Japan Peace Conference 2007
Special Reports
Teruo Onishi
Nago Peace Committee chair
Nago Council against the Construction of the US On-Sea Heliport member
Assessment Monitoring Mission Steering Committee member
For our third victory
1. We won twice
In our 10-year struggles, we have won twice. First, on December 21, 1997, we refused by plebiscite the plan to construct an on-sea heliport, which was a victory of democracy. The second time was that on September 2, 2005, we succeeded in dismantling drilling derricks after a year-and-half sit-in protest both on the beach and the sea. This was made possible through a series of concerted actions with the worldwide support growing out of the unity of the efforts for promotion of culture of peace and for the preservation of biodiversity.
2. Change in the "Japan-U.S. Alliance: Transformation for Future," and U.S. ambitions
The U.S. military realignment has entered into a new phase, following the plan presented on October 29, 2005 to build a new base offshore, and the other to build a V-shaped runway as shown in a roadmap published on May 1, 2006.
I have posted articles to two Okinawa local papers criticizing the U.S. military realignment plan by defining a new base as a "satanic fort-like secret base" and the construction process as "gang-like environment impact assessment." The so-called "dugong lawsuit," which we had filed in the United States, revealed the whole picture of a satanic fort-like secret base.
Our on-sea protests and public statements against the plan have uncovered the illegality of preliminary survey as well as the secrecy of the document on assessment methods. Let's look at cases in Henoko and Takae with pictures we showed in the "dugong lawsuit."
1) The sea and forest are filled with biodiversity.
2) The United States wanted Henoko, so that would allow it to have the military port, ammunitions, and exercises organically combined.
3) Dugong's right to nature exposes the dangerous nature of Osprey aircraft and the V-shaped runway.
4) Okinawa is the most dangerous island of the world (Back to the image 60,61,14).
3. Where we stand in the struggle against the document on assessment methods in the Okinawa Prefecture Environmental Assessment Council and towards a concerted struggle
With completion slated for 2014, the roadmap presents procedures, including environmental assessment, application for reclamation, construction of working yard, and main construction. Thus, a lot of problems are waiting ahead of our struggles, and currently we are focusing on: (i) sit-in protest (July 2) in Takae in which this tenacious protest (till next February, according to the construction schedule) has a significant meaning; (ii) activities to stop and monitor the illegal preliminary survey (1405 days) in Henoko to reveal the secrecy of the assessment; and (iii) intensive deliberations with the Okinawa governor on Dec.21 for the ordinance and Jan. 21 for the law.
The need now is to form a moving body, which is united with movements calling for easing burdens and strengthening deterrence, to form systematic cooperation among peace and environmental citizens groups, to form a concerted and concentrated struggle to rouse public awareness, and to study. The "statement of position" made by an assessment watchdog group is the best document now available in Japan to help your understanding of Japanese environmental assessment and a V-shaped coast.
Pressed by our consistent efforts and from interdisciplinary viewpoints, the assessment council has shown the contradiction in which it mentioned a possible pass-back of the "document describing assess-methods."
Strong public energy will form a struggle to meet the need of the time by overturning LDP-Komei politics.
Dugongs and Noguchigera (Okinawa woodpecker) make Henoko and Takae known to the world.
We must bring together all peace-loving people's efforts in the world.
Let's create a culture of peace in the 21st century by shifting from the culture of 20th century-like violence created by Bush and the Japanese government!
