From the article of 'Petrel'
No.630 / May 25, 1997

Please send us your opinion and the impression about this article without reservation.

The problem of 25 years after Okinawa return

Rising distrust and angry to the government

Accomplish the class struggle to overthrow "The Japanese Imperialism"


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We received the 25th anniversary on this May 15 after Okinawa had returned to Japan. Okinawa was returned with the motto as "Without nucleus and mainland's standard," however the actual situation of "Okinawa held by base" was not changed. Especially, the disappointment feeling of the Okinawa prefecture's inhabitants to "Mother country Japan" extends by forcing the deterioration of the Special Measures Law of the U.S.Army stationing lands in April. "The Okinawa independent theory" surfaces in such circumstances, however it will not be the standpoint of the workers at all.

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Though "the Independence theory" in Okinawa is said to have appeared in each turning point of the Okinawa history, let's see the opinion of Tomotzune Oyama, the one-time mayor of Koza, on "The Asahi News Paper" May 15 here.

He was born in Koza City (the past Koshiki Village) and is 95 years old, worked as mayor Koza for 16 years from 1958. His village became military ground with the hand of the US Occupation Army in postwar days. The occupation army dispossessed the inhabitant by the bulldozer and 70% of the Koza City was made a base. He became mayor from the thought to have to do something in the circumstances that various tragedies and damages occured one after another, and he kept explaining "There are a lot of hopes in the future of the city when we make an effort," and that the situation would be improved if returned to the mother country. However, he says it changed still nothing though they won the return of their dearest wish in 1972.

"Okinawa returned to the mainland in 1972. Still, anything did not change either. The base remained and the event and the accident caused by the U.S.Army and the American soldier continued, too.

It is still the same now when 25 years were passed after the return. I have the strong thought what was changed from the Okinawa war when we were made as 'sacrifice' for the defense of mainland, and further that what was the 'mother country Japan' on the whole, too."

He questioned to himself again, the Okinawa war to be made the "sacrifice" of the defense of mother land, Okinawa of postwar days left under the rule of the US occupation army after independence of Japan, "the base island Okinawa" does not change at all though returned to the mother country, we have had enough of "the Miserable Okinawa" already, was Yamato the mother land to return?

The appearance of suffered Okinawa since the Meiji era is clarified here. The total area of the U.S.Army base occupies 24,000 hectares and 10 percent of the prefecture soil (It is 20 percent if limits to the Okinawa main island) now at the time of the 25th return anniversary. As for the area restored in 25 years, it was only 15% of the entire in Okinawa though 60% was restored in the mainland. Besides, 75% of the U.S.Army facilities in Japan concentrate on Okinawa. 70 percent of the base remains concentrating on Okinawa even if the final report of SACO announced last year is achieved. So, it leads to the conclusion for what was the return to the mother country on the whole.

Neither the economy nor the worker's state of Okinawa changed largely.

Though the increase rate of the work force population is 52% comparing the year before last with the return year and largely exceeds the population increase rate 31% between this, the second industry consisting of the manufacturing industry has not developed. The rate of the third industry of commerce and service, and so on, is large, it becomes 70 percent now from 60 percent at the return time, and it is highest level in whole country.

The ratio of complete unemployment exceeded 10% on the census of the year before last, and it is more than the average of whole country. The net income a month of the worker home was 397,000 yen on the average, it was 70 percent or less of the average of whole country and was the lowest rank in administrative divisions. The savings balance also remains in 40 percent or less of the nationwide average (Though prices are cheap).

Though the rate related to the army that occupies in the total expense of the inhabitants of the prefecture decreases from 15% to 5%, the total employee of the stationing army decreased about 20,000 persons to 8,000 persons, the appearance of Okinawa, "the Island in the base," did not change basically.

However, such a situation was inevitable in a sense. The reason for it is that, though "without the nucleus and mainland's standard" restoration was expressed 25 years ago, it is only the return in the monopolistic capital of Japan from the occupation rule of the U.S.Army. They expected the return to the "peaceful constitution," but the defeated Japanese ruling class had revived under the "peaceful constitution," had won the highly developed economic growth, and began to walk again on the road to the imperialist nation. The "Mother country" that Okinawa returned was not the nation that achieved "Peaceful island" Okinawa at all.

The military and geopolitic position of Okinawa became to compel Okinawa the role as the Eastern "front base" of Japan and USA. At first after the return as a start base of the Vietnam war, afterwards as the Far Eastern "Front base" by which to oppose the Sino-Soviet, and after the cold war it has become the center base of the Japan-U.S. rule class putting from Asia to the Middle East in view.

