Appeal for Human Rights in Okinawa

Supposedly disappointed by a court decision against him, Governor of Okinawa looked to the world. Governor Denny Tamaki gave a speech at United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on September 19th, appealing that the human rights were severely damaged in Okinawa. To reconfirm its legitimacy and downgrade Okinawa’s protest, the government of Japan took another step to continue the landfill in Henoko for new military base. The government still shows no sign to exercise its “capability of listening” to local voices, which is a slogan of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

By the decision of Supreme Court earlier this month, which dismissed Okinawa’s appeal, accepting the landfill in Henoko became a legal mandate for Tamaki. Frustrated with the result, Tamaki chose the 54th session of UNHRC, beginning September 11th in Geneva, Switzerland, for his stage to argue the inhumanity of Japanese government. He insisted that building the base would be against the will of the people in Okinawa shown in the referendum in 2019, in which over 70% of voters refused building the base. The issue came into the agenda of UNHRC regular meeting, paralleled with the human rights issues in Sudan, Afghanistan or Myanmar.

 

So, what exactly is the violation of human rights? Tamaki explained the heavy burden of US military bases in Okinawa. “On the land of only 0.6% of whole Japan, 75% of US bases in Japan is concentrated,” told Tamaki. He asked the world to closely watch the situation that peace is threatened there and equal access to decision making is denied. He also required further diplomatic efforts of the related governments to implement the Declaration on the Right to Peace resolved in UN General Assembly in 2016, which says “Everyone has the right to enjoy peace such that all human rights are promoted and protected and development is fully realized.”

 

The speech on human rights in Okinawa was also given by former governor Takeshi Onaga in 2015. Mostly the same appeal by Tamaki eight years later indicates no change in the situation. The government of Japan has been enhancing its defense capability to deal with the change of regional security environment. Experienced tragic loss of one quarter of the people in the Battle of Okinawa a few months before the end of World War II, Okinawa is strictly conscious of peace. Tamaki said that enhancement of military capability would be incompatible with Okinawa’s sentiment aspiring peace.

 

The government of Japan immediately objected against Tamaki. Following Tamaki’s speech, a person from the Permanent Mission of Japan to the International Organizations in Geneva addressed that the presence of US military in Okinawa would be important for Japan’s peace and stability, insisting that the presence was not based on the discrimination against Okinawa, but on geopolitical reasons and security necessity.

 

To Okinawa with governor’s absence, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Tetsuo Saito sent on Tuesday a recommendation for approval of revised plan for the landfill in Henoko. If Tamaki refuse it, the minister is likely to issue an order for the approval, possibly leading to another lawsuit for an execution by proxy. The government of Japan shows determination to proceed in building new military base for United States.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Amendment of Local Autonomy Law

The House of Representatives started discussion on revision of the Local Autonomy Law, which would vest the national government a power to instruct local government in an emergency. It may change the relationship between the national and local government, which has been recognized as equal. The opposition parties oppose the amendment, arguing that it would give the national government an excessive power.   With the Meiji Restoration, the national government abolished the feudal system, introducing modern governance. However, its autonomy was not sufficient. The governor of each prefecture was appointed by the national government. The local governments subordinated to the national government. It was as late as 2000 when  the Comprehensive Decentralization Law  was enacted and the relationship between the national and local government was defined as equal.   The national government found inconvenience in the relationship between the national and local government, when ...
Read more

Request for Final Nuclear Disposal Site

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry requested Genkai Town, Saga, to accept “literature survey” for building a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste. Genkai is going to answer within this month. If it accepts, it will be the third place to accept that survey, following two places in Hokkaido. Main reason to accept the survey is supposed to be subsidy from the national government.   Japan has no final disposal site. Among all 54 reactors in 17 nuclear power generation plant, 12 reactors of 6 plants are operating. The rest of them are not in operation, some of which are determined to be decommissioned. Used nuclear fuels are stocked in each plant, 　 or have sent to a reprocessing plant in Rokkasho, Aomori. There are two plans to stock nuclear wastes in the intermediate facility for disposal, one is already built and another is still in negotiation.   Nuclear Fuel Final Disposal Act in 2000 determines to bury nuclear waste in the underground. Literature survey, ...
Read more

Not A Royal Wedding

The bride called her husband an indispensable existence and their marriage was necessary choice to protect their mind. The groom insisted on his life as only once and his right to be with his loved one. Her father wanted his daughter’s marriage to be celebrated by the people. The people were not sure whether the family was happy as a whole. Is this the traditional Japanese social system that makes no one happy? Mako Komuro, as known as Princess Mako during her life in one of the royal family Akishino, held on Tuesday a press conference with her husband Kei Komuro, right after submitting marriage report to local government. It was something different from ordinary Q&A session, because Mako was afraid of her mental uneasiness brought by some questions not based on truth. So, the event was actually one-sided speech to the reporters. Mako emphasized that the Kei’s decision of studying abroad five years ago had not been his original idea, but a result of her request to establish an over...
Read more