What's New ?!
Protest statement
July 18, 2001
Okinawa Women Act Against Military Violence
3-29-41-405 Kumoji, Naha, Okinawa, 900-0015 Japan
Ph/Fax: +81 98 864 1539
Another sexual crime was committed at Mihama in the town of Chatan in Okinawa on June 29th 2001. The town of Chatan was supposed to exemplify the renaissance of the community after the hopeful removal of the U. S. bases.
We all are entitled to the rights to live safely, and to enjoy our lives no matter where we are. Sexual violence against women by the military not only infringes upon our rights to live our daily lives, but also it turns our daily lives into fear. Any woman or girl could be a victim of sexual violence; it could be your wife or your daughter.
The recent crimes committed by the US military include: the serial arsons February 2001), several hit-and-run (two cases in March 2001, one in April 2001 in which the victim was in critical condition), the intrusion of a aked American soldier into an Okinawan home (April 2001). These are only a ew of many such crimes committed by the U.S. military personnel in Okinawa.
During the 23 years since 1972, when Okinawa reverted to Japan from the U.S. occupation, approximately 4,790 criminal cases committed by U.S. military personnel were charged. Among them are 12 murders, 355 robberies, and 111 rapes.
The effects of these crimes are intensified by many serious accidents such as the recent helicopter collision which was unreported to the local authorities and environmental damage such as the toxic material in the natural well water of Camp Foster.
Fifty-six years after the end of World War II, Okinawa continues to suffer many of the conditions of a civil population in conditions of war and military occupation. Ongoing assaults on the island's environment, noise pollution and land erosion from military operations, problems of emotional and physical health, as well as the ever present danger of robbery, physical and sexual attack undermine Okinawan security and violate the fundamental human rights of its citizens. All of these conditions are the results of agreements made between the United States and the Japanese government without truly democratic consultation with the Okinawan citizenry.
To the leaders of the two countries, currently engaged in talks on these matters, we request:
1. In questions of US-Japan security, a first priority should be given to the daily safety and security of the people of Okinawa.
2. Toward this end, the withdrawal of the U.S. military bases from Okinawa should be planned and executed within the immediate future.
We will no longer tolerate the violation of the human rights of women and children in Okinawa committed in the name of US-Japan security.
We express our strongest protest and demand the following:
1. Specific policies and resource allocation to support the victims of these crimes to support physically and psychologically.
2. The withdrawal of the U.S. military bases and personnel who repeatedly commit these crimes and cause these accidents.
3. Formal apologies from the President of the United States and the United States Military to people in Okinawa for the numerous accidents and crimes in the past, and the sexual crime committed on June 29th 2001.
Statement to halt sexual violence against women
July 18, 2001
Rape Emergency Intervention Center Okinawa (REICO)
c/o Space Yui 3-29-41-405 Kumoji, Naha, Okinawa, 900-0015 Japan Ph/Fax: +81 98 864 1539
How many assaults, how many victims are we to witness before sexual crimes are put to an end? How loud do women need to raise our voices before sexual crimes are abolished?
We, women in Okinawa feel convulsed with rage beyond words at the occurrence of yet another sexual crime against women by U.S. military.
The rape committed in Mihama, Chatan Town on June 29th 2001 is another fundamental threat to the right of all women in Okinawa to live in safety and security. It is an egregious insult against all women in Okinawa.
Rape Emergency Intervention Center Okinawa (REICO) is a private rape crisis center established in 1995 as a response to the gang rape of an Okinawan girl by US military personnel. We, the members of REICO have supported victims of sexual violence, assisting in their healing by standing at their side and sharing their pain.
We have offered counseling to victims suffering the consequences of sexual assaults. Our goal is to abolish such gender violence and sexual crimes in our community. When we established REICO, we were determined to no longer remain silent in the face of such violence against women but to take action. We no longer count on empty protests because our protests achieved nothing.
The list of heinous sexual crimes committed by the U.S. military personnel keeps accumulating: An attempted rape by a Marine in January, 2000; a junior high school girl, sleeping in her own home, molested by a marine from Futenma Air Base in July, 2000; a rape within base housing at Futenma committed by a Marine PFC in August 2000. Our land is a battlefield in a war against women.
In January 2001, there was an incident in which a Marine lifted up the skirt of a high school girl and took a picture. This incident happened in a residential area in late afternoon. These contemptible crimes can no longer be borne. We will no longer tolerate such threats to our safety in our daily lives.
This is our land where we live our lives. We have a right to live safely in our own community. It is our right as citizens of Okinawa and as human beings.
The people of Okinawa may be compelled to bring the issue of the violation of our right to security to international adjudication if we continue to be forced to tolerate gross violations of the human rights of women, and the fundamental human rights of all Okinawans.
