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Monday, January 08, 2024

"U.S. and Japan, Stop Military Colonization of Okinawa!" a petition signed by Filmmaker Oliver Stone, Nobel Laureate Mairead Maguire, and hundreds more, demanding cancellation of a US Marine Corps military base construction in Okinawa

Sign the petition HERE! https://forms.gle/hnDxd8NXfKXqiHDb8

August 14, 2013 at Henoko, Okinawa. Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick were invited to
Okinawa by Ryukyu Shimpo, to learn about the U.S. military impacts on the island. (Photo: Sunao)

Update on January 11: We members of the Okinawa Interest Group, an email-based group of about two dozens of scholars, journalists, writers and activists in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan and Okinawa drafted and released an international petition campaign on January 6, 2024 calling for cancellation of the new US Marine Corps base in Okinawa. See below press release and statement for details. Our action was covered by AP in English. The Kyodo News coverage reached every corner of Japan by being printed and posted on local, regional, and national newspapers. Two Okinawan newspapers, the Okinawa Times and Ryukyu Shimpo had an article on the front page, January 7. On January 10, we submitted the petition with more than 1,000 signatures to President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida. 


Update on January 12: Our action was covered by Okinawa TV.


Update on January 23: The Asahi Shimbun, Japan's national paper covered the petition.  Oliver Stone joins global petition against U.S. base plan


PRESS RELEASE 


International Scholars, Journalists, Peace Advocates and Artists, in response to the recent “execution by proxy” by the Japanese government, demand that President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida stop the construction of the new Marine base in Okinawa


For Immediate Release


January 6,  2024                                              


More than 400 people around the world, including distinguished scholars, journalists, peace advocates and artists, have signed a statement opposing construction of yet another U.S. military base in Okinawa. This small island prefecture already bears 70% of the total U.S.-exclusive military presence in all of Japan with 31 installations and over 25,000 troops on 0.6% of the nation's land area and about 1% of its population. 


In the statement “U.S. and Japan, Stop Military Colonization of Okinawa,” the signatories condemn the U.S. and Japanese governments forcing construction of the new base “in the face of opposition by the majority of Okinawans,” and advocate “Okinawa’s right to self-determination, democracy, and autonomy.” 


Signatories include Nobel Laureate Mairead Maguire, Academy Award winning filmmaker Oliver Stone, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Chris Hedges, historian Peter Kuznick, Canadian author Joy Kogawa, Founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility Helen Caldicott, Director of Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability Mazin Qumsiyeh, Co-president of International Peace Bureau Corazon Fabros, and Co-Chair of Focus on the Global South Walden Bello. See a partial list of signatories below, after the statement. The complete list of signatories as of January 5 (15:37 PST) is here.  It will be updated as more names are added. 


Speaking for the signatories, Steve Rabson, Professor Emeritus of Brown University who was stationed in Henoko as a U.S. Army draftee in the 1960s said, “The U.S. military in Okinawa does not ‘protect’ and ‘defend,’ but trains and supplies America's catastrophic interventions. When I was there it was the main support base for the war on Vietnam. More recently U.S. forces trained there for the interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan.”


Dr. Katherine Muzik, a marine biologist conducting coral research throughout the tropical Atlantic and Pacific, dived in the Ryukyu Islands during the years 1981-1988 and 2007-2015.  She reports that “the astonishing diversity of marine life in Oura Bay, rare and unique worldwide, would certainly be suffocated and destroyed by continuing this appalling military project.”


Satoko Oka Norimatsu, co-author with Gavan McCormack of Resistant Islands: Okinawa Confronts Japan and the United States (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018) said that the intention of this petition was “for the U.S. and Japanese governments to know that the resistance against militarism in Okinawa has support from peace and anti-colonial movements around the world, and for the citizens of both countries to pressure their governments to cancel the base construction.” 


The petition site URL is: https://forms.gle/hnDxd8NXfKXqiHDb8


See the list of organizers who can be contacted for interviews HERE


International Statement:

U.S. and Japan, Stop Military Colonization of Okinawa 


January 2024

President Joe Biden and the citizens of the United States

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and the citizens of Japan 

One decade ago, 103 international scholars, journalists, artists and peace advocates, including linguist Noam Chomsky and former U.S. Army colonel and diplomat Ann Wright, issued a statement opposing the construction of yet another U.S. Marine Corps base on the Cape of Henoko in the northern part of Okinawa Island. Yet even now, the U.S. and Japanese governments persist with this costly landfill project in the face of opposition by the majority of Okinawans, recklessly damaging the irreplaceable ecosystem. Unfortunately, the Henoko side of the construction, which accounts for about one fourth of the total area to be reclaimed, is almost complete. Now they are about to launch reclamation on the north, the deep and preciously diverse Oura Bay. 

