Thousands of Japanese protesters assembled near Kadena Air Base in Okinawa to protest the US occupation of the island on Saturday, on the 51st anniversary of the island returning to Japanese control....
Chanting slogans including “Give us back our peaceful life” and “Osprey get out,” the latter being a reference to US military helicopters, the demonstrators demanded the closure of the US’ Okinawa bases. The island’s inhabitants are weary of the pollution – both chemical and aural – produced by Washington’s military outposts, as well as the high number of crimes committed by American servicemembers, from petty theft and drunk driving to rape and murder.
Governor Denny Tamaki has urged the Japanese and US governments to reduce the Pentagon’s footprint on the island, which hosts 70% of all US military facilities in Japan despite comprising just 1% of the country’s total land area. RT
The Okinawans are fighting for the return of their island from American and Japanese occupation. They are angry that they are put into such a precarious position, to be the first target of China's missile attack should a war breaks out between China and the US. The Americans have placed many strategic and nuclear weapons on the island and China must destroy everything on the island in the first hour of a war. To do so, China must unleash the most destructive weapons it has to prevent the Americans from launching attacks from Okinawa. Okinawa therefore must be totally destroyed as the American bases are all over the island.
The Japanese govt did not care as the Okinawans are not Japanese and sacrificing the Okinawans is just a convenient military strategy. In a way, it would be better to wipe out the Okinawans and replace them with Japanese in the island eventually. So, having Okinawa as a strategic target would not pull on the conscience of the Japanese. Ethnically, the Okinawans are a small minority, an expendable item.
The Okinawans are in a position like 'you die your business', as long as the main islands of Japan are safe, the majority of the Japanese are safe.
If Japan were still the ruler of Taiwan, then Taiwan would be the first choice, ahead of the Okinawans, to be offered to the Americans as a military base. It would be even easier to sacrifice the Taiwanese than Okinawans. Unfortunately Taiwan has been returned to China and is a part of China. The Japanese has no say in offering Taiwan to the Americans.
Good luck, Okinawans. The Okinawans are in the lowest rung of the Japanese pecking order.