Nago Mayor sends letter to international intellectuals who oppose Henoko relocation

Nago Mayor sends letter to international intellectuals who oppose Henoko relocation

Copies of the letter sent to 29 international intellectuals including filmmaker Oliver Stone.


February 22, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

On February 21, Nago Mayor Susumu Inamine sent a letter to 29 international intellectuals who released a statement that opposes moving U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the Henoko district in Nago. These intellectuals include filmmaker Oliver Stone.

Inamine wrote in the letter that Nago citizens are buoyed by their support for the will of the Okinawan people. He will visit the United States to voice his opposition to Henoko relocation plan before December. Inamime asked the intellectuals to support this move.

The letter is two pages-long and is A4 size written in English. Inamine put his signature on the end of it.

The intellectuals released the statement on January 7. Inamine sent the letter to the initial signers of the statement, including linguist Noam Chomsky and John W. Dower, professor emeritus of history at Massachusetts Institute and Pulitzer Prizewinner. He plans to send letters to another 74 intellectuals, including political scholar Johan Galtung who signed the statement.

In the letter, Inamine severely criticizes Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima who approved the Henoko landfill. He wrote that the governor trampled on the will of the Okinawan people, something that is unacceptable behavior in a democracy, and that their anger has reached a climax. He went on to say that the Japanese government, which is forcing through the plan despite the reelection of Inamine, ignores the will of the Okinawan people. Inamine stressed the importance of directly voicing opposition in the United States.

(English translation by T&CT)

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