Mahalo to Makiko SATO for translating the following message from Hiroshi ASHITOMI, one of the leaders in the anti-bases movement in Okinawa. Ashitomi-san visited Hawai’i at the invitation of the Hawai’i Okianwa Alliance to build support for the Henoko struggle.
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Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 11:32 AM
Subject: 安次富浩さんからの談話 ,（辺野古浜通信）
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鳩山の裏切り（公約違反）に対して、絶望しない。 金持ちボンボンの鳩山に失望したけれど わたしたちは、子どもたちのため、この海を守る夢があります。
Though we have been disappointed at Hatoyama, a wealthy naive son, we will not be in despair towards his betrayal, for we have the dream of saving this sea for the sake of our children.
埋立の代わりに、環境破壊しないという杭打ち提案は、環境を知らない無知の戯言である。 徳之島は、琉球弧の兄弟島である。琉球史を知らぬ官僚どもの提案は、断じて許せない。 徳之島は琉球圏内であり、県外ではない。
The new suggestion of the pile-driving construction method instead of the reclamation, on the excuse of less harm to the environment, is a lie deriving from the ignorance of those unfamiliar with the environment. Tokunoshima is a brother island of Okinawa in the Arc of Ryukyu. We never forgive this new suggestion made by bureacrats who know nothing about the history of Ryukyu. Tokunoshima is within the range of Okinawa, not outside of Okinawa.
新たな闘いを徳之島の皆さんと沖縄県民、全国の人々とともに 立ち上がっていきます。
We will stand up for a new fight, along with people of Tokunoshima, people of Okinawa, and those in the rest of Japan.
勝利は、主権者たるわたしたち住民の側にあり、決して政治家の側にあるのではない。
Victory will be on the side of us local citizens as sovereigns. It will never be on the side of politicians.
by Hiroshi Ashitomi 安次富浩
http://henoko.ti-da.net/
* Hiroshi Ashitomi is an Okinawa-based lawyer and long-time activist. He participated in the establishment of what is called ‘One-Tsubo (3.3 sqm)-Landlord Campaign’ in 1982 for protecting Okinawa land from the expansion of the US bases in Okinawa, Now, he is leading the famous opposition activism on Henoko beach which has continued for quite a long time, and now has just turned out to be continuing further due to the US miliatry policy and Japanese bureacrats having interests in that.