Plans to build the base at Henoko have been on the drawing board since the 1960s. They were revitalized in a 1996 Japan-U.S. agreement (SACO) as a “replacement facility” for the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma situated dangerously in the middle of congested Ginowan City. More than a quarter of a century later, the two governments have not yet returned the land occupied by the Futenma base to the people to whom it belongs, and there have even been reports that the U.S. aims to maintain both bases after the new base is built. 

We, the signatories of this petition, who advocate for Okinawa’s right to self-determination, democracy, and autonomy, hereby renew our support for the Okinawan people who reject further militarization of Okinawa, a de facto military colony of the United States and Japan ever since the end of World War II. 

Okinawa, previously the independent Ryukyu Kingdom, was forcibly annexed by the Empire of Japan in 1879 after three centuries of domination by feudal Japan. The people of the Ryukyu chain of islands were forcefully assimilated into Japan, deprived of their languages, their names, their traditions, and their dignity as sovereign and autonomous peoples, much like many indigenous peoples around the world who were colonized by Western imperial powers. 

Toward the end of the Asia-Pacific War, Japan used Okinawa as a “sacrificial pawn,” keeping the battle there in an effort to protect the “emperor’s land,” and mobilized the entire population of the islands. The war between Japan and the United States killed over 120,000 Okinawan people, which was more than one-fourth of the population. The U.S. military then took control of the islands as a spoil of the war, and almost eight decades later it still occupies Okinawan land, air and sea, causing enormous human rights violations including rape and murder, deadly aircraft and vehicle accidents, and environmental degradations such as PFAS contamination of water. 

On 20 December 2023, the High Court of Fukuoka, Naha Branch ordered Okinawa Prefecture to approve the change in the government’s construction method in order to deal with the “mayonnaise-like” soft ocean bed that would require costly, protracted, and “impossible” (according to experts) ground reinforcement to enable reclamation of the Oura Bay part of the new base. Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki, who won the 2018 and 2022 gubernatorial elections on a platform of opposition to the Henoko base, rejected the court order on 25 December, and submitted an appeal to the Supreme Court on 27 December. 

On 28 December, the Japanese government approved the plan alteration on behalf of Okinawa Prefecture, in an extraordinary, FIRST EVER exercise of the “execution by proxy” (daishikkō) under the Local Autonomy Law that was revised in 1999. 

In a word, the court has effectively allowed the state to take the law into its own hands and trample on the right to autonomy of the local government. The Japanese government is expected to start reclamation work on Oura Bay on 12 January 2024. 

An Okinawa Times editorial on 28 December argued: 

Execution by proxy under the Local Autonomy Law is unprecedented anywhere in Japan. Under the pretext of “eliminating the danger of the Futenma Air Station as soon as possible,” the Japanese government has resorted to strong-arm tactics that infringe on local autonomy.

The Ryukyu Shimpo, another Okinawan newspaper, asked in its 27 December editorial:

Would people in other prefectures approve of such a situation befalling their own communities? … are they indifferent because they think that this unprecedented ruling against Okinawa [execution by proxy] couldn't possibly happen elsewhere?

It is colonial indifference. The rest of Japan does not care, and the vast majority of U.S. citizens are unaware of what their government is doing in Okinawa. 

President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida, and citizens of the United States and Japan, we must end the discrimination and military colonization of Okinawa. The first step is to cancel the construction of the new base in Henoko, on Oura Bay, which is expected to cost over 6.5 billion U.S. dollars and take more than 10 years to complete. 

It is high time that we do the right thing. 


1

Mariko 

Abe 

Chief, Conservation and Education division, The Nature Conservation Society of Japan

Japan 

2

Amy

Antonucci 

Small Farmer & Activist

USA

3

Ellen 

Barfield

Veterans For Peace, Military Families Speak Out, War Resisters League

USA

4

Walden

Bello

Co-Chair of the Board, Focus on the Global South

Philippines/

Thailand

5

Max

Blumenthal

The Grayzone

USA

6

Jacqueline

Cabasso

Executive Director/Western States Legal Foundation

USA

7

Helen 

Caldicott

Founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility, 1985 Nobel Peace Prize

Australia

8

Marilyn

Carlisle

Peace Action

USA

9

Sunghee

Choi

Gangjeong peace activist 

South Korea

10

Rachel

Clark

Associate Member / Veterans For Peace / Interpreter, Global Coordinator

USA

11

Gerry

Condon

Board of Directors / Veterans For Peace

USA

12

Marie

Cruz Soto

Historian of Vieques, Puerto Rico, and of the U.S.

