The day August 15 of this year commemorated the 73^rd anniversary of the end of the Asia-Pacific War. Japan, after accepting the Potsdam Declaration, converted itself to be a society based on democracy with proclaiming the Peace Constitution. Okinawa, the most southern islands, however, still suffers today from a series of segregation policies of the Japanese government and indifference of people of the main islands.

HISTORIC STRUGGLE AGAINST DISCRIMINATION AGAINST OKINAWA

A construction stage of the US military base at Henoko, Nago City, Okinawa, has ushered into a new phase. Struggles against the construction constitute protest movements against building a new base at Henoko and campaign to overturn the historic, discriminative policies of the Japanese government against Okinawa.

Privileges of US Military in Japan

The Japanese military declared ‘an ultimate war in the mainland’ in the final months of the Asia-Pacific War and continued the reckless war. Thus, Okinawa was hit by ‘the iron storm’, being the one and only battle ground. The number of fatalities counts 188,136 during the period of March 26, 1945, and June 23 of the same year in the Okinawa Island and adjacent islets (according to the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum).

After the defeat of Japan in the WWII the US military employed bayonets and bulldozers to confiscate lands violently of residents of Okinawa islands. A central portion of the Ginowan City was illegitimately occupied to be the Marines’ Futenma Air Field. And today Ospreys circle around above the sky as if they were proprietors, which is symbolic.

Due to the Peace Treaty of San Francisco concluded between US and Japan in April 1952, Okinawa was separated from sovereignty of Japan and ruled by the US administration, in which the Constitution of Japan did not take effect. Furthermore, on account of the Article 6 of the US-Japan Security Treaty and the twenty-eight clauses of the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement approved forcibly by the Japanese Diet in 1960, the US forces in Japan have been guaranteed by privileges.

Okinawa was backed to Japan in 1972, gaining the status as Japan and with absence of nuclear weapons. At the time of returning, the US bases throughout the country concentrated in Okinawa to a ratio of 58.7%, which has grown to 70.6% today. As for other data, such as income of residents in Okinawa, employment and the ratio of college education, sharp differences are found when they are compared with those of the main islands of Japan.

Historically, Okinawa has been used as a scapegoat, while the main islands have enjoyed a superior position. Discriminatory conditions and gaps are not yet broken down. Under these circumstances inhabitants of the southern islands have waged non-violent resistance struggles for long time against the US military and the Japanese governments.

In the 1950s they fought against the expropriation of land by the US military. In September 1995 US soldiers raped a girl, which triggered massive anger of all residents, being a campaign of all of Okinawa islands. People keep fighting against crimes of US troopers and other personnel, accidents of military aircraft, nuisances of noises and destruction of natural environment, maintaining rules of non-violence and not-surrender. As for the new base construction at Henoko, campaigns have been staged, regardless of the conservative or the progressive, as an issue of all people of Okinawa.

Words of Governor Onaga

Governor Onaga Takeshi, who represented a determination of Okinawa residents, passed away on August 8. We will consolidate struggles inside the main islands in solidarity with Okinawa’s people, being grateful for the condolences and compassion. He left a message:

‘Okinawa does not need economic aids. (*snip*) Instead, pull out the military to get back land. Okinawa occupies 0.6% of the entire area of Japan, while it hosts 74% of all the US troops in the country. There is no need at all to do so. I ask a question; does Okinawa depend on Japan? Or does Japan depend on Okinawa? (November 2011, then- Mayor of Naha City).

August 21, 2018