Locals are sidelined as US and Japan battle over Okinawa

Sat, Nov 14, 2009

The people of Okinawa now know that campaign pledges are empty promises, writes DAVID McNEILL in Tokyo

THEY COME bearing liberal dreams, the leaders of the world's two largest economies, popular reforming politicians propelled into office on the promise of sweeping change. Few places offer a better example of the dangers of betraying those dreams than Japan.

US president Barack Obama and Japan's prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, met in Tokyo yesterday to exchange a now-standard affirmation of warm ties and to pledge co-operation on climate change and their battered economies.

Lurking in the background, however, is a simmering row over Japan's powerful US military presence, which could rupture the security alliance binding the two countries for half a century.

The burden of supporting the alliance mostly falls on Okinawa, Japan's subtropical southernmost prefecture, which hosts three- quarters of the entire US military presence in Japan.

Sixty-four years since they waded ashore during the Battle of Okinawa - one of the bloodiest of the second World War - US bases still occupy about a fifth of the main island, within striking distance of North Korea and China.

The US facilities include Futenma, a giant marine air base in the centre of densely populated Ginowan city. Noise, pollution, military crimes and the fear of fatal accidents are constant irritants.

Local people talk routinely of being an outpost of empire.

"Futenma is one of the most dangerous bases in the world and should be closed immediately," said Yonekichi Shinzato, a member of Okinawa's local parliament.

Hatoyama's Democratic Party swept aside the conservative Liberal Democrats (LDP) in September, ending half a century of almost unbroken US-friendly rule and promising to strike for greater independence from Washington.

Pre-election tough talk included a "drastic" reduction in Okinawa's unequal burden and the promised relocation of Futenma off the island, or even outside Japan, but the realities of power seem to have weakened his resolve.

"During the election campaign, I stated that we would relocate outside Okinawa," Hatoyama said yesterday. "The Okinawans have high expectations . . . so we will make every effort to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. I hope the solution will strengthen the alliance."

Japanese defence secretary Toshimi Kitazawa has accepted that moving the base will be "difficult". To enforce the point, Washington unleashed a diplomatic barrage on Japan culminating in a blunt October statement by US defence secretary Robert Gates that the debate on Futenma was over and it was "time to move on".

Washington and Tokyo measure Okinawa's unhappiness by the size of anti-base demonstrations. Last weekend more than 20,000 people came out to demand that Hatoyama fulfil his pledges.

In 1995, larger protests after the rape and beating of a 12-year- old girl by two marines and a sailor forced the US and Japan to promise to return Futenma - with extraordinary conditions.

A replacement base would have to be constructed off the coast of Heneko - one of Okinawa's most pristine and environmentally rich areas.

The Guam Treaty also called for 8,000 of the island's 25,000 US troops to be shipped out of Okinawa to Guam at a cost to Japanese taxpayers of $6.09 billion (€4.08 billion).

The treaty, pushed through the Diet in May by the dying LDP administration, ignored Okinawans and many have reacted with fury. Despite years of dispute on Okinawa over the bases, polls show opinion hardening against the government.

Expecting liberal change from Obama, many have been surprised at the vehemence of his administration, especially when Gates cracked the whip again, calling Heneko the linchpin without which all deals were off.

That leaves Hatoyama in a dilemma: concede US demands and he risks appearing weak and detonating the anger that simmers beneath Okinawa; reject them and he incurs the wrath of Washington.

© 2009 The Irish Times