July 26, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo
Veterans for Peace—Ryukyu Okinawa Chapter Kokusai (VFP-ROCK) President Douglas Lummis and members held a press conference at Okinawa’s prefectural press club on July 25. The group announced VFP-ROCK’s intentions to submit a new resolution for approval at the 34th National Convention of Veterans For Peace, which will be held in Spokane, WA next month. They seek to halt the construction of the new base in Henoko, Nago City with the new resolution.
Lummis points out that in the defense authorization bill, a section that previously described the Henoko site as “the only option” has been replaced with language requiring re-examination of the Henoko base construction. Lummis plans to submit a written request to the U.S. government, to directly inspect the destruction of coral gardens, and the presence of active earthquake faults and soft sea beds.
VFP-ROCK members Yoshikazu Makishi, Osamu Ogata and Shisei Toma will be attending the annual conference in Washington.
Kaiya Yonamine, an Okinawan-American Nisei and Oregon high school student, will also attend the conference. She will be screening “Our Island’s Treasure” at the conference, a documentary Yonamine produced to raise awareness in the U.S. and abroad, on issues surrounding the new base construction in Okinawa.
VFP-ROCK is currently raising funds for their trip to Washington. If you are interested in making a donation, contact Makishi at 090-3796-5404.
(English translation by T&CT and Monica Shingaki)