Puerto Rico/USA

13

Ludo

De Brabander

Vrede vzw - Spokesperson

Belgium

14

Ariel 

Dorfman

Author 

USA

15

Alexis

Dudden

Professor of History / University of Connecticut

USA

16

Mark

Ealey

Translator 

New Zealand 

17

Pat

Elder

Military Poisons

USA

18

Joseph

Essertier

Coordinator, Japan for a World BEYOND War

Japan

19

Corazon

Fabros

Co-President, International Peace Bureau

Philippines

20

Thomas

Fazi

Journalist and writer

Italy

21

John

Feffer

Director, Foreign Policy In Focus

USA

22

Norma

Field

Professor Emerita, East Asian Languages & Civilizations, University of Chicago

USA

23

Margaret 

Flowers 

Director, Popular Resistance

USA

24

Takashi

Fujitani

Professor, University of Toronto

Canada

25

Bruce

Gagnon

Coordinator of Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space

USA

26

Joseph

Gerson

President, Campaign for Peace, Disarmament & Common Security

USA

27

Aaron

Good

Political Scientist, Historian

USA

28

David

Hartsough

San Francisco Friends Meeting

USA

29

Chris

Hedges

Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and author

USA

30

Laura

Hein

Professor of History Northwestern University

USA

31

Martha 

Hennessy 

Catholic Worker 

USA

32

Miho

Hiki

Early Childhood Educator

Japan

33

Yunshin

HONG

Okinawa University / Assistant Professor 

Japan

34

Peter

Hulm

Deputy Editor, Global Insights

Switzerland

35

Masamichi (Marro)

Inoue

Professor, University of Kentucky

USA

36

Akemi

Johnson

Writer

USA

37

Erin

Jones

Translator / Independent researcher

USA

38

John

Junkerman

Documentary filmmaker

Japan

39

Mariko

Kage

Lillooet Friendship Centre

Canada

40

Kyle

Kajihiro

Assistant Professor, University of Hawai’i at Manoa

Hawaii

41

Kristine

Karch

Int'l No to NATO

Germany

42

Rosemary

Kean

Massachusetts Peace Action Racial Justice Working Group

USA

43

Claudia Junghyun

Kim

City University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

44

Yeonghwan

Kim

The Center for Historical Truth and Justice

South Korea

45

Ulla

Klötzer

Women for Peace - Finland

Finland

46

Joy

Kogawa

Writer

Canada

47

Ryuko

Kubota

University of British Columbia

Canada

48

Jeremy

Kuzmarov

Managing editor, CovertAction Magazine

USA

49

Peter

Kuznick

Professor of History, American University

USA

50

Heok-Tae

Kwon

Sungkonghoe University

Korea

51

Judith

Lang

Retired coral reef scientist

USA

52

Donald

Lathrop

Berkshire Citizens for Peace and Justice

USA

53

Nydia

Leaf

Retired Educator

USA

54

Andrea

LeBlanc

September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows

USA

55

Steven

Leeper

Peace Culture Village

Japan

56

Jon

Letman

Independent journalist 

USA

57

Madeleine

Lewis

Artist

USA

58

Charles Douglas

Lummis

Professor, Tsuda College (retired); Coordinator, Veterans For Peace - Ryukyu/Okinawa Chapter Kokusai (VFP-ROCK)

Japan

59

Catherine

Lutz

Brown University

USA

60

Kyo

Maclear

Writer and Instructor

Canada

61

Kathie

Malley-Morrison

Professor Emerita Boston University, member Mass Peace Action

USA

62

Kazumi

Marthiensen 

Artist

Canada

63

Abby

Martin

Journalist, The Empire Files

USA

64

Kevin

Martin

President, Peace Action

USA

65

Wendy

Matsumura 

Associate Professor/University of California, San Diego

USA

66

Gavan

McCormack

Emeritus Professor, Australian National University

Australia

67

Mairead

Maguire

Nobel peace laureate, Co-founder of Peace People Ireland

Northern Ireland

68

Nikki

Meith

Zoologist, conservationist, environmental writer, editor, designer

Switzerland

69

Martin

Melkonian

Professor of Economics

USA

70

Susan

Mirsky

Newton Dialogues on Peace and War

USA

71

Yuki

Miyamoto

Professor, DePaul University

USA

72

Haruko

Moritaki

Hiroshima Alliance for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (HANWA)

