Lummis urges Veterans for Peace to support retraction of Henoko relocation plan
Douglas Lummis calls for the VFP to support retraction of the Henoko relocation plan at University of California, Berkley.
August 16, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo
Sakae Toiyama reports from Washington DC
On August 14 at the 31st annual convention of the Veterans for Peace (VFP), a representative of the Ryukyu-Okinawa Chapter Douglas Lummis, and an associate of the same chapter Yoshikazu Makishi called for the VFP members to support retraction of the plan to relocate Futenma Air Station to Henoko.
Lummis reported that candidates who approve of the plan to relocate Futenma Air Station to Henoko are unable to win in Okinawa. To support this point, he mentioned the results of the Okinawa gubernatorial election, the Nago mayoral election, and the House of Councillors Okinawa district seat election.
Makishi talked about the construction of new helipads around Higashi Village, Takae that are precursors for returning a portion of the Northern Training Area to the Japanese government. He reported on the environmental destruction and protest movement related to this construction.
In Decemeber last year, Tarak Kauff of the VFP’s board of directors and VFP member Mike Hanes came to Okinawa to make a report on the condition of Okinawa at that time. Kauff announced that the VFP had been successful in establishing a chapter for Okinawa, and emphasized the importance of solidarity with the prefecture. Hanes touched on the violence of the US military at the time of the 1995 rape incident, which occurred while he was a Marine stationed in Okinawa. Speaking on this topic, he declared that nothing is born of violence.
On the last day of the VFP annual convention, members of the Ryukyu-Okinawa Chapter attended the closing ceremony, and held a discussion with a citizen’s group in San Francisco, before departing.
(English translation by T&CT and Erin Jones)
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