Japanese oppose US bases
By Eva Cheng More than 80,000 people are estimated to have taken part in an demonstration in Okinawa, Japan, on October 22 to demand the end of US military bases. This followed a wave of similar actions throughout the country since mid-September, triggered by the refusal of the US military to hand over to Japanese courts three of its servicemen alleged to have raped a Okinawan schoolgirl on September 4. Teachers' unions, women's and peace bodies, as well as over 170 local electoral assemblies, joined the protests. The suspects were surrendered on September 29, but this did little to contain the deep-seated public anger which took in broader concerns. The biggest mobilisations so far have been in Okinawa, where the main demand is to get rid of US bases from the island. This expresses Okinawans' deep resentment against Tokyo's forcible annexation and domination over Okinawa since 1879 and the fact that, despite its tiny size in relation to the rest of Japan, Okinawa is home to 75% of the US's 45,000 troops in the country. Okinawa was under US occupation for 27 years (until 1972), 20 years longer than the rest of Japan. US bases continue to take up 20% of its land, disrupt people's lives — especially the deafening noise of heavy aircraft traffic — and threaten their safety. US servicemen are reported to have committed 4500 criminal offences (including rape and murder) on the island since 1945. There is strong support throughout Japan to end the legal privileges of US troops, granted by the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement, which are believed to have fostered their unruly behaviour. Since the 1950s, there have been large mobilisations for the withdrawal of US troops and for an end to the military 1960 pact between Tokyo and Washington (AMPO). In this pact, Japan agreed to allow the US to station troops, largely at its expense, in exchange for military "protection". AMPO, which provides a military framework to protect the interests of the world's two biggest imperialist powers, has been put to use against popular struggles in Asia. The bases in Japan, the US' biggest in Asia, provided vital logistical support in the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf wars. Japan's big capitalists benefited enormously from the production of arms and other supplies for the US forces in these wars. Production for the Korean War was crucial to Japan's speedy recovery as a major imperialist power after World War II. However, the nuclear weapons in the US bases have made Japan a target for nuclear attacks, as well as making accidents a constant danger. One common justification for AMPO is that it prevents the re-establishment of a fully fledged Japanese armed force, and a return of Japanese "militarism" responsible for 30 million deaths in Tokyo's extensive invasions and colonisations in Asia before and during World War II. Military expenditure is supposed to be restricted to 1% of the country's GDP but this has been breached since 1987. In 1992, it spent US$42 billion on the military — the second biggest expenditure in the world. Japan's post-war constitution states that the country's "land, sea and air forces ... will never be maintained" except for self-defence. However, this safeguard has long been violated. Under the pretext of fulfilling UN obligations and in order to obtain a permanent seat in the Security Council, Japan has resumed overseas military missions since 1992 to help "keep peace". Tokyo is under increasing pressure to take these steps in re-militarisation to protect Japanese capital's extensive overseas interests. While the security pact is not a safeguard against Tokyo re-militarising, it remains a vital tool for Washington to defend its imperialist interests. The closing of US bases in Japan would deal a blow to Washington's worldwide military strategy. Tokyo and Washington are currently negotiating to renew AMPO. US president Bill Clinton, who plans to be in Tokyo on November 19 to finalise the deal, has taken the extraordinary step of apologising for the recent alleged rapes.