We, at REICO, receive more than 100 cases of sexual assault every year. Rape requires, unlike other felonies such as murder, robbery and arson, that victims report the case before the police can investigate. This is such a heavy burden for the victims that, in many cases, they choose to remain silent. They are deeply hurt and the suffering may last for a long period of time.
We want to live in an Okinawa where the human rights of women are protected, where each one of us live safely and in peace.
Here, we express our protest with deep anger to the governments of the United States, Japan and Okinawa. We strongly demand that policy makers fulfill their public responsibilities to affirm and restore the human rights of the victims of sexual crimes.
Friday, July 20, 2001
The 100 participants tied about thousand of handkerchiefs decorated with antimilitary messages and red ribbons to fences surrounding the Camp Kinser in Urasoe City.
The English placard messages helped alot!
Aloha to our brothers and sisters in Okinawa From the communities struggling for peace in Hawai'i, we extend our aloha and solidarity on your day of action. From Vieques, Puerto Rico to Makua Valley, Hawai'i, to Okinawa and Korea, people are resisting U.S. militarism and imperialism. Your movement for peace in your country is also a movement for all of us. We stand with you.
KEEi ka hana hewa! (Resist evil deeds!) E KEa'a i ke aloha 'aina, Okinawa! (Stand firm in your love for the land, Okinawa)
Kyle Kajihiro American
Friends Service Committee Hawai'i Area Program
U.S. Founding Fathers Trespass into the Vieques' Military Zone
Check out the Pictures and Texts in: http://www.viequeslibre.addr.com/4july.htm
Vieques Libre - http://www.viequeslibre.org
Resistance Collectives Amig@s de Vieques, Amigos del MAR & Horsemen for Peace Press Release: "U.S. Founding Fathers Trespass into the Vieques' Military Zone" 4th of July 2001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: EXPIRES JULY 20, 2001
for updates and other information, see http://nomorebases.tripod.com
This Friday, July 20th, at 4 p.m., there will be a protest in front of the Federal Building, in the Terry D. Schrunk Plaza, at Southwest 4th and Madison, Rain or Shine.
A red ribbon tying party at the Naval and Marine Corps Reserve center in North Portland is also being planned prior to the appearance downtown, though these plans are tentative at present. Another notice will be sent out if and when this portion of the plans solidify.
This protest is being held in a gesture of solidarity with a demonstration that is planned in Okinawa on the same date.
Hundreds of Okinawans are expected to participate in a human chain and red ribbon tying protest surrounding Camp Kinser, a US Marine Corps intelligence and communications facility located near Naha, Okinawa.
Hopefully similar demonstrations for Portland will be organized with other actions in communities around the world in Korea, Vieques, Hawai`i, and elsewhere, as best as can be expected with geographical and political barriers.
The aim is to raise awareness in Portland in regards to the harms of the U.S. military policies in host communities. The Status of Forces Agreement between Japan and the United States must be revised, and the United States must put an end to the demands that it makes of the Okinawans and other international communities in bearing the incredible burden of American "defense". This security pact was drafted and implemented against the best interests of the Okinawans and other communities, and has only served to harm the communities that it affects. The United States has no right to demand that the members of its armed forces be granted priviledges; to request extraterritorial rights for its citizens only demonstrates arrogance and lack of respect.
The American people have a right to know the damage that is done to their reputation in far away locations and be given a chance to voice their opposition to such treatment.
U.S. servicemembers typically serve the American people 4 years at a time; the Okinawans and other such gracious "hosts" serve America with their entire lives.
Protest Rally infront of Camp Kinser!
Date: July 20 (Fri)
Time: 2:00PM-5:00PM infront of Camp Kinser
What to bring: anything red, such as red ribbons, red handkerchief, etc.
Organized by Urasoe Anti-USbase Group
This is a very good article by Chalmers Johnson: "Time To Bring The Troops
Home". Don't miss it.
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3af2ac0d4f0f.htm
From FPIF http://www.fpif.org/.
*** U.S-JAPAN SUMMITRY AND THREE POLICY CAMPS ***
By John Gershman
(Excerpted from a new FPIF commentary, available at:
http://www.fpif.org/commentary/0107japan.html.)
