On the morning of Dec., 1st, the dynamic duo met with Earthjustice Hawaii David Henkin Attorney who generously gave of his time and shared some strategy over coffee. His work to stop the military live training exercises in the sacred beautiful Makua valley which is home to indigenous endangered plant species, Hawaiian sacred petroglyphs, burial sites, spring, has been ongoing for 14years of that 8 years the military has been ordered to halt training. He recently spoke at the UNEP workshop in Okinawa. (Jamie, HOA/Ukwanshin Kabudan)
１２月１日の朝、"ダイナミック・デュオ"（精力的に活動する二人―もちろん、東恩納さんと吉川さんです！）が、ハワイのアースジャスティスで活動するデーヴィッド・ヘンキン弁護士と、コーヒーを飲みながら、今後の戦略について語り合いました。
ヘンキン弁護士の活動は、ハワイ在来種で絶滅が危惧されている植物、ハワイアンにとって神聖な岩面線画や墓地、泉のある、美しく神聖な、マクア渓谷という場所での軍隊による実弾射撃訓練を阻止するというものです。この運動は始まってからすでに１４年が経っており、８年間、裁判所から米軍に対する訓練停止命令が出されています。ヘンキン弁護士は、最近沖縄で開催された国連環境計画のワークショップで報告したばかりでした。
（次のリンクは、マクア渓谷を守る運動について日本語で書かれたページです。ぜひご覧ください。）
http://www.cosmos.ne.jp/~miyagawa/hawaii/protectmakuaj.html
http://www.cosmos.ne.jp/~miyagawa/hawaii/makua2e.html
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Presentation at Kapiolani Community College, Tuesday, 12/1(Hawai'i Time)
カピオラニコミュニティカレッジ（KCC・ハワイ大学の分校）では、数えたら３７名の方が来ていました。ジュゴン訴訟のおふたりが来る前から、沖縄の基地問題について知っているかと会場に来ていた方々に尋ねたら、全員が手を挙げました！
二組の年輩のカップルが（政府に対して）手紙を書くなり署名をするなりすると発言してくれました！
Mahalo! Thank you! Ippee nifwee deebiru! ありがとうございました。
The day after Dugong & Henoko Air Station plan are discussed in Japan(lower house) & in USA(Marine Mammal Commission) 日（衆議院）と米（海洋哺乳類委員会）でのジュゴンと辺野古
Wednesday 2nd of December would be recorded as an memorial day for the civilian battle against the Henoko US Air Station plan on the east coast of Okinawa Island.
In Japan, one of the plaintiff of "Dugong lawsuit," Mr Makishi and lawyer Mr Kagohashi, presented recent development of this issue at the meeting held in lower house.
The news was reported in Ryukyu Shinpou (Okinawa local news paper) as small but decent place. Numbers of new information have been reported recently which have tight relation to Henoko air station plan issue, e.g.
A) a possible graft scandal related to Henoko air station is reported as top scoop news in Okinawa times(another local news paper),
B) secrets of Japan-US diplomacy was finally clarified by ex-bureaucrat who admitted to sign on the secret document about the returning Okinawa under Japanese governance. The document itself is on relatively small matter as who pay the cost of four millions US dollar, legally it should be on US but that was paid by Japan under the table. This fact suggested further secrecy related to Okinawa issue.
C) Prime minister Hatoyama is reported to delay the decision on this matter from end of this year for at least couple of months. This is a good news as contrary to what prime minister Hatoyama has been saying not to decide too quickly on Futenma relocation subject, foreign minister Okada has been insisting to decide quickly until the end of this year.
D) There are lots of others,,,,.
These development accompanied by report in MMC in Hawaii further expand our hope that we can stop Henoko air station plan by US marine corps. in Okinawa.
12月2日水曜日は、沖縄東海岸辺野古への米軍基地建設に反対してたたかい続ける市民にとって記録される日となるでしょう。
日本で、衆議院院内集会でジュゴン訴訟団の原告真喜志さんと籠橋弁護士がこの問題についての近況報告をしたのです。地元の新聞、琉球新報でも小さいながらもきちんと報じられています。最近はこの辺野古新基地建設計画に深く関わる報告が数多くなされています。例として、
A) 辺野古新基地建設に関連する汚職事件の疑惑を地元紙沖縄タイムスがトップで報じています。
B) 日米外務省間の密約が、元外務官僚が日本の統治下への沖縄返還についての秘密文書にサインしたと認めたことによって明らかになりました。この文書自体は、法的には米国が支払うはずであった４百万ドルを秘密裏に日本が支払ったと言う比較的小さな事柄です。しかしこの事実は沖縄に関してのさらなる秘密主義を示唆するものです。
C) 鳩山首相はこの問題についての決断を年末から少なくとも数ヶ月先まで延ばすと報道されています。鳩山首相が普天間問題は拙速に解決すべきでないと言ってきたことに、岡田外務大臣が早急に年末までに決断すべきと主張していることに対して、これは良いニュースとなりました。
D) 他にもたくさん・・・
これらの進展がハワイでのMMC報告とも相まって、辺野古米軍基地建設を止めるという私たちの希望を大きくする事に繋がっています。
In Japan, one of the plaintiff of "Dugong lawsuit," Mr Makishi and lawyer Mr Kagohashi, presented recent development of this issue at the meeting held in lower house.
