Foreign Minister Genba Talks about Trampling, But Who Are the Ones Doing It?

Foreign Minister Genba talks about trampling, but who are the ones doing it?

Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba threw out some strange remarks about the relocation plan for the U.S. military Futnenma air base to Nago, Henoko, when he said “even though we are being trampled on and kicked, we have no choice but to face the people of Okinawa with the best of intentions.”

In an inaugural interview for the media, his remarks are clearly trying to turn things around, the so-called assailant acting as though he is the victim.

The citizens of the prefecture have gone through all possible democratic procedures, starting with the prefectural governor elections and then the general elections, raising objections to relocating to Henoko. Nevertheless, the voice of opposition coming from within the prefecture to the relocation is continually being ignored, on top of which they are about to be exposed to the dangers posed by the deployment of the Marine Corps’ newest transport aircraft, Osprey. Isn’t it the case that it is both the Japanese and American governments who are the perpetrators, trampling all over the citizens of the prefecture?

Can we really trust Foreign Minister Genba, who is taking all the explanations of Foreign Ministry bureaucrats at face value, is the ringleader for promoting a consensus for the relocation to Henoko and who is under this delusion about living up to America’s expectations?

Genba said that “We should be basing our thinking about Japan’s, and even Okinawa’s geopolitical position on concord with America,” and avoided any specific commentary on Japan’s SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) revision, saying “we will continue to look for solutions one step at a time.” It’s probably the Foreign Ministry bureaucrats and the American government who are the ones relieved by this.

The sad thing is that Genba’s words are nothing more than an iteration of what previous ministers and bureaucrats have stated. To bureaucrats it is probably an exemplary response, but to the citizens it only reflects words that bureaucrats depend on because they are worried about what’s going to happen. It makes me think that there will be vacuous discussions ahead, which really is sad.

I have doubts about the U.S. Congress and the concord between the U.S. and Japan. Doesn’t the foreign minister have any doubts about these same politicians? Isn’t saying that the assertions of the government are correct, and arbitrarily judging the citizens of the prefecture as being emotional and uncooperative, just slipping into the usual elitist and discriminatory mentality found in bureaucrats?

Landowners within the prefecture are providing the U.S. military with land, the base employees are providing them with a workforce, and local governments and private companies are providing them with essential utilities such as water, electricity, gas and roads. There are many anti-war landowners fighting against forced expropriation, but putting aside whether it’s what the citizens of the prefecture really want, the result is that they are going to have to cooperate with the security policies.

The U.S. military is stationed in Japan with many comforts thanks to receiving omoiyari (financial support for welfare benefits and allowances of U.S. forces stationed in Japan) and the grace of Japan’s SOFA, and in return the prefectural citizens get their fundamental rights trampled on.

The inappropriateness of Foreign Minister Genba’s statement is obvious and he should recant it immediately. I would like him to face the citizens of the prefecture with his own eyes and mind, without the bureaucratic bias.