for Community Action

Jacqueline Cabasso, Western States Legal Foundation

Michael Carrigan, Community Alliance of Lane County

Noam Chomsky, American linguist, Peace Activist, Philosopher, Professor

Nicolas J S Davies, Author, Blood On Our Hands: the American Invasion and
Destruction of Iraq

Rev. John Dear, Campaign Nonviolence

Pete Shimazaki Doktor, HOA (Hawai`i Okinawa Alliance)

Dan Ellsberg, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

Jodie Evans, CODEPINK

Margaret Flowers, Popular Resistance

Carolyn Forché, Poet, author

Bruce K. Gagnon, Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space

Joseph Gerson, Co-Convener of International Peace and Planet Network for a
Nuclear-Free, Peaceful, Just and Sustainable World

Alan Haber, Megiddo Peace Project

Melvin Hardy, Peace Action

Barbara G. Harris, Granny Peace Brigade

Thomas Harrison, Campaign for Peace and Democracy

Mark W. Harrison, United Methodist General Board of Church and Society

Madelyn Hoffman, New Jersey Peace Action

Matthew Hoh, Center for International Policy

Martha Hubert, San Francisco CODEPINK

Eriko Ikehara, Women for Genuine Security

John Junkerman, documentary filmmaker

Kyle Kajihiro, Hawai?i Peace and Justice

Kathy Kelly, Voices for Creative Nonviolence

Peter King, Human Survival Project

Gwyn Kirk, Women for Genuine Security

David Krieger, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

Joanne Landy, Campaign for Peace and Democracy

Miho Kim Lee, Eclipse Rising

Rev. Dr. Unzu Lee, Women for Genuine Security

Rabbi Michael Lerner, Network of Spiritual Progressives

Julie Levine, Topanga Peace Alliance

Charles Douglas Lummis, Veterans For Peace Ryukyu/Okinawa

Jerry Mander, International Forum on Globalization

Kevin Martin, Peace Action

Alli McCracken, CODEPINK

Michael McPhearson, Veterans For Peace

David McReynolds, former Chair, War Resisters International

Rev. Bob Moore, Coalition for Peace Action & Peace Action Education Fund

LeRoy Moore, Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center

Grace Morizawa, National Japanese American Historical Society, San Francisco

Michael Nagler, The Metta Center for Nonviolence

Robert Naiman, Just Foreign Policy

Satoko Norimatsu, Peace Philosophy Center

Koohan Paik, International Forum on Globalization

Charlotte Phillips, Brooklyn For Peace

Terry Kay Rockefeller, September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows

David Rothauser, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

Coleen Rowley, FBI agent and former division legal counsel (retired)

Arnie Saiki, IMI PONO

Emily Siegel, Interfaith Peace-Builders

Alice Slater, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

John Steinbach, Hiroshima/Nagasaki Peace Committee

David Swanson, World Beyond War

Nancy Tate, LEPOCO Peace Center

Aaron Tovish, Mayors for Peace

Ann Wright, US Army Reserve Colnel and former US diplomat

Kevin Zeese, Popular Resistance

Academic Signatories (list in formation):

Prof. Herbert Bix, Professor, Binghamton University

Prof. Philip Brenner, Professor of International Relations and Director,
Graduate Program in US Foreign Policy and National Security, American
University

Prof. Alexis Dudden, Professor, University of Connecticut

Prof. Gordon Fellman, Profesor, Brandeis University

Prof. Norma Field, Professor, University of Chicago

Prof. Irene Gendzier, Prof Emeritus, Boston University

Prof. Laura Hein, Professor, Northwestern University

Prof. Annie Isabel Fukushima, Assistant Professor, University of Utah

Prof. Paul Joseph, Professor, Tufts University

Jeongmin Kim, Ph.D Candidate, New York University

Prof. Peter Kuznick, Professor, American University

Prof. John W Lamperti, Professor, Dartmouth

Prof. Elaine Tyler May, Professor, University of Minnesota

Prof. Steve Rabson, Professor, Brown University

Prof. Wesley Ueunten, Professor, San Francisco State University

Prof. David Vine, Associate Professor of Anthropology, American University
USA

Prof. Marilyn B. Young, Professor, NYU

Prof. Stephen Zunes, Professor, University of San Francisco

Interviews with signatories can be arranged by contacting Alice Kurima
Newberry at alice@codepink.org or (206) 280-3448.