Last week Wednesday, April 29, about a dozen people came out for an impromptu rally for Okinawa and

Last week Wednesday, April 29, about a dozen people came out for an impromptu rally for Okinawa and Hawaiʻi in protest of U.S. military bases on both archipelagos.“Weʻre here out of kuleana; out of Aloha ʻĀina for Okinawa, for Hawaiʻi, for the honor of our ancestors, as well as for future generations,” said progressive public educator, peace activist, musician and community organizer Pete Shimazaki Doktor. “Hawaiʻi and Okinawa have such similarities, including that both are island nations still occupied by their colonizers, still sustaining disrespect and disregard by their respective national governments. We must unite along with other indigenous peoples oppressed by similar military occupations worldwide in our collective efforts for justice, peace and self-determination.”Both Japan and the U.S. are pushing for a military port to be built on the reef area of the Henoko coastal district of Nago, northern Okinawa Island. The base would replace the current facility at Futenma, also on Okinawa’s main island. But protestors insist that the coastal area near Henoko is an important source of food for the neighboring communities of Henoko and Takae, and that the area also contains endangered species including dugong.“Elected officials are not representing the will of the people, thus the people have to raise our voices and defend our communities from militarism,” said Doktor. “From Henoko to Mauna Kea, Jeju to West Papua, Tibet to Guam, and so on: indigenous peoples are answering the kāhea worldwide—and we are united.” -- source link

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