Women from Okinawa Call for Support to Stop U.S. Heliport in Nago City

Tomi Mashiki and Etsuko Urashima, residents of Nago City, Okinawa, have traveled to Hawaii to ask for support in their struggle to stop the building of a military heliport for U.S. marines in an environmentally sensitive area.. The women state: "We are struggling against two superpowers--United States and Japan--who have tricked us by calling for the closing of Futenma Air Base because of protests by Okinawan people.
However, instead of closing down a base as promised to the Okinawan people, the U.S. and Japan plan to expand base operations by moving to Nago City in order to accommodate the V-22 Osprey airplanes--the same kind of plane which killed 19 Marines on April 8,2000, in Arizona. Many civilians in Okinawa have already been killed by plane crashes in our schools and communities. We have suffered from many rapes of our children and women because of the presence of U.S. military in Okinawa. We are here to plead for the human rights of all Okinawan people, who lost lands and lives for the cause of power and war. We want to return to our historical tradition of peace and pacifism."
The women arrived on April 13 to begin a speaking tour sponsored by the Hawaii Okinawa Peace Network. "The women have constantly been amazed by the similarities between Hawaii and Okinawa, especially the historical experience of the indigenous Hawaiians. Island nations like Okinawa, Hawai'i, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Marshall Islands, can empower themselves through solidarity, in the face of inhuman globalization," says Pete Shimazaki Doktor, the organizer of the tour.
The women are active in a movement called, "No to Heliport! Association of 10 Districts North of Futami"--a grassroots residents' association of 10 districts: Teniya, Sokoniya, Kayou, Abu, Mihara, Teima, Sedake, Ooura, Ookawa and Futami--all located near the planned U.S. military heliport.
They have island-wide and national support from various coalitions in Japan, including labor, women and environmental groups.
Following a meeting with Rep. Toy Takumi and Rep. Dennis Arakaki, the women will be holding a press conference at the State Capitol on Tuesday, April 18, 2000, at 1:15 p.m. Informational packets about the human and environmental destruction in Okinawa caused by U.S. bases, as well as information about the V-22 Osprey airplanes (three of the original fifteen delivered to the Pentagon have crashed because of technological problems) will be made available at the press conference. The women are also available for interviews upon request.
The two women will be speaking on Monday night, April 17, at 6:30 p.m. at Halau o Haumea, Center for Hawaiian Studies, Univ. of Hawaii, Manoa at 2645 Dole Street. The public is invited.