From Portland, Oregon
Portland solidarity action with Okinawa protests announced http://portland.indymedia.org/
Of course, all in Portland are welcome to join. The below site has been created for this and future actions: http://nomorebases.tripod.com/
"He who confuses political liberty with freedom and political equality with similarity has never thought for five minutes about either." --George Bernard Shaw
From Hawaii
Asia-PacificIsland Alert (ADBwatch) will sponsor a forum on Makua on Thursday evening, July 12, at 7:30 pm at the University of Hawaii Art Department. The program will begin with a short film on Vieques, and an update from Kyle Kajihiro (who recently returned from Vieques). This will be followed by an update on the Makua struggle, and a forum with people knowledgeable about the issues involved. As you probably know, Malama Makua's request for an injunction to prevent the military from resuming live-fire training in the valley was heard today. The judge hasn't ruled, but has indicated she will rule within a day or so. In all likelihood, by Thursday we will know the outcome. But regardless of what the outcome is, the military isn't about to back down on its plan to train in the valley, and action from the people is needed. Today the struggle in Makua is at a crucial point. We urge you to become involved. Some have asked us why ADBwatch is getting involved in the Makua struggle, and what this has to do with globalization. Without the military, the U.S. and other wealthy countries would not be able to enforce their unfair loans and trade agreements in poor countries. The threat of the might of the US (and especially its military) is what forces Asian and Pacific Island countries to repay their debts for bad loans that have impoverished the people. The 25th Battallion which trains in Makua is also training in Thailand, where it is working with the Thai military which combats opponents of globalization there. Training in Makua has nothing to do with fighting for justice. It has everything to do with enforcing the destructive policies and programs of organizations like the World Bank, IMF, and ADB. Come out on thursday evening! Organizations are invited to set up tables outside the auditorium. There is no charge for the event. ADBwatch: Telephone: (808) 955-6161, e-mail: adbwatch@lava.net A
DBwatch listserve: adbwatch-hawaii-subscribe@yahoogroups.com website http://hawaii.indymedia.org/
Mail: ADBwatch, UH-Manoa, 2465 Campus Road, RIO Box A-4, Honolulu, HI 96822
From Boston
Please support this statement for the withdrawal of US military troops in Okinawa. Note, however, that the perspective of the statement is that of US citizens calling on their own government to withdraw their troops from Okinawa.
Friends,
Please consider signing, returning, and further circulating the following statement in solidarity with the Okinawan people. It was developed by the Boston Okinawa Network in response to the most recent G.I. rape of an Okinawan woman, to the extended delay in turning the accused airman over to Japanese authorities for trial and punishment, and to U.S. efforts to press ahead with the construction of still more U.S. bases in Okinawa.
We need your response by July 30. We plan to give the statement and hundreds of signatures to leaders of the Okinawan anti-bases movement and to the press during the World Conference Against A & H Bombs in Hiroshima in early August.
Thank you for your consideration and your support.
For peace and justice,
Joseph Gerson
Director of Programs
American Friends Service Committee
New England Regional Office
Yankees Come Home! A Statement In Solidarity With the Okinawan People
Once again, a U.S. soldier has attacked, violated and brutalized an Okinawan woman. Once again U.S. military authorities compounded Okinawan suffering and fears by delaying just resolution of criminal behavior by its warriors with demands for respect of extraterritorial rights. And, once again, our government is turning a deaf ear to Okinawan demands for the reduction and withdrawal of U.S. troops and bases from their communities. Rather than respect Okinawan demands for real human security and respect for their environment, our government is pressing to build a major new Marine air base in northern Okinawa and exploring the possibility of building additional bases on Okinawan islands of Shimoji and Irabu .
We are shamed and outraged by these violent and arrogant actions of U.S. troops and our government.
In July, while shocked and angry Okinawans pressed for the transfer of the accused rapist to Japanese authorities for trial and punishment, people in the United States celebrated Independence Day. The U.S. Declaration of Independence is among the world's most valued statements of human equality and human rights. It is an inspiring and universal condemnation of colonialism, oppression, and foreign occupation. Tragically, its text includes words that reflect many of the bitter experiences Okinawans continue to endure: keeping "among us in times of peace standing armies without [our]consent"; "quartering...large bodies of armed troops among us"; the occupier engaging "large armies...to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny..." And, that "In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated petitions have been answered only be repeated injury."
Yet, the U.S. government and its allies in Tokyo shamefully and unapologetically insist that the military colonization of Okinawa continue, that Okinawans - young and old - remain vulnerable to U.S. military transgressions, and that Okinawan communities and resources serve the U.S. military goal of "full spectrum dominance", including the threat of nuclear war.
This is not acceptable and must be ended. We therefore call for:
* termination of extra-territorial privileges for U.S. troops and their dependents in Okinawa and elsewhere
* termination of all U.S. military exercises and preparations for war in Okinawa and throughout the Asia-Pacific region * withdrawal of ALL U.S. troops and bases from Okinawa and elsewhere in East Asia
* restoration of the Okinawan environment from damage inflicted by U.S. military forces
* demonstration of profound regret and sincere apology by compensating the Okinawan people for the crimes and violations 56 years of military occupation
Signatures should be sent to The Boston Okinawa Network, in care of the Peace And Economic Security Program, American Friends Service Committee: E-Mail: Jgerson@afsc.org; or 2161 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, Mass. 02140, U.S.A.
