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The Japanese State versus the People of Okinawa: Rolling Arrests and Prolonged and Punitive Detention

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2025

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Abstract

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This is the story of the arrest and detention of anti-base activist leader Yamashiro Hiroji, his role in the struggle to prevent the construction of a new US Marine base at Henoko, and the implications for Japanese democracy of his protracted detention without trial for Gavan McCormack, “Yamashiro Hiroji and the Okinawan Anti-Base Struggle”. It concludes with the “Emergency Statement by 41 Criminal Law Scholars Demanding the Release of Yamashiro Hiroji”

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2017

References

Notes

1 “Kankyo kaigi Okinawa taikai – ‘Kankyo-ken’ kakuritsu no giron o,” Okinawa taimusu, 24 October 2016.

2 Between 1982 and retirement in 2008, Yamashiro was an official in the Okinawan prefectural government, employed in various sections involving base workers, unexploded ordinance, and taxation.

3 “Henoko protesters detained by US military,” Ryukyu shimpo (English), 24 February 2016.

4 “‘Keitokuho de futari taiho’ shinjigatai futo kosoku, naze,” editorial, Okinawa taimusu, 24 February 2016

5 Urashima Etsuko, “Medoruma Shun shi ga futo taiho,” Shukan kinyobi, 8 April 2016, pp. 7-8.

6 All Okinawa Council, et al., “Joint submission to United Nations, Human Rights Council, ”Violation of freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly in Okinawa, Japan,“ 11 December 2015, in Hideki Yoshikawa and Gavan McCormack, ”Okinawa: NGO Appeal to the United Nations and to US military and government over base matters, December 2015 and December 2016,“ The Asia-Pacific Journal – Japan Focus, December 2016.

7 On this complex process, see my “Japan's Problematic Prefecture – Okinawa and the US-Japan Relationship,” The Asia-Pacific Journal – Japan Focus, 1 September 2016.

8 Details in Okinawan media, July-August 2016, See especially “Takae doji chakko mubo na keikaku wa akiraka ni,” Okinawa taimusu, 28 August 2016,“Heripaddo koki tanshuku, Nichibei ryo seifu wa mori mo kowasu no ka,” Okinawa taimusu, 29 August 2016 and (24,000 trees felled) “Letter of concern and request, Inscription of Yambaru forest as a world natural heritage site,” 1 December 2016, in Yoshikawa and McCormack, op. cit.

9 To this author it was reminiscent of the “speedo” campaigns to complete construction of the Burma-Thailand railway in 1942. State policy (kokusaku) in both cases was unchallengeable, and whatever was necessary to accomplish it was deemed legitimate.

10 Watanabe Go, “Okinawa, han kichi undo rida Yamashiro gicho no koryu□tsuzuku, ‘kyoken hatsudo’ no haikei wa?” Aera, 13 December 2016; See also, “Yamashiro gicho o saitaiho, komu shikko bogai, shogai yogi de,” Okinawa taimusu, 21 October 2016.

11 “4 Activists protesting US base relocation in Okinawa arrested,” Mainichi shimbun, 30 November 2016). Arrested with Yamashiro were Inaba Hiroshi, 66, from Ginoza together with Kinjo Takemasa, 59, and Kobun Sasaki, 40, both from Nago.

12 Watanabe, cit.

13 “Cabinet: No need for Tsuruho to apologize over ‘dojin’ issue,” Asahi shimbun, 22 November, 2016

14 “Abe's instruction of Diet ovation for SDF criticized,” Japan Times, 27 September 2016.

15 The one exception to this was a prominent national politician and member of the House of Councillors, Fukushima Mizuho, who was allowed a brief interview on 20 December. (“Okinawa kunrenjo ‘henkan shikiten’ no kage de kogi rida horyu 2 kagetsu cho,” Chunichi Shimbun, 23 December 2016).

16 “‘Kutsushita no sashiire mitomete’ ‘pantsu to issho’ Okinawa kenkei ni 100 nin ga uttae,” Okinawa taimusu, 12 December 2016.

17 “Koryuchu no Yamashiro gicho e, kutsushita o sashiire jitsugen, Okinawa kenkei ga mitomeru,” Okinawa taimusu, 21 December 2016.

18 According to Fukushima, quoted in note 13, above.

19 For list of incidents of “Violence, Detention, and Arrests in Henoko, Okinawa in 2014-15,” see Yoshikawa and McCormack, op. cit.

20 “Kuni ‘hochi kokka’ de yusaburi,” editorial, Ryukyu shimpo, 25 October 2016

21 “Statement against wrongful detention in front of the Camp Schwab gate by riot police of Okinawa prefecture,” quoted in Yoshikawa and McCormack, op. cit.

22 “Okinawa, Nagosho de keisatsu de 50 nichi ijo mo koryu sarete iru Yamashiro Hiroji o shakuho seo” (We demand release of Yamashiro Hiroji and others from police detention!) see Okinawa taimusu and Ryukyu shimpo of 17 December, and see Peace Philosophy.

23 “Yamashiro Hiroji san ra no shakuho o,” (“Free Hiroji Yamashiro”)

24 Lawrence Repeta, “The silencing of an anti-US base protester in Okinawa,” Japan Times, 4 January 2017.