 The Ryukyu Shimpo reported on 14 September 2021 that the coral that was transplanted by the government of Japan was crushed into small pieces, and put back together using adhesive. This method has been decried by Indigenous peoples as well as environmentalists for the harm it does to the coral. Japan transplanted coral from Oura Bay at Henoko, Okinawa in order to build a new U.S. military base. Uchinanchu, the Indigenous Okinawan people, have strongly opposed the move. The location is home to an ancient coral reef filled with hundreds of rare and endangered species, including the Okinawa dugong.  The above map is from the same Ryukyu Shimpo article. The orange squares with black stripes show the locations where the coral was moved. The grey, white, and pink areas are where the military base is planned to be built.
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 Myaku (Miyako) - Tourists have devastated a sacred site in the Luchu (Ryukyu) island of Myaku (Miyako) after it was featured in a Japanese television show. The damage included several stalactites in a cave that were broken.
The location is known in the Indigenous Myaku (Miyako) language as "Kubakundai," and is nicknamed "Pumpkin Hole" due to the pumpkin-shaped stalactites found in the cave. The area is also an important fishing site. The increase in tourism has devastated the coral and reduced the amount of fish at the location, according to the Ryukyu Shimpo article. The citizens of Myaku are considering measures to restrict or ban tourism at the site. 9/13/2021 0 Comments U.S. marines seek to expand presence in Oahu while continuing base construction in Okinawa The U.S. marines continue the illegal construction of the new military base at Henoko, Okinawa, where it is destroying an ancient coral reef home to hundreds of rare and endangered species. The base has been strongly opposed by the overwhelming majority of Uchinanchu (Indigenous Okinawans). Meanwhile, it was announced that the marines are looking to expand their presence on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where the U.S. military already takes up 21% of the land. Indigenous Pacific Islanders have long opposed the U.S. military, and are calling for demilitarization, and a restoration of our right to self-determination.  According to the Asahi Shimbun article: The U.S. military initially reported that the level of PFOS in the water was under 2.7 nanograms per liter. However, a check of the water found the number of PFOS to be at 670 nanograms per liter, which is a highly toxic level. The amount of foreign substances in water should be kept under 50 nanograms per liter, according to guidelines. 宜野湾市下水から指針超PFAS 米軍放出後1リットル数百ナノグラム   4/10/2021 0 Comments Why Okinawans oppose the militaryWebinar with No Cold War: https://www.nocoldwar.org/
For Immediate Release Geneva, Switzerland | 22 March 2021 A team of Indigenous Chamorro, Hawaiians, and Okinawans recently gave a joint presentation at the United Nations Human Rights Council 46th session in Geneva, Switzerland calling for a reduction in the United States military presence in their islands. The presentation was sponsored by the International Committee For the Indigenous Americans (Incomindios), a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the UN Economic and Security Council, and co-sponsored by the Koani Foundation and the Peace For Okinawa Coalition. The presentation was done virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. All of the presenters are Indigenous to the Pacific. The U.S. military is increasing its presence in Guam, Hawaii, the Northern Marianas, and Okinawa, including the building of a large new base at Henoko, Okinawa, and the creation of the Mariana Islands Training and Testing area (MITT). The presenters oppose the increase. “The Indigenous peoples of these islands have come together to jointly call for the demilitarization of our islands,” said event moderator Robert Kajiwara, a Native Okinawan and president of the Peace For Okinawa Coalition. “We, the people of the Peace For Okinawa Coalition strongly demand an immediate reversion of the stolen Ryukyu Islands back to the inhabitants,” said Hoshin Nakamura, a Native Ryukyuan (Okinawan) and professor emeritus of Okinawa University. Representative Sheila Babauta, a Chammoro and a member of Congress for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, explained the harmful impact that the MITT will have on the environment. “The area expands to over 984,000 square nautical miles, larger than the states of Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Montana, and New Mexico combined,” said Babauta. “The military presence makes us a principal target for attack from any enemy of the United States,” said H.E. Leon Siu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hawaiian Kingdom. “We're pushing for demilitarization as a matter of survival. We are in imminent danger of being destroyed.” “As an heir of Kamehameha I and III, I continue my diplomatic protest to the unlawful U.S. military occupation of our islands that is causing daily harm to our people,” said Routh Bolomet, a direct descendant of the royal line of Kamehameha, the original rulers of the Hawaiian Kingdom. JPEG:  Happy Ryukyu / Okinawan / Lunar / Chinese New Year! いー そーぐゎち でーびる！ 新年快乐!  |
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