OKINAWA TIMES Saturday,July 7,2001 Saturday Evening Edition
Another Base Incident
Scheduled to get hot again
From Puerto Rico
Statement by AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney Vieques Press Conference Vieques,
Puerto Rico July 6, 2001
I am here today to bring a message to the people of Puerto Rico from the American labor movement, and the message is that the 40 million people living in union households in North America are outraged at the bombing of Vieques.
Not only are we outraged at the bombing, we are outraged at the treatment of peaceful demonstrators and at the hypocrisy of the Bush Administration in dealing with this awful situation-a decision to stop the bombing two years from now is a non-decision.
President Bush isn't interested in stopping the bombing, he's interested only in stopping his own slide in the polls and in currying favor with Hispanic voters-if he was seriously concerned, he would stop the bombing now and he would order the U.S. Navy to begin treating demonstrators properly, as peaceful patriots who are exercising their God-given right to disobey unjust laws.
The U.S. Navy should be ashamed of the way its guards have behaved-from the disgusting body search of Velda Gonzalez to the roughing up of Congressman Gutierrez, to the verbal and physical abuse of workers who were arrested while demonstrating-including Dennis Rivera, a Vice President of the AFL-CIO and a member of our Executive Council.
By its actions, the Navy has shown that it is in a league with the infamous Bull Connor of Birmingham, Alabama, who changed the course of history by setting his dogs and water cannons loose on women and children demonstrating peacefully for civil rights in the 1960s.
The physical danger of continued bombing has been documented in the media-the implications for public health, the environment and the economy are devastating. But what hasn't been properly expressed is the damage this is doing to relations between Washington, DC and Puerto Rico, and to the gulf it is creating between the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico and the U.S. citizens of our 50 states.
The AFL-CIO and our 65 affiliated unions call on President Bush to stop the bombing of Vieques immediately and to move U.S. troops out of the area. Only then can the healing begin and only then can this senseless confrontation be ended-this isn't just a fight for the people of Vieques or the people of Puerto Rico, it's a struggle for all working families in North America and we won't stop fighting until we win.
An Open Letter to the People of Okinawa
July 4, 2001
Friends,
Today, in towns and cities across the United States, Independence Day is being celebrated. Parades of marching bands, of students, of military veterans, and of civic organizations are celebrating life, their contributions to our communities, and their understandings of U.S. independence and freedom. Others are simply enjoying the "freedom" of leisure and the pleasures and security of family life. Tonight, in parks across the country, children, their parents and grandparents, friends and lovers will be awed as beautiful fireworks (first invented in China) illuminate our skies and spirits in the name of freedom and U.S. national independence. As part of the day's celebrations and commemorations, the U.S. Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson and signed 225 years ago on this day, has been reprinted in major newspapers. It will be honored - usually without being read - in ways beyond imagination before today becomes tomorrow.
For those who truly appreciate that all people "are created equal"; that the suffering implicit in colonization, occupation and oppression is universal; and that the values of human freedom and security are equally universal, the news from Okinawa makes this a day of shame and bitter irony.
Once again, a U.S. soldier has attacked, violated, and brutalized a defenseless Okinawan woman. Once again representatives of the U.S. government are protecting U.S. warriors behind the arrogant and colonial protections of extraterritoriality. Once again, the lure of U.S. dollars and material security is leading desperate people (representatives of Shimoji and Irabu) to consider sacrificing the true security of their people and environment in the service of deadly and foreign militarism.
If they could, the heavens would weep.
The U.S. Declaration of Independence is rightfully among the world's most valued statements of human equality and human rights. It is an inspiring condemnation of colonialism, oppression and foreign military and political occupation. Its affirmation of human and communal freedom has inspired succeeding generations in many countries.
The Declaration gives expression to bitter experiences which Okinawans continue to endure in ways that were unimaginable in the pre-industrial age: the keeping "among us in times of peace standing armies without [our] consent"; "quartering of large bodies of armed troops among us", the occupier engaging "large armies...to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny..." As the Declaration explains, as has been the case for Okinawans, "In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury."
Yet, on this 225th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. government and its allies in Tokyo shamefully and unapologetically insist that the military colonization of your lives and communities continue, that you and your children remain vulnerable to its transgressions, and that your communities and resources serve the coercive U.S. global commitment to "full spectrum dominance" - including nuclear terrorism and threatened genocide and omnicide.
