David Vine apologizes to Okinawans for "Base Nation" maps

David Vine has apologized for maps containing misleading information about Luchu (Okinawa). This comes in response to the Peace For Okinawa Coalition's previous article from September 22 pointing out the problems with the maps in relation to the struggle of Luchuans / Uchinanchu (Indigenous Okinawans) who since 1945 have opposed U.S. militarism. 

Vine is author of Base Nation: How U.S. Military Bases Abroad Harm America and the World (Metropolitan Books, 2015). He apologized in the comments section of the aforementioned article on the Peace For Okinawa Coalition's website, as well as in a direct message sent to the Peace For Okinawa Coalition on September 29 (Okinawa time) / September 28 (U.S. time). Vine's full direct message is copy and pasted below:

I just posted this as a reply to a post but I want to make sure you receive it, as I am very sorry for any offense and harm that I caused.

I am very sorry for any confusion or offense caused by the 2nd map here, which appeared in my book "Base Nation: How U.S. Military Bases Abroad Harm America and the World" (Metropolitan Books, 2015). I did not design the first map, although it uses my data.

Given the global scale of the map and the number of bases, it was very difficult to show the Luchu Islands. If you zoom in on the map, I believe the islands are still visible, although I should not have placed the symbol of the navy vessel where it could obscure the islands. My website www.basenation.us has additional maps that depict the Luchu Islands including a map of bases on Uchinaa (Okinawa) as well as displacement and anti-base protest in Luchu. I'm sorry to say that a new 2020 version of the global bases map, in my book "The United States of War," has the same problem as the 2015 map. It and other maps are available at https://www.davidvine.net/unitedstatesofwar.html.

I am very sorry again for the imprecision of the maps and for any pain I have caused. The intention of all of my books and my writing about Okinawa has been to call the world's attention to the human rights abuses committed by my country (and, at times, the Government of Japan) against Luchuans / Uchinanchu. If I can answer any questions, please let me know. If I am able to make new maps, I will correct these problems. ​

Click here for the original article, along with Vine's comments. ​