Okinawans say “No!”
Japanese Prime Minister Hatoyama has betrayed the Okinawan people. After months of waffling, he decides to go with the original plan to relocate Futenma base to Henoko and wants to “apologize” to the Okinawan people and asked them to “bear the burden”. Satoko Norimatsu who writes the Peace Philosopy Blog posted the following article.
In Okinawa, protest followed Hatoyama around the island. Thanks to the Kyoto Action blog: http://blog.goo.ne.jp/chuy/ and Jean Downey for sharing the information.
9 a.m. – 400 people gather at the Okinawa Prefecture Office
Prefectural Assembly members remind the Hatoyama Administration: “Keep your campaign pledges!”
Futenma Volunteer Group and Ti-da Organization oppose bases at Futenma
4 pm – Protesters at Camp Schwab insisting, “We have the right to say NO!”
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http://peacephilosophy.blogspot.com/2010/05/i-want-to-apologize-to-okinawan-people.html
Monday, May 03, 2010
“I want to apologize to Okinawan People.” 「沖縄の人々に陳謝したい。」
こんな裏切りというものがあるのだろうか。
What a betrayal.
According to Rykyu Shimpo, May 4, Hatoyama flew in Okinawa with an SDF aircraft, and met with Governor Nakaima on the morning of May 4. Hatoyama told him that relocating Futenma overseas was “impossible,” from the “deterrance perspective.” It was “not realistic” to relocate it completely out of the prefecture either. “I would have to ask people of Okinawa to bear burden.”
Nakaima responded merely by asking the Prime Minister to receive the Okinawan’s voice sincerely and to try to reduce the burden of Okinawans and to eliminate the danger of Futenma Air Station.
Hatoyama arrived in Naha in a Self Defense Force aircraft at 9 AM, and went to pay tribute at the cemetery for the war-dead in Itoman City before he met with the Governor.
On the afternoon of the same day, he is scheduled to visit an elementary school near Futenma to talk to citizens, then to Nago, to meet with the anti-base mayor Inamine and to visit Camp Schwab.
For the first time since taking office, Hatoyama set his foot in Okinawa, in a military aircraft.
On the day after the 63rd anniversary of Japan’s post-war Peace Constitution coming into effect, its Prime Minister virtually reinforced that Article 9 had never applied to Okinawa and it never would.
Eleven days before the 38th anniversary of Okinawa’t return to Japan, Okinawans were told that it would always stay as a military colony.
Only 9 days after the historic rally in which Okinawans once again opposed to a new base, a plan to build a brand-new Marine air station over the pristine ocean off Henoko is announced, just like that.
At the Itoman cemetery, what did Hatoyama have to tell the dead souls of Okinawans and their unborn children?
PeacePhilosopher
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