Japan

73

Tessa

Morris-Suzuki

Professor Emerita, Australian National University

Australia

74

Katherine

Muzik

Marine biologist, author

USA

75

Christopher

Nelson

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

USA

76

KJ

Noh

Pivot to Peace

USA

77

Richard

Ochs

Board member / Maryland Peace Action

USA

78

Midori

Ogasawara

Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Victoria

Canada

79

Satoko

Oka Norimatsu

Director, Peace Philosophy Centre

Canada/Japan

80

Natsu

Onoda Power

Georgetown University 

USA

81

Akino

Oshiro

University of Erlangen-Nuremberg

South Korea 

82

Shoko

Oshiro

Lecturer

Okinawa

83

Hideko

Otake

Coordinator, Stand with Okinawa NY

USA

84

Shinako

Oyakawa

ACSILs (The Association of Comprehensive Studies for Independence of the Lew Chewans)

Ryukyu

85

Noriko

Oyama

Okinawa Peace Appeal, VFP Rock

USA 

86

Rosemarie

Pace

Pax Christi

USA

87

Koohan

Paik-Mander

Writer

USA 

88

Tony

Palomba

Steering Committee, Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment

USA

89

Thea

Paneth

Arlington United for Justice with Peace (MA)

USA

90

Matthew

Penney

Associate Professor

Canada

91

Margaret

Power

Co-Chair, Historians for Peace and Democracy

USA

92

John

Price

Research Associate, Centre for Global Studies, University of Victoria

Canada

93

Mazin

Qumsiyeh

Professor and Director, Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability

Palestine

94

Steve

Rabson

Brown University 

USA

95

John

Raby

Co-chair, Peace Action Maine

USA

96

William

Ramsey

Writer

USA

97

Wyatt

Reed

Managing Editor, The Grayzone

USA

98

Jon

Reinsch

Writer

USA

99

Dennis

Riches

Professor, Seijo University 

Japan

100

Jun

Sasamoto

Lawyer

Japan

101

Susan

Schnall

President, Veterans For Peace Board of Directors

USA

102

Mark

Selden

Cornell University 

USA

103

Tim

Shorrock

Independent journalist

USA

104

Stephen

Slaner

Support Massachusetts Peace Action

USA

105

Steven

Starr

University of Missouri, Assistant Clinical Professor

USA

106

Vicky

Steinitz

Retired faculty, UMass Boston 

USA

107

Oliver

Stone

Filmmaker

USA

108

Doug

Strable

Learning Technologist

Japan 

109

David

Swanson

Executive Director, World BEYOND War

USA

110

Hiroko

Takahashi

Professor of History, Nara University 

Japan

111

Roy 

Tamashiro

Professor Emeritus, Webster University 

USA

112

Yuki

Tanaka

Historian 

Australia

113

Kaia

Vereide

Inter-Island Solidarity for Peace of the Sea Jeju Committee

South Korea / USA

114

Paki

Wieland

CODEPINK

USA

115

Charmaine

Willis

Visiting Assistant Professor, Skidmore College 

USA

116

Lawrence

Wittner

Professor of History Emeritus, State University of New York/Albany

USA

117

Ellen 

Woodsworth

Co President WILPF Canada / Speaker and intersectional consultant on cities/ Matriarch Women Transforming Cities International SocietyFormer Vancouver City Councilor

Canada

118

Ann

Wright

Retired US Army Colonel and former US diplomat / Veterans For Peace

USA

119

Sho 

Yamagushiku

Writer

Canada

120

Lisa

Yoneyama

University of Toronto 

Canada

121

Hideki

Yoshikawa

Director, Okinawa Environmental Justice Project

Japan

122

Ayaka

Yoshimizu

Assistant Professor of Teaching, The University of British Columbia

Canada

123

Geoffrey

Young

Candidate for US House of Reps.

USA


The complete list of over 400 signatories as of January 5, 2024 (15:37 PST) is here.


The link to this press release is: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r0t4IyAAJU3qEqrkUm5QyrXtK4UlgJ_O7xfVyv6-Am8/edit?usp=sharing 


Japanese translation of the press release is プレスリリース日本語訳はここにあります: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MQgoxa1HdQZND9_i5Ad24P5pnGyVkbvE50v66jjVvGY/edit?usp=sharing




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