In "the Security Treaty Redefine" of last year, the rule person in Japan-U.S. confirmed the "important role" of the Okinawa base and the U.S.Army 100 thousands' person system in the Far East.

It was only a transient fantasy that Okinawa was reborn to "peaceful island" to return to Japan. The history of 25 years from the return might have clarified such existence of Okinawa again.

He indicts as follows in addition.

"About base for instance. If saying the base is necessary, how is the transference to the prefecture where Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto was borne. Prime Minister might say "Unpleasant." Does he press against Okinawa the unpleasant one? The girl rape event is also so. I wonder that the people of mainland say we do not know if a daughter of Okinawa is harmed."

His "distrust" to mainland and the government, the Liberal-Democratic Party, is definite. Actually, the government, the Liberal-Democratic Party did not seriously correspond to the girl rape event the year before last, the subsequent demands and fights of Okinawa. The reason for it is that even if Hashimoto and Kajiyama talked about "the Position of Okinawa being discriminated" and showed sympathy it was only the problem that should be subordinated to "the Security" of the entire nation.

The deterioration of the Special Measures Law in April plainly clarified the intention of the rule class of Japan. The party declared that the circumstances of Okinawa were not cared, that it did not mind to disregard the law for "the Safety of the nation," "National interest" gave priority over all. Moreover, 80 percent or 90 percent of the Diet member agreed with it. It was too natural that distrust and despair of Okinawa inhabitants of the prefecture to the government of mainland become definite.

Mr. Oyama continues as following.

"Let's stop already. We've had enough 'the Miserable Okinawa.' We are also fed up with 'Democracy' and 'Decision by majority.' Men's minds fall into disorder because there is a base. Therefore, the base is unnecessary. There might be an embarrassed person, too. It is likely to live in poverty for a while. Let's help each other in such case. Yamato (mainland) is not a mother country to return. From the rule of Yamato to 'Uchinah Yuu (Okinawa world).' There is nothing but 'the independent of Okinawa.' I became to think so from some time."

Both "Democracy" and "Decision by majority" were lies. "The Peaceful constitution" and "the Democracy" in postwar days were not the one promising "the Liberation from the base" of Okinawa. The truth of present "Democratic Country Japan" is exposed here. Thorough distrust to the Japanese government that keeps saying sympathy to Okinawa in the lip service and uses Okinawa as an island of the base, the political world of Japan covered with rot mentioning "Democracy." It shows that "the Democracy and the Peace" in postwar days was a fantasy and lies.

However, I wonder whether it is a surface that men's minds fall into disorder because there is a base. It is a fact that the U.S.Army base remains even after returning and the tragedies and the damages are repeated. However, it will not be limited to the U.S.Army. The similar tragedy will continue even if the Self Defense Forces takes the place. And, might it be actually possible to lose the base under the world rule of the imperialism of the reality?

The criticism to the base will not be consistent if not to turn to the one that makes the base inevitable, the rule of Japanese monopolistic capital. It must not be the "Independence" of Okinawa but be the road of the fight with the imperialism of Japan.

Anything did not change with the "Miserable position of Okinawa" though 25 years passed after the return either. Then, is the problem solved if becoming independent? It might be clear that the road is also difficult.

Though Okinawa might be able to grope for the road of "Independent Okinawa economy" by making the sphere of economy with the coast state of China and Taiwan, I wonder whether there is the security to succeed. Moreover, might the independent Okinawa be able to keep existing without relation to any military power in this world where imperialism conflicts? In addition, if it is possible any difference will not be in the position as the pay worker of the workers in Okinawa.

The workers in the mainland will understand the painful standpoint and "Miserable situation" where people in Okinawa were put in these 25 years or half a century further enough. The reason for it is that the workers in the mainland are also exploited and put on "Miserable state" under the rule of the Japanese monopolistic capital, and they think it to be an appearance of the rule of the monopoly becoming reactionary. That is, the reason for it is that the popular "Despair" and "Bile" of Okinawa people to the mainland governments has the common grounds with the "Despair" and "Distrust," "Bile" of the mainland workers to the capitalist government.

If so, the fight of Okinawa must unite with the fight of whole Japanese workers to the monopolistic capital. The direction of the fight of the workers in Okinawa is not "the Independence" but to knock down the rule of the monopolistic capital, and to eliminate the rule of the imperialism of the world, to fight aiming at the society where the necessity in the base does not exist with uniting with the workers in the mainland. We, the workers cannot agree "the Okinawa independent theory," the one that makes the problem of the workers in Okinawa obscure.

(Akito Yamada)