Myth, Protest and Struggle in Okinawa
Myth, Protest and Struggle in Okinawa
Myth, Protest and Struggle in Okinawa
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The third wave <strong>and</strong> beyond 175<br />
to life. That is why I th<strong>in</strong>k it’s important to stress the need to protect the local<br />
environment. Most people, even Nago citizens on the west side, have never<br />
seen what the ocean looks like <strong>and</strong> how beautiful it is. It is necessary to have<br />
everyone visit the east coast of Nago, <strong>and</strong> ask them, ‘What do you th<strong>in</strong>k? Are<br />
you go<strong>in</strong>g to let them build the new base here?’ It is important to start here<br />
[eastern Nago]. The Shiraho struggle has been very important because we were<br />
able to persuade the government to admit it would be wrong to build an airport<br />
on the world heritage coral reef. If we can make Nago home to lots of dugongs,<br />
the next struggle will be much easier.<br />
(Interview, February 2002)<br />
Just as Takaesu, Muzik, <strong>and</strong> Yamazato went to the 1988 session of IUCN <strong>in</strong><br />
Costa Rica to publicize the need for Shiraho coral conservation to the <strong>in</strong>ternational<br />
community, Higashionna, Takaesu Ayano, <strong>and</strong> other Ok<strong>in</strong>awan delegates went<br />
to the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Conference held <strong>in</strong> Amman, Jordan,<br />
<strong>in</strong> October 2001. The delegates demonstrated traditional Ok<strong>in</strong>awan eisah at the<br />
conference, prepared about five thous<strong>and</strong> leaflets written <strong>in</strong> English, T-shirts,<br />
<strong>and</strong> other dugong paraphernalia <strong>and</strong> lobbied for the support of resolution to<br />
protect Ok<strong>in</strong>awa dugongs (Interview, February 2002). They also submitted a<br />
petition with fifty thous<strong>and</strong> support<strong>in</strong>g citizens’ signatures to the IUCN, <strong>and</strong>, with<br />
the support of other English-speak<strong>in</strong>g environmental NGOs, successfully obta<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
an IUCN resolution, which recommended the US <strong>and</strong> Japanese governments to<br />
<strong>in</strong>troduce steps to protect dugongs. 45 The <strong>in</strong>ternational publicity of Ok<strong>in</strong>awan<br />
dugongs, follow<strong>in</strong>g a process of lobby<strong>in</strong>g, 46 <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational conferences on<br />
sea mammals <strong>and</strong> coral reef, 47 has alarmed many US-based environmental<br />
NGOs. The Center for Biological Diversity, with a coalition of US <strong>and</strong> Japanese<br />
environmentalist NGOs, filed a lawsuit <strong>in</strong> San Francisco District Court <strong>and</strong><br />
asked the US Department of Defense to comply with National Historic Preservation<br />
Act. In March 2005, the judge’s verdict ordered Rumsfeld to comply with the Act<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>vestigate the possible effect the airbase construction would have on the<br />
Ok<strong>in</strong>awa dugongs. 48 This news was reported with enthusiasm at the protest<br />
encampment site <strong>in</strong> Henoko. Here, the elderly Henoko Life Protection Society<br />
members <strong>in</strong> their eighties <strong>and</strong> n<strong>in</strong>eties <strong>and</strong> their supporters had been watch<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong><br />
obstruct<strong>in</strong>g the Japanese government’s geological survey that attempted to drill<br />
holes under water, which was a necessary procedure for the off-shore military<br />
airport construction. The sit-<strong>in</strong> <strong>and</strong> vigilance cont<strong>in</strong>ued around the clock unbroken<br />
from April 2004 to September 2005. In violent clashes with the survey boat crew,<br />
several protesters were <strong>in</strong>jured, <strong>and</strong> it was a miracle that no one was killed.<br />
Consequently, the US <strong>and</strong> Japanese governments gave <strong>in</strong> to the pressure of<br />
protesters locally <strong>and</strong> around the world. They, however, moved the planned<br />
construction site from the reef area <strong>in</strong> Henoko to Camp Schwab (to which the<br />
protesters cannot ga<strong>in</strong> access). 49 Noth<strong>in</strong>g is built yet, <strong>and</strong> Futenma Air Base has<br />
not moved after almost a decade s<strong>in</strong>ce its relocation was announced.