Urgent Call for Henoko, Okinawa

"Japanese Government points gun at Okinawans for the first time since World War II."

According to news reports, the Japanese Government has dispatched the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force ship "Bungo" to Henoko, Okinawa. Bungo is a gun boat and minesweeper equipped with divers. It is reported the members of Maritime Self Defense Force will assist private contractors in the environmental "pre-survey" for the military off-shore base at Henoko.

The environmental assessment is an initiative of the Defense Facility Administration Bureau. Local groups and media, including T.V. Okinawa have noted that the Maritime Self Defense Force involvement in the Bureau's activity here is extremely unusual.

The details of the Maritime mission in Henoko remain unannounced. Although Yasuhisa Shiozaki, Chief Cabinet Secretary, said the Maritime Self Defense Force in Henoko is not tasked with suppression of local base opposition, Okinawans suffering from the U.S. presence and the Japanese government's discriminatory policies reacted with anger. In the early morning of May 14, about 300 people gathered at Henoko beach in the heavy rain. An 80 year-old man from Nago city did not hesitate to show his disapproval, "this act is a part of oppression against Okinawa by the Japanese military once again."

Mr. Natsume Taira, a chief of the local base opposition's canoe team remained confident , "We will continue to fight to stop the construction of the military base, which aims to kill people in this region and elsewhere."

The international anti-base community also has their eye on the people's struggle in Henoko. Ms. Corason Fabros from the International Network for the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases, Ms. Debbie Quinata from the Guam indigenous people's movement, Ms. Jun Jungsuk from SPARK (Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea) all participated in the morning gathering in Henoko to deliver their strong solidarity, and pledged their support for the Henoko Struggle.

In the evening , some 100 people joined the "Abolition of Military Bases In Asia" event organized by the Okinawa Citizens Coalition for Peace, in Naha City. Mr. Hiroshi Ashitomi, co-president of the Conference Opposing Heliport Construction, said "This act clearly shows how desperate the Japanese government is to make the new U.S. military base in Henoko against the wishes of the Okinawan people. This is a mess, Japanese democracy is rotting away."

The reports indicate that the survey will start ON MAY 16, 2007


1. WE CALL ON YOU TO SEND YOUR MESSAGE OF DISAPPROVAL.
Email, Fax, Phone statements of disapproval to the Japanese Government sending Japan Maritime Self Defense Force(JMSDF) to Henoko.

Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF)
Tel: +81-3-3268-3111
Email: mso-cadv@ic.jmsdf.go.jp

Japan Defense Facility Administration Agency (Naha Bureau)
Email: mso-cadv@ic.jmsdf.go.jp
Tel: +81-98-868-0174
Fax: +81-98-866-3375

Ministry of Defense
Tel: +81-3-5366-3111
Email: infomod@mod.go.jp

Japan Coast Guard, 11 Region Headquarter
Tel: +81-98-867-0118
E-mail(I¡§(Bsoumu-11@kaiho.mlit.go.jp

U.S. Councilor Office, Naha, Okinawa
+81-98-876-4211

U.S. Embassy in Tokyo
Tel: +3-3224-5000

2. Send your solidarity message to Henoko people

Heiwa Shimin Renrakukai
(Citizens Coalition for Peace, Naha, Okinawa)
Fax:+81-98-885 8230

Conference Opposing Heliport Construction (Nago,Okinawa)
Fax: +81-980-53-6992

For further information contact:
Ms. Suzuyo Takazato (Citizens Coalition for Peace,Naha, Okinawa)
Mobile number: +81-90-3072-0672
Fax: +81-98-864-1539


3. Send Messages, Opinions, Contributions to newspapers in Japan:

Okinawa Newspapers (less than 400 words)

Okinawa Times opinion@okinawatimes.co.jp

Ryukyu Shimpo
koe@ryuukyushimpo.co.jp

Yomiuri
https://app.yomiuri.co.jp/form/index.php

Asahi
http://www.asahi.com/reference/form.html

Mainichi
https://form.mainichi.co.jp/toiawase/

Nihon Keizai (Nihon Business)
webmaster@nikkei.co.jp

Sankei
u-service@sankei.co.jp

Tokyo Shinbun
https://cgi2.chunichi.co.jp/tko/hotline/form.shtml

Nikkan Gendai
http://gendai.net/?m=infotoiawase

Shinbun Akahata
hensyukoe@jcp.or.jp

Kyodo Tsushin
feedback@kyodonews.jp

Jiji Tsushin
https://www2.jiji.com/f/enq/form.php?pid=company

NHK [less than 400 words]
https://www.nhk.or.jp/css/goiken/bangumi.html

Nihon TV
https://www1.ntv.co.jp/staff/form.html

Fuji TV
https://wwws.fujitv.co.jp/safe/red_mpl/response/res_form.cgi

TV Asahi Hodo Station
http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/hst/contents/opinion/index_see.html

TV Tokyo
https://www2.tv-tokyo.co.jp/main/goiken.php