With deep pain and shame for the violations of those who speak and act in the name of the U.S. people, I add my name to those who call on the U.S. government to
* turn the accused rapist over to Japanese authorities for trial and punishment
* end all extra-territoriality for all U.S. troops and citizens in Okinawa (and elswhere in Japan)
* stop all military exercises and preparations for war in Okinawa (and elsewhere in Japan)
* withdraw of ALL U.S. troops and bases from Okinawa (and elsewhere in Japan)
* clean up the environment where damage has been inflicted by U.S. military forces
* demonstrate profound regret and sincere apology by compensating the
Okinawan people for the crimes and violations 56 years of military occupation
Sincerely,
Dr. Joseph Gerson
Director of Programs
American Friends Service Committee
New England Regional Office
OKINAWA TIMES Saturday,June 16,2001 Saturday Evening Edition
A Menu of Options Offered
A luxurious restaurant, but the service leaves something to be desired
OKINAWA TIMES Saturday,May 19,2001 Saturday Evening Edition
Inamine Does Washington
Welcoming the man, not the idea
News from Pete Doktor:
Subject: Version 3 of Okinawa Peace Network of Los Angeles WebpageHi all-
I'd like to cordially re-invite all of you to view the new and improved website of the Okinawa Peace Network of Los Angeles at http://www.uchinanchu.org. We have completed a complete redesign of the site, with a better design and clearer site structure. We hope to keep the site much more current than we have been (no site changes since December 1999!) and will provide more information on the upcoming demos around the Korean "comfort women" issue and the Uchinanchu Taikai (internationalgathering of okinawans every 5 years). Enjoy! - the Okinawa Peace Network of Los Angeles webmaster
March 22, 2001 Militarism Sunk the Ehime MaruI was honored to participate in a beautiful and powerful Hawaiian ceremony at Maunalua, O`ahu on March 4, to send blessings to the nine victims of the Ehime Maru incident and to extend our aloha and friendship to their families. As I prepared to deliver a banner signed by hundreds of Hawai`i residents to the family members of the victims, I felt utterly helpless. Anything I said would seem trite next to the enormity of their pain and outrage. While our intentions were sincere, I couldn't help but feel shame that in part, we were trying to make ourselves feel better.Although the people of Hawai`i cannot change the events of February 9, we bear some responsibility for the consequences of militarism in our islands. And we must work for changes in U.S. security policy to prevent these kinds of tragedies from happening in the future.U.S. officials have portrayed the sinking of the Ehime Maru and the loss of nine lives as an isolated accident, the tragic combination of human error and circumstance. However, far from being the exception, the sinking of the Ehime Maru is but one in a string of military tragedies. On June 14, 1960, while docked at Pearl Harbor, the nuclear sub USS Sargo exploded and burned so fiercely that the ship had to be flooded to avert a nuclear catastrophe. In 1981, the USS George Washington rammed and sunk the Japanese freighter Nissho Maru, killing two. In 1995 three U.S. military servicemen gang raped a 12-year old Okinawan girl. February 3, 1998, a Marine jet severed a gondola cable in Italy, plunging 20 to their deaths. April 19, 1999 a civilian worker was killed by a bombing accident on Vieques, Puerto Rico sparking massive protests. Thousands of Marshall Islanders have died or suffered from radiation sickness due to 67 nuclear tests on their islands. Greenpeace reported that in the 1980s alone, the U.S. Navy had almost 1,600 accidents, and that as of 1996, the U.S. had 380 nuclear weapons accidents. I shudder to think what might have happened if the USS Greeneville disaster had been a nuclear one. The people of Hawai`i, like peoples in other militarized and colonized areas of the world, such as Okinawa, the Philippines, the Marshall Islands and Vieques, subsidize the costs of militarism. The illegal U.S. takeover of Hawai`i in 1898 was driven by military interests to control the Pacific and gain the military advantage in the Philippines. Today, as a result, 22.4% of the land on O`ahu is controlled by the military, most of it land taken from the Hawaiian Kingdom. The bombing of Kaho`olawe, Waikane, Pöhakuloa, and Mäkua have destroyed areas rich in cultural and natural resources and ruined the lives of former inhabitants. Military operations have seriously contaminated numerous sites including Pearl Harbor, Lualualei, Mäkua, Nöhili, Barbers Point, Bellows, and Mililani, with lead, petroleum PCBs, organic solvents, and unexploded ordnance as a few of the leading contaminants. High cancer rates among Wai`anae residents may be linked to military contamination. The Navy Court of Inquiry may shed light on how the sub rammed the Ehime Maru. But ultimately, it avoids another, perhaps more important, 'inquiry' - the critical analysis about the larger military-defense structure of the U.S. that has been in place for more than a century. Why was the Greeneville performing dangerous stunts to entertain well-connected civilians? Why is the Navy allowed to conduct these operations and training exercises in secrecy in heavily used Hawaiian waters? Why is the Submarine Force commander pushing to expand the sub fleet when even the Department of Defense wanted a reduction? That Commander said that subs help "sell the Navy," but it seems that the distinguished visitor program also 'sells subs.' What is the true social cost of militarism?U.S. national priorities are perverted. The U.S. spends 54 cents on every dollar for military-related expenses, but only 3 cents on education. If the Navy didn't buy 30 attack subs, Honolulu could repair half of its deteriorated schools with the $90.8 million saved.The arrogance of U.S. military power and its love affair with the defense contractors put the USS Greeneville on a collision course with the Ehime Maru long before it set sail on Feburary 9. In the long run, militarism makes the world less secure. We must redefine the concept of "security" to mean human and environmental security - meeting human and environmental needs - because one way or another, people, military as well as civilian, pay the price of militarism with our lives.Kyle Kajihiro Program Director American Friends Service Committee - Hawai`i Area Program 2426 O`ahu Avenue Honolulu, HI 96822 Tel.: (808) 988-6266 Fax: (808) 988-4876 Email: keboi@aol.comThe American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization grounded in nonviolence and working to promote peace and justice.
