[Peace-discuss] Fw: Respect Democracy in Japan

[Jenifer Cartwright]

Another petition for a worthy cause. --Jenifer

--- On Tue, 2/9/10, Just Foreign Policy <info at justforeignpolicy.org> wrote:

From: Just Foreign Policy <info at justforeignpolicy.org>
Subject: Respect Democracy in Japan
To: jencart13 at yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 3:45 PM


    
        
    
    
        
        
        Dear Jenifer,

Write to President Obama and Congress and urge them to respect democracy in Japan by relocating the Marine air base in Futenma out of Okinawa..


Voters in Japan have spoken. They don't want the Futenma US military base in Okinawa. But instead of respecting the will of the majority of Japanese voters, US officials have tried to bully the newly elected reformist Japanese government into reneging on its election promise to remove the US military base from Okinawa.  



Would you join us in urging President Obama and Congress to respect democracy in Japan?   



http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/okinawa 



Last summer, Japan had a national election. Yukio Hatoyama, the new prime minister whose coalition won the election, campaigned on a promise to move the US military's Futenma base off Okinawa. But US officials pressured the Japanese government to break its election pledge, [1]   warning the Japanese government of "serious consequences" if it did not accept the base, the Washington Post reported. [2] Threats by US Defense Secretary Gates caused Japanese news media to describe him as a "bully," the New York Times reported. [3] 



But according to Kyodo News, Okinawa's governor said Okinawa residents "are insistent" that the base be relocated out of Okinawa. [4] 



In late January, voters in the Okinawan town of Nago elected a mayor who pledged to oppose the relocation of the U.S. Futenma air base to their town. [5] The Washington Post noted that construction of the air base in Nago would "require a massive landfill in a picturesque stretch of waters now used by fishermen and snorkelers," and that the base "is opposed by environmentalists who have filed a lawsuit saying it would destroy habitat of the rare dugong, a manatee-like sea mammal."  



Adding insult to injury, Japanese taxpayers have to pay $2 billion a year to support a military base that they don't want. [6]  



Please join us in urging President Obama and Congress to respect democracy in Japan. 



http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/okinawa



Thank you for all you do to help bring about a just foreign policy, 



Sarah Burns, Megan Iorio, Chelsea Mozen and Robert Naiman

Just Foreign Policy 



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References: 



1. "Mayor-Elect in Okinawan City Opposes U.S. Base," Martin Fackler, New York Times, January 25, 2010 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/world/asia/25okinawa.html

2. "U.S. Pressures Japan On Military Package," John Pomfret and Blaine Harden, Washington Post, October 22, 2009

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/21/AR2009102100746.html

3. "Okinawans Grow Impatient With Dashed Hopes On U.S. Base, Martin Fackler, New York Times, November 12, 2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/world/asia/12okinawa.html?_r=1

4. "Locals Don't Want Futenma: Nakaima," Kyodo News, Jan. 10, 2010 

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100110a2.html

5. "Mayor's election in Okinawa is setback for U.S. air base move," Blaine Harden, Washington Post, January 25, 2010

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/24/AR2010012401450.html

6. "Japan balks at $2 billion bill to host US troops," Eric Talmadge, Associated Press, February 7, 2010

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/07/AR2010020700012.html

        
        

        
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