> >from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >From: Communist Party of Australia <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >MIME-Version: 1.0 > >Subject: URGENT OKINAWA APPEAL > >> Subject: Okinawan people needs your support > >> Dear friends, > >>The G8 Summit Meeting is going to be held in Okinawa, 21-23 July, >2000. As you may be already aware, Okinawa is made a stronghold of >U.S. military strategy with huge military bases. Utilizing this >opportunity of G8 Summit, our committee is going to >globally disseminate the reality of Okinawa almost occupied by U.S. >military forces and suffering from burden of huge U.S. bases. At the >same time, we would like to call upon all peace movements and peace- >loving people of the world to express and to strengthen solidarity >with the movements of Okinawan people and to pressurize Japan and >U.S. government for the reduction and withdrawal of these bases. > > > Here we enclosed an appeal to which we would like to get your >support (with signature). We are going to make public, before the >opening of the G8 Summit Meeting, this international appeal with a >number of signatures. > > > If you agree with the spirits and contents of the appeal, please >send us your signature or notice of support by fax (+81-3-3451-6277) >or e-mail ([EMAIL PROTECTED] / [EMAIL PROTECTED]). > > > We need : 1) your full name 2) name of your organization (if you >can represent) & your function 3) message or coments (if you >have) Please circulate and disseminate this Appeal to your members, >partners, and friends as wide as possible in order to get the >boradest support. > >> Thank you for your solidarity and cooperation. Yours in peace. > >Hiroshi Suda, General Secretary Japan Peace Committee >=================================================== > >> International Appeal > on the U.S. Bases in Okinawa >> on the occasion of the G8 Summit Meeting >> /Okinawa, Japan, 21-22 July, 2000/ >> We would like to draw your attention to the fact that coming G8 >> Summit Meeting (21-23 July) will be held in Okinawa. > >^This small group of islands, like a colony, are burdened with U.S. >military bases, as has never been seen in other territory of >sovereign states in the world. >There are huge U.S. bases in Okinawa which occupies more than 10% of >the whole territory (20% of the main island). These bases were built >in violation of international law. > >> The US Military forces, occupying Okinawa in the Second World War, >built their bases by force, sending surviving citizens to >concentration camps and taking their land without payment. It was a >clear violation of The Hague Convention that prohibits the >confiscation of private property even during war, and that obliges to >pay for their property requisitioned even in the case of military >necessity. > >> Further more, since 1953, bulldozing houses and burning them, >the U.S. Forces had outrageously promoted more large scale of >requisition of the lands than it was just after the end of WWII. Thus >huge U.S. military bases were built as we see now. > > > Today these bases are the root cause of the violation of >human rights and security of Okinawan people. According to the >statistics of Japanese Government as well as of Okinawa prefecture, a >number of crimes committed by U.S. soldiers for these 30 years has >reached around 5,000, and more than 10% of them are violent crimes >such as murder, burglaries, and rapes. > > >However neither Japan's domestic laws nor U.S. laws are applied to >the U.S. Forces in Japan, and in fact U.S. soldiers committing crimes >are protected by prerogatives. Those who are disturbed by the noise >pollution by U.S. bases reaches 37% of whole Okinawa's population. >The crashes and the burning of military airplanes take place so >often. > > > It is clear that above mentioned situation infringes a norm >of international community envisaged in the Universal Declaration of >Human Rights: "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security >of person" (Article 3). At the same time, it is quite serious that >these bases constitute a threat to peace of Asia and of the >world. Okinawa is the only place in the world where the U.S. deploys >Marine Corps outside its territory. The Marine Corps situated in >front of Korean Peninsular and China are forces with a task of >advance attack to other nations. Thus Okinawa is made an important >stronghold of the U.S. Forces in Asia and the Pacific. > > > Moreover the US administration is reinforcing its military bases >in Okinawa based on the military strategy of preemptive attack and of >interference, as it plans to build a modern base on the beautiful >seashore of Nago City, a venue of the G8 Summit Meeting. It is >obvious that such a situation infringes principles of the United >Nations such as peaceful solution of conflicts, respect to >sovereignty, non-interference into internal affairs, and so on, and >that it goes against the current of peace in Asia and the world. > > > The nations of G8 declared that they share common "value" >of democracy, human rights, and peace. Okinawa where they are coming >together is nothing but a spot where these values are violently >trampled upon. The last G8 Summit Meeting in the 20th century being >held in Okinawa, both governments of Japan and the United States >should immediately start actions for the reduction and removal of >U.S. bases in order to normalize the situation in Okinawa. > > > Okinawan people has been fighting against the burden of >U.S. military bases and for the release from it. It is high time, on >the eve of the 21st century, that their demand should be immediately >realized. We support the demands of Okinawan people and express our >cordial solidarity to them. > >> July 2000 > >> We, undersigned, support this appeal: > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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