3/2
Dear Friends in the Red Card Movement,
We have been hurt and outraged by the sinking of the Ehime Maru and the recent series of U.S. military "incidents" in Okinawa. I thought you might be interested to know that the Boston Okinawa Network has adopted the following statement. Perhaps more importantly, with the help of several organizations and publications, we are circulating it via Internet networks across the U.S. with an appeal that they sign it and send it on, or write their own letters to President Bush and Secretary of State Powell. The response so far has been quite good.
With friendship and solidarity,
Joseph Gerson
Statement of the Boston Okinawa Network
The U.S. Military and the Japanese People Recently the U.S. military has been responsible for several outrageous incidents that have exacted a heavy toll on the Japanese people and on Japanese-U.S. relations. The most dire of these occurred on February 9 when a U.S. nuclear attack submarine, the Greenville, practicing a surfacing maneuver, rammed and sank a Japanese fishing trawler, the Ehime Maru off the coast of Hawaii. The Ehime Maru was a training ship for Japanese fisheries. Of the 35 people aboard it, nine are missing including three crewmen, two teachers, and four students, all now presumed dead. Reports leaking out of Hawaii indicate that the sinking of the Ehime Maru resulted from gross negligence and from the "military first" commitments of the Pentagon and many U.S. policy makers. Naval vessels like the Greenville are hardly the only expressions of U.S. military power in the Pacific. The 47,000 U.S. troops and more than 100 military bases and installations in Japan, concentrated in Okinawa, play central roles in U.S. dominance of the Asia-Pacific and its peoples. On January 23, two weeks before the sinking of the Ehime Maru, Lt. Gen. Earl B. Hailston, commander of the U.S. Marine regiment based in Okinawa, sent an internal e-mail to 13 members of his command in which he called the governor of Okinawa and other Okinawan political leaders "nuts and a bunch of wimps." This arrogant and macho slur was the General's reaction to the unanimous passage by the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly of a resolution calling for a reduction of the U.S. Marines in Okinawa. The resolution itself was the result of public outrage at the sexual molestation on January 9 of a 16 year old Okinawan girl, allegedly by a U.S. Marine. Commander Hailston's abusive language was a direct insult to the people of Okinawa and their leaders. Leaked to the press, it caused a political furor in Japan and considerable embarrassment in the United States. The assemblies of several Okinawan cities and towns passed resolutions calling for Commander Hailston's dismissal. Chatan township's resolution was also motivated by anger over a series of arson attacks on local restaurants by a U.S. Marine and the month-long delay by U.S. military authorities in turning the suspect over to Japanese police and judicial authorities. Chatan township's resolution called for the removal of all U.S. Marines from Okinawa, and it was the first such assembly in Okinawa to raise this demand. As concerned U.S. citizens and people living in the United States, we call upon President Bush, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, to rectify, so far as is possible, these military misdeeds that have taken Japanese lives and otherwise hurt the people of Okinawa and Japan. Those responsible, from the highest to the lowest rank, must be held accountable. With his transgression already in evidence, Lt. General Hailston must be removed from his post of command. The U.S. Navy is conducting an investigation of the Greeneville's fatal collision with the Ehime Maru. This investigation must answer two questions: How was it possible that this U.S. submarine, equipped with advanced technology to locate vessels in adjacent waters, hit and destroyed the Japanese fishing trawler floating just above it? How was it that the Greeneville made no attempt to rescue the passengers of the Ehime Maru as alleged by the trawler's captain? President Bush would do well to re-evaluate our country's military presence in Okinawa and Japan. U.S. Marines have been committing offenses against the Okinawan people such as those cited above without cease since they first arrived fifty-six years go. Endless apologies, agreements, and promises have not ameliorated the Okinawan plight . Much as Okinawan voters did previously, in a prefecture-wide referendum, democratically elected representatives of the Okinawan people are calling for the reduction and eventual removal of all the U.S. occupying forces. This appears to be the only way to remove the frequently dangerous and long-festering sore in the U.S.-Japanese relationship. This solution seems all the more feasible since the perceived threat of Soviet expansion, the post-World War II rationale for the U.S. military presence in Japan, no longer exists and because China is not the enemy of, and poses no immediate threat to, Japan or to the United States.
