Posts Tagged: Movements and Resistance

Around the Globe, US Military Bases Generate Resentment, Not Security

Writing on the Nation blog, Katrina vanden Heuvel zeroes in on the social and financial costs of U.S. foreign military bases: As we debate an exit from Afghanistan, it’s critical that we focus not only on the costs of deploying the current force of more than 100,000 troops, but also on the costs of maintaining permanent… Read more »

Ainu and Okinawan Human Rights- United Nations Forum on indigenous issues

A coalition of Asian Indigenous Peoples advocacy groups delivered a Collective Statement to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, in United Nations Headquarters, New York, 16-27 May, 2011, which brings up the issue of U.S. militarization in Okinawa (Henoko & Takae) < http://okinawabd.ti-da.net/e3421074.html>.    The groups utilized the U.N. Declaration on on the Rights… Read more »

Updates on Jeju island resistance to military base expansion

MacGregor Eddy posted on the Facebook group Save Prof Yang and Sung Hee-Choi of Jeju Island that “Yang Yoon-Mo after 60 day hunger strike is released. Sung-Hee Choi goes on trial June 10. Keep writing those letters to Korean embassies, they are having an effect.”   Both Professor Yang and Sung Hee Choi have begun to… Read more »

Bring War Dollars Home by Closing Down Bases

This article by Christine Ahn and Sukjong Hong came out a few months ago, but it is very relevant to the struggles happening in Jeju, Okinawa, Guam and Hawai’i. >><< Bring War Dollars Home by Closing Down Bases http://www.fpif.org/articles/bring_war_dollars_home_by_closing_down_bases By Christine Ahn and Sukjong Hong Foreign Policy in Focus March 31, 2011 On the eighth anniversary of… Read more »

19-year-old Marine dead after fall from Waikiki hotel

A 19-year-old Marine stationed at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii Kaneʻohe Bay fell from a Waikiki hotel Saturday morning and died from his injuries.  The Honolulu Star Advertiser identified the man as Private 1st Class Luke Monahan, 19, of Palos Verdes, California.  The newspaper reports “Monahan joined the Marines at the age of 18 and… Read more »

“I walked out of the back door of the Navy and into the front door of the newspaper”

The recent disclosure of a military emails discussing how the military can buy local support for proposed military activities in the Pågat have caused an uproar in Guåhan (Guam).    Kaua’i writer and film maker Koohan Paik pointed out another facet to the the Marianas Variety article.  The article referred to an earlier incident involving racist… Read more »

Deception and Diplomacy: The US, Japan, and Okinawa

Distinguished Asia scholar Gavan McCormack has published in the Asia Pacific Journal an excellent analysis of the recent developments in U.S.-Japan relations and the deceptions and subservient posture that lay behind Japan’s decisions.  It is important reading to understand the politics of the Okinawa situation: For the student of contemporary Japan, these are sad times,… Read more »

Pågat ‘sweeteners’ leave a bitter taste

The Navy has displayed its arrogance and hostility towards the people Guahan (Guam) once again with a leaked email that basically calls for bribing the local residents in order to “isolate” opponents of military expansion plans in the Pågat cultural area.   See the article below from the Marianas Variety and the incriminating email. Here’s a… Read more »

Call for solidarity with Jeju anti-bases activists

Resistance to a military base on the island of Jeju (South Korea) are at a critical stage.  One of the leaders of the protest movement Professor Yang was arrested and has been on a hunger strike for 50 days.  Another artist and activist Sung Hee Choi was recently arrested for holding a banner at the… Read more »

Revision of base realignment in Asia could affect Hawai’i troop numbers

Senator Jim Webb, D-Va, suggested that the military revise its plans to relocate marines from Okinawa to Guam.   But this could mean a military expansion for Hawai’i: An influential U.S. senator is questioning a plan to relocate 8,000 Marines and their families from Okinawa to Guam and says an alternative would be to rotate… Read more »