US House Armed Services Committee Petition To End Base Construction in Henoko, Okinawa

Members of the US House Armed Services Committee

Sign this petition to tell the U.S. House Armed Services Committee to stop the new U.S. base construction in Henoko-Oura Bay of Okinawa.

A new U.S. military base is being constructed in the ocean of Oura Bay. This bay is in the Henoko region of Okinawa. It is one of the most bio-diverse ecosystems on the planet with over 5,300 species and world-renown coral reef systems. 262 of the species in Oura Bay are endangered, including the dugong, which have been closely monitored internationally by environmental groups due to its diminishing numbers as well as its status as a designated a cultural property of indigenous historical value.

The construction of this base has been opposed by the Okinawan people repeatedly. Most recently on February 24, 2019, over 70% of Okinawans voted in opposition to the construction of this particular U.S. Marine Corps base outside of Camp Schwab. Still, the Japanese government, in partnership with the U.S. government, continues building this U.S. base in the ocean – dropping concrete blocks on top of precious coral and suffocating the marine habitat with dirt and concrete – causing irreversible harm to the ecosystem. It is already adversely impacting the region; contributing to species collapse and furthering environmental damage already sustained from rapid climate change.

Already, Okinawa has been forced to host almost 70% of U.S. military facilities in Japan despite consisting only 0.6% of national landmass.

This treatment of Okinawa as a colonial military outpost has continued since the Japanese annexation of the once sovereign nation of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. Then during WWII, Okinawan land was destroyed in a war between U.S. and Japan, taking almost a third of the entire Okinawan population. From there, the U.S. construction of military bases began against the will of the Okinawan people and continues today.

Okinawan people have exhausted all legal and peaceful means of opposing this new base from being forced upon them – from elders staging nonviolent protests and sit-ins to Okinawan governors challenging the Japanese government through the legal system, only to be disregarded in Tokyo and Washington, D.C. Okinawan Diaspora members of Global Uchinanchu Alliance (GUA) have come together to reach out for support in this international crisis.

The U.S. Representatives responsible for the U.S. Armed Forces need to hear from constituents. Sign this petition to tell the U.S. House Armed Services Committee to immediately stop the base construction and ocean destruction in Henoko-Oura Bay.

Petition by
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Honolulu, Hawaii

To: Members of the US House Armed Services Committee
From: [Your Name]

We, the undersigned, demand the immediate and complete halt of the U.S. Marine Corps base construction in Henoko, Okinawa.

This military facility is being constructed upon the pristine reef of Oura Bay - among the most bio-diverse ecosystems on the planet with over 5,300 species of which 262 are endangered - including the designated cultural property, the dugong. In addition to violating the U.S. National Historic Preservation Act and the Administrative Procedure Act, it also violates the democratic will of the Okinawan people whom again voted over 70% in opposition to the construction in a February 24, 2019 referendum.

This offshore construction of yet another military base on Okinawa must end now as it is already adversely impacting the region contributing to species collapse and furthering environmental damage already sustained from rapid climate change. Okinawa has been forced to host almost 70% of US military facilities in Japan despite consisting only 0.6% of national landmass. Resources that sustain life for Okinawan communities are greatly affected and this heavy base presence alone already threatens public health and safety daily.

In the protection of our ocean and precious ecosystem as well as the genuine human security and sustainability, we request the immediately stop of this base construction and ocean destruction at Henoko-Oura Bay.