For the Boston Okinawa Committee
Dr. Joseph Gerson
Cathy Hoffman
Yuichi Moroi
Dr. Boone Schirmer
- From Pete Doktor dok@hawaii.rr.com On Sunday, March 4, we have an opportunity to express our aloha as people of Hawaii to the people of the Ehime Maru and the village of Uwajima. There will be a simple Hawaiian ceremony led by Kumu John Keola Lake. The flowers and leis that you may bring will be taken by canoes to larger vessels that will then travel to the scene of the tragedy, 9 miles off shore. Beyond liability, beyond international diplomacy, beyond fault -- a simple expression of our aloha.Time: 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Date: Sunday, March 4 Bring: Bring loose flowers or leis (without ribbons) -- if you wish Wear: casual aloha attire How: Recommend that you come by bus or carpoolI hope to see you there. Bring your family and friends. Spread the word. ===================================================Questions and Answers For Those Who Need Them:Q: Who is the sponsor?A: There isn't any. It started as an idea to a question raised by Poka = Laenui on his weekly radio show, and now has a life of its own with the = joining of many individuals.Q: Have the families been notified? A: There have been various attempts, and we do not know whether the = communications in both English and Japanese have been received and read. = As you might imagine, it is a time of considerable turmoil. An official = letter has also been sent from the Mayor of Honolulu to the Mayor of = Uwajima.Q: Who will be participating?A: Mostly regular people -- you know, like you and me. Canoe clubs. = The Hokule'a. the local and Japanese fishing associations. Local = Waikiki folk. Kumu Lake will bring other chanters. Come and you'll find out who's = participating.Q: Will there be a Japanese ceremony as well as a Hawaiian ceremony?A: In earlier discussions, there was an idea for a Shinto or Buddhist = ceremony along with the Hawaiian ceremony. Upon consultation, it appears = to be more appropriate to just have a simple expression of our aloha. It = is not a memorial service.Q: Is this a public event? A: Yes. A press release inviting people to come is being prepared by = Ylisa Yadao.Q: Is this a political event?A: No.
Some Thoughts on Ehime Maru & Hailston incident from Hawai`i to Red Card Movement
by Pete Doktor
first, it is a shame, and we should be careful to respect the missing and dead by not exploiting this issue for any political persuasions, including ours. i coincidently work at a restraunt where officials from ehime prefecture met with family members of the missing students. i will never forget the look of dispair in their faces- haunting. this tragedy does illustrate the point that military training- military existance, for that matter, is inherently dangerous and lethal; all the precautions in the world cannot prevent unexpected malfunctions which endanger the lives of military and civilians indiscriminately. whether mechanical or human error, does not justify senseless killing or maiming by accidents. i remember some people dying in my unit when i was in the army- what a waste. this point has once again been illustrated by a helicopter crash here today in Hawai`i, where 6 people were killed. i seriously don't believe that anyone wanted this to happen- especially the sailors of the submarine. a friend of mine stopped by a party in honolulu, where some crewmembers of the submarine were there- she said they were very depressed and sulking about the whole thing. they were saying "forget all the media talk about safety precautions, we "fxxxxx up (made a grave mistake)." again, this supports the fact that they can never 100% guarantee okinawans or anyone, that there will be no accidents, no "collateral damage," no senseless deaths or maiming. right away, mainstream media, and figures from the pentagon, the japanese government, and the american government, rushed to the point to apologize (to diffuse emotional, human or nationalist sentiments), and stress the security and importance of a japanese-american political and military alliance. before any news was given about how this tragedy happened, apologists from both american and japanese agencies rushed to do 'damage control' through the media. this comes at a time, when the USA under court-selected, not elected president G. W. Bush administration, is trying to manage relations with russia, china, and other european "allies" over the resurge of star wars, increased militarization, missile "defense," etc. it seems this adminstration is already destoying relations with N. Korea- instead of bringing security, it is bring more danger. this apologism is the same reaction to the hailston incident: the pentagon was quick to defend hailston as having been effective in handling PR for other recent mishaps by military personnel, thus have no intention of removing him. both the american and japanese governments were quick to say, "well, he apologized," in hopes that that would fix everything and pacifiy the people. some are even saying (including hailson), "well, he had an emotional outbreak," as if he didn't mean what he said, as if he had become possessed by a demon that made him say something he didn't agree with! if anything, the hailston incident illustrates that we cannot trust the PR gestures by the military (tatamae). they will cry about having been "good neighbors" by having a beach clean-up, visiting an orphanage, planting a tree, sharing a festival, etc. but, these were never asked for by the okinawan people- we've only asked that they respect local wishes for them to leave safely, and prosper with peace for the well-being of their own communities. similarly, they (the military) cry that they've done nothing, but give okinawa economic benefits. what a paternal attitude! again, okinawans didn't asked to be dragged into a military economic system. if they want to help us, support our self-reliance and self-determination- and end this dysfunctional economic system which needs war or perceived enemies to sustain itself. the military cries about protecting us- crimes against children and women? PCB and depleted uranium contamination? ceaseless accidents? low-birth weight amongst babies? fires? red-soil erosion? exploitation of pilippinas? economic dependancy? what kind of protection is this?!? what protection can they offer, when they cannot even protect their email? they make us/okinawa a target, not safer. with "good neighbors" like this, who needs "enemies?!" hailston attacked particular politicians for being "wimps." is that because they didn't enforce their views over popular sentiment, like a military dictator? perhaps, these particular politicians have been "wimps," for they dance with the military, then speak rhetorically about base reductions. personally, i don't know that it matters if hailston is removed or not- if okinawans feel satisfied that hailston is removed, if he was removed, it still wouldn't eliminate bases problems, thus falsely satisfying some okinawans. we must not make hailston the center of attention, but him as just one of many, many grievances against militarization, including SDF, in okinawa.