The news was reported in Ryukyu Shinpou (Okinawa local news paper) as small but decent place. Numbers of new information have been reported recently which have tight relation to Henoko air station plan issue, e.g.
A) a possible graft scandal related to Henoko air station is reported as top scoop news in Okinawa times(another local news paper),
B) secrets of Japan-US diplomacy was finally clarified by ex-bureaucrat who admitted to sign on the secret document about the returning Okinawa under Japanese governance. The document itself is on relatively small matter as who pay the cost of four millions US dollar, legally it should be on US but that was paid by Japan under the table. This fact suggested further secrecy related to Okinawa issue.
C) Prime minister Hatoyama is reported to delay the decision on this matter from end of this year for at least couple of months. This is a good news as contrary to what prime minister Hatoyama has been saying not to decide too quickly on Futenma relocation subject, foreign minister Okada has been insisting to decide quickly until the end of this year.
D) There are lots of others,,,,.
These development accompanied by report in MMC in Hawaii further expand our hope that we can stop Henoko air station plan by US marine corps. in Okinawa.
12月2日水曜日は、沖縄東海岸辺野古への米軍基地建設に反対してたたかい続ける市民にとって記録される日となるでしょう。
日本で、衆議院院内集会でジュゴン訴訟団の原告真喜志さんと籠橋弁護士がこの問題についての近況報告をしたのです。地元の新聞、琉球新報でも小さいながらもきちんと報じられています。最近はこの辺野古新基地建設計画に深く関わる報告が数多くなされています。例として、
A) 辺野古新基地建設に関連する汚職事件の疑惑を地元紙沖縄タイムスがトップで報じています。
B) 日米外務省間の密約が、元外務官僚が日本の統治下への沖縄返還についての秘密文書にサインしたと認めたことによって明らかになりました。この文書自体は、法的には米国が支払うはずであった４百万ドルを秘密裏に日本が支払ったと言う比較的小さな事柄です。しかしこの事実は沖縄に関してのさらなる秘密主義を示唆するものです。
C) 鳩山首相はこの問題についての決断を年末から少なくとも数ヶ月先まで延ばすと報道されています。鳩山首相が普天間問題は拙速に解決すべきでないと言ってきたことに、岡田外務大臣が早急に年末までに決断すべきと主張していることに対して、これは良いニュースとなりました。
D) 他にもたくさん・・・
これらの進展がハワイでのMMC報告とも相まって、辺野古米軍基地建設を止めるという私たちの希望を大きくする事に繋がっています。
from zippy's...
After the presentation and discussion at Kapiolani Community College, Takuma and Hideki enjoyed the chat at zippy's with Eric, Norman, Jamie, Christina and other local friends.... Otsukaresama deshita! (37 people attended their talk!)
カピオラニコミュニティカレッジ（ハワイ大学の分校）でのプレゼン終了後、琢磨さんと秀樹さんはエリック、ノーマン、ジェイミー、クリスティーナ、そしてローカルの友達とジッピーズでおしゃべりを楽しみました。お疲れ様でした！
（37名が出席したようです。）
カピオラニコミュニティカレッジ（ハワイ大学の分校）でのプレゼン終了後、琢磨さんと秀樹さんはエリック、ノーマン、ジェイミー、クリスティーナ、そしてローカルの友達とジッピーズでおしゃべりを楽しみました。お疲れ様でした！
（37名が出席したようです。）
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Media Advisory: Wednesday, December 2 Public Meeting in Honolulu to Focus on Threat to Okinawa Dugong
Media Advisory, December 1, 2009
Contact: Peter Galvin, Center for Biological Diversity, (707) 986-2600
WHAT: A presentation to the Marine Mammal Commission, open to the public, on the status of the highly endangered Okinawa population of the dugong and the U.S military plan to expand an existing airbase by filling in some of the best remaining ocean habitat of the dugong in Okinawa.
