People of Takae, Okinawa, Continue Fighting against US Marines Helipads

 

On July 22, members of Education Workers and Amalgamated Union Osaka (EWA) visited Takae of Higashi Village, Okinawa. On the same day last year, hundreds of police riot squad officers sent from across the country violently removed citizens protesting against the construction of helipads for U.S. Marine Corp’s MV22 Ospreys in front of the N1 Gate to the Northern Training Area in order to begin construction of new helipads in three zones there. It was just a few hours after Okinawans clearly showed with the result of a national election their strong will against the construction of new facilities for U.S. military that the Japanese government perpetrated the act of violence.
ISA Ikuko of the Association of Takae Residents against the Helipads briefed the union members on the present status of the helipad construction at the tent set up by protesters across the road from the N1 Gate.

The construction had been suspended for three months from March 1 during the nesting period of the Pryer's woodpecker, an indigenous species of the area designated as a national natural treasure. But, it was only the work with large noises that was suspended and other types of construction work had been continued. Then, as of July 1, the full scale construction work resumed.

The helipad construction has caused massive destruction of the rich forest of uniquely high level of biodiversity in Takae, the home of many species that are not found elsewhere in the world. The Japanese government has submitted a recommendation to UNESCO to register the forest as a world natural heritage while creating an environment there in which the precious indigenous species are threatened by noise, heat and blast the MV22 Ospreys generate, which also frustrates Takae residents.

“Our struggle so far was to prevent the construction of the helipads. From now on, we have to continue fighting to prevent the use of them,” said ISA.The struggle of the people of Takae is still on-going, but, since the start of reclamation work for the construction of the new base in Henoko the number of supporters who join the protest actions in Takae are decreasing. They are afraid that their struggle be forgotten with the completion of the construction work. Solidarity to the people there is much needed now.  (By OTSUBAKI Yuko)

 ヘリパッドを使わせない闘い続く～沖縄・高江を訪ね て

７月22日、大阪教育合同労働組合（以下、教育合 同）の組合員たちが、沖縄県東村高江のN１ゲート前を訪れた。ち ょうど１年前の同日、全国から集められた数百人の機動隊が押し 寄せ、ヘリパッド建設に反対する市民を暴力的に排除しN１ゲート 前を制圧、工事着工を強行した場所である。参院選で、辺野古新基 地建設や高江ヘリパッド建設に反対する伊波洋一さん（現参議院 議員）が、当時現職だった島尻安伊子沖縄担当相を大差で破り、歓 喜に湧いた数時間後に、市民の命を危険に曝す強制排除は行われ た。教育合同の一行は、その日、キャンプシュワブ前で開催され た辺野古新基地建設に反対する「辺野古・大浦湾の埋め立てを止 めよう！人間の鎖大行動」に参加。その後、高江に移動したため 到着は夕刻近く、その頃には座り込みを続けている市民は帰途に 着いていた。それでも､工事車両が出入りする入口付近を軌道隊車 両と、15名ほどのALSOKの警備員たちが塞いでいた。（大椿裕 子）

Protest against derogatory remarks by police officers from Osaka

 

On October 18^th, riot police officers deployed from Osaka made discriminatory remarks to citizens protesting against the construction of helipad for US Marines in Takae, Okinawa. The two police officers in their twenties used “Dojin” and “Shinajin”, a derogatory word for natives and Chinese, respectively. On October 19^th, a protest was held in front of the Osaka Police headquarters. When such protest actions are held there, the police immediately intervene to stop the action. But, the police were just keeping a close eye on the protesters, since there were many TV cameras on site. The protesters raised voices of anger and sorrow, demanding apology from the police for discrimination against the people of Okinawa. Many speakers pointed out that the political climate in Osaka dominated by the right wing party, Ishin-no-kai, was at the roots of this discriminatory and arrogant behavior. (OTSUBAKI Yuko)

差別助長の政治こそ問題～「土人発言」大阪府警本部前で抗議行動

沖縄県東村高江で、ヘリパッド建設に反対する市民に対し、大阪府警の20代の機動隊員が、「土人」「シナ人」と侮蔑的な発言をしたことを受け、10月19日（水）17時から、大阪府警本部前で抗議行動が行われ、約70名が参加しました。通常、抗議行動が始まるとすぐさま止めに入る大阪 府警も、この日はテレビカメラを意識してか遠巻きから様子をうかがっていました。参加者からは次々と悲しみと怒りに溢れたアピールが行われ、そびえ立つ大阪府警のビルに向かって、「大阪府警は大阪帰れ」「大阪府警は謝罪しろ」「沖縄差別を許さない」などの力強いシュプレヒコ ールが繰り返されました。印象的だったのは、大阪府警の傲慢で、暴力的かつ差別的な言動の根源は、維新の会による政治を許してきた大阪の状況にあるのではないかと話す人々が多くいたことです。（大椿裕子）

Protect the nature and the lives of the people in Takae!〜forcible removal of the sit-in tent is imminent at N1 rear gate

 I arrived at Takae in Okinawa Prefecture in early morning of July 27. I drove through Route 70 surrounded by northern Okinawa’s evergreen oak rainforest to the Takae district. When I entered the district, I passed many police vehicles and defense agency vehicles from all over Japan. As I was coming closer to the sit-in tent, I felt the atmosphere subsequently became intense and heavy. In order to build forcibly the helipad for the Osprey, more than 500 riot police were mobilized from various places in the main island of Japan such as Naniwa, Izumi, Tama, Adachi, Nerima, Aichi, Chiba and Kanagawa to come to Takae, which is a small village with a population of about 150. Everyday trucks, guarded by many riot police officers and security guards, carry construction materials through the gate in front of the N1 tent. Before dawn on July 22, five days before my arrival at Takae, the riot police removed violently the residents and supporters staging a sit-in there, the N1 tent as a foothold for protest and then brought in three hydraulic power shovels and gravel trucks. They also set up a station forcibly. The watch-gates in two places were blocked with fences, and a part of the sit-in tent at the N1 rear gate was also fenced in. (HOSHINO Megumi)

 高江の生活と自然を守ろう！～「N1裏テン ト」の強制撤去迫る

 7月27日早朝、私は沖縄・高江に到着した。イタジイ の緑深い県道を走って高江区に入ると、日本全国から集まった警 察車両や防衛局の車両とすれ違い、座り込みテントに近づくほど ものものしい空気が伝わってきた。なにわ、和泉、多摩、足立、 練馬、愛知、千葉、神奈川。全国から500名以上の機動隊員が、人 口150人ほどのこの小さな高江に、オスプレイパッド建設の工事強 行のために集まっている。メインのN1テント前のゲートからは、 たくさんの機動隊員たちと警備員たちによって守られたトラック が連日、建設のための資材を運んでいる。私が着いた朝から遡る こと5日、7月22日の未明。機動隊は座り込む住民や支援者たちを 暴力的に排除し、“座り込み拠点であるN1テントの強制撤 去”“ユンボ3台と砂利輸送車の搬入”“詰所の設置”を強行し た。2ヶ所ある監視ゲートもフェンスで封鎖され、N1裏テントの一 部もフェンスで囲われてしまった。（ほしのめぐみ）