yuimaaru/ho`opili/solidarity,
pete shimazaki doktor
The voice of the people--from a February 15, 2001 rally
There were many active people in front of the Okinawa Prefecture building. Each carried placards and read their messages that they prepared in order to articulate their feelings toward U.S. military bases and the Hailston incident in particular. Later in the event, the organizers passed out peanuts, with the "nuts & wimps" translation and comment. There was also media coverage with three TV stations and two local newspapers. The three other mainland newspapers including the Asahi News came too.
February 8,2001
An Open Letter to Lt.Gen. Hailston
I think you have some misunderstandings.
1. You said that the Marines have been hurt by being told "We hate you" even though you were invited here. Okinawa has never invited you. It is the Japanese Central Government in Tokyo that has invited you. Not us, Okinawa. You US Forces are "uninvited guests" who landed,destroyed everything in a war Okinawa didn't start, and have remained here ever since.
2. The President of your country, when he came here last July, said to The Governor Inamine "Thank you for your leadership here." And now you have criticized the same person as a "nut" and a "wimp" because he didn't prevent the Prefectural Assembly from passing a resolution calling for a reduction in the Marine presence here. You two seem to think the Governor of Okinawa is a person whose job is to govern Okinawa for the USA. But the Gorverneris a person who is elected by the Okinawan people to administer here. Who has the right to criticize or support him? We, Okinawan people have that right. Not you, neither the US Forces nor the U.S.Gorverment.
3. It is natural that you sometimes want to speak ill of somebody. I am sorry for you that you are blamed because what you said in "private" was unveiled. But it is also natural that your "private" statement would become a big political issue since it was revealed at a time when the presence of US Forces in Okinawa is being intensely discussed.
May I give you some advice to you ?
You should visit the buildings of the Prefectural Government, the Prefectural Assembly and the City Hall of Kin to meet the people you spoke ill of and apologize directly, bowing. And then you should resign your office.
You should resign because you have insulted all Okinawans. And you should resign because as a person who does not correctly recognize the position of the US Forces in Okinawa as an "uninvited guest," you are not fit to be their commander in chief.
Truly,
Chinen Ushi
To Hailston:
There are not many things we want to tell you. It is very dissapointing that the United Stated did not punish you for your inappropriate action. Although the Okinawan officials accepted your apology, it is hard to perceive any form of respect from you.
You have mentioned in the past about your boys causing troubles, but this e-mail message incident has made you troublesome like others.
And here we we have again, another crime by one of the Marines at Camp Hansen. I seriously doubt your capability to handle them and you may want to consider reducing the number of marines on the island for your own safety and to maintain your dignity.
(Remember that if a marine screws up, you get screwed up too!)
The translation for Hailston's interview with Okinawa Times:
....I was emotional. That hurt my feeling. Thus I reply back, that I did not get any support. I did not feel any public support for all of the good things that we do, for the help in the school, for what we are doing for the Y2K last year, for what we have done with orphanages, how we help in towns, how we help Meiou University, what our families do by volunteering the Hansen community, the money we provide, the jobs we provide, I was given no credit for that. I am looking what I have done in for the 2 years and one incident is added on to my back and I am getting any credit for that.
Because of that, my emotions were on my stand. I think you can understand that. And the private conversation like you have, I am sure on several occasion in the privacy in your office have vented your emotions. And as you vent those emotions, you say things that you would never say publicly that in fact in your heart, you don’t mean, but you need to get those emotions out of your body. So that you can go out and face the world in the proper, polite, correct mannerE
Please send your opinions and messages to share with others! redcard2usbase@hotmail.com
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