WHO: Speakers will include Miyoko Sakashita, oceans program director at the Center for Biological Diversity in California; Takuma Higashionna, city councilmember and ecotourism guide of Nago City in Okinawa, Japan; and Hideki Yoshikawa, international director of the Save the Dugong Campaign Center in Tokyo.
WHEN: Wednesday, December 2nd at 4:00 p.m.
WHERE: Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio, 2500 Kuhio Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Background on the Okinawa Dugong Controversy:
In January 2008, Judge Marilyn Hall Patel issued a ruling (in Okinawa Dugong v. Gates, N.D.Cal., C-03-4350) finding the Department of Defense in violation of the National Historic Preservation Act and requiring the Department to consider and avoid impacts of a new airbase on the endangered Okinawa dugong. The lawsuit, which was originally filed in federal court in 2003, is still ongoing, and the U.S. government is currently considering cancelling the base expansion plan, which would destroy the best remaining habitat for the Okinawa dugong (a relative of the manatee also known as the saltwater manatee or seacow).
Okinawa has been called the "Galápagos of the East" because of its incredibly rich biological diversity, and the dugong is a cultural icon of the Okinawan people. Conservationists are calling for the United States to cancel the base construction plans off the northeast coast of Okinawa in order to protect the dugong and the rich marine life in the area.
Said Peter Galvin, conservation director at the Center for Biological Diversity: "The Camp Schwab base expansion project would destroy some of the best remaining habitat for the highly endangered Okinawa dugong, which one of the rarest marine mammal populations in the world. We call on President Obama to cancel this ecologically disastrous base-expansion plan."
"For Okinawans, the dugong compares only to the American bald eagle in terms of cultural and historical significance," said Takuma Higashionna, a city councilmember from Nago City, Japan. "The myth of the mermaid comes from sailors who saw the dugong. Historically, Okinawans believe the dugong to be a friendly harbinger of sea disasters such as tsunamis."
The waters off Okinawa are the northernmost home of the dugong. The species was listed by the government of Japan since 1972 as a "natural monument" under Japan's Cultural Properties Protection Law. Since 1955, the dugong has also been protected as a cultural monument by the autonomous Ryukyu Prefecture due largely to its status as a revered and sacred animal among native Okinawans. It is also protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Contact: Peter Galvin, Center for Biological Diversity, (707) 986-2600
Wednesday, December 2 Public Meeting in Honolulu to Focus on Threat to Okinawa Dugong
From Controversial U.S. Marine Corps Base Expansion in Japan
From Controversial U.S. Marine Corps Base Expansion in Japan
WHO: Speakers will include Miyoko Sakashita, oceans program director at the Center for Biological Diversity in California; Takuma Higashionna, city councilmember and ecotourism guide of Nago City in Okinawa, Japan; and Hideki Yoshikawa, international director of the Save the Dugong Campaign Center in Tokyo.
WHEN: Wednesday, December 2nd at 4:00 p.m.
WHERE: Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio, 2500 Kuhio Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Background on the Okinawa Dugong Controversy:
In January 2008, Judge Marilyn Hall Patel issued a ruling (in Okinawa Dugong v. Gates, N.D.Cal., C-03-4350) finding the Department of Defense in violation of the National Historic Preservation Act and requiring the Department to consider and avoid impacts of a new airbase on the endangered Okinawa dugong. The lawsuit, which was originally filed in federal court in 2003, is still ongoing, and the U.S. government is currently considering cancelling the base expansion plan, which would destroy the best remaining habitat for the Okinawa dugong (a relative of the manatee also known as the saltwater manatee or seacow).
Okinawa has been called the "Galápagos of the East" because of its incredibly rich biological diversity, and the dugong is a cultural icon of the Okinawan people. Conservationists are calling for the United States to cancel the base construction plans off the northeast coast of Okinawa in order to protect the dugong and the rich marine life in the area.
Said Peter Galvin, conservation director at the Center for Biological Diversity: "The Camp Schwab base expansion project would destroy some of the best remaining habitat for the highly endangered Okinawa dugong, which one of the rarest marine mammal populations in the world. We call on President Obama to cancel this ecologically disastrous base-expansion plan."
"For Okinawans, the dugong compares only to the American bald eagle in terms of cultural and historical significance," said Takuma Higashionna, a city councilmember from Nago City, Japan. "The myth of the mermaid comes from sailors who saw the dugong. Historically, Okinawans believe the dugong to be a friendly harbinger of sea disasters such as tsunamis."
The waters off Okinawa are the northernmost home of the dugong. The species was listed by the government of Japan since 1972 as a "natural monument" under Japan's Cultural Properties Protection Law. Since 1955, the dugong has also been protected as a cultural monument by the autonomous Ryukyu Prefecture due largely to its status as a revered and sacred animal among native Okinawans. It is also protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 240,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
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