2016年10月26日水曜日

沖縄県系若者が辺野古、高江に 基地沖縄 苦難学ぶ 2016/10/25

琉球新報 2016年10月25日 06:30 

27日に開幕する「第6回世界のウチナーンチュ大会」を前に、世界各国からの20~30代の若者が24日、基地問題に揺れる名護市辺野古の海や東村高江の森を訪れた。参加者からは「やはり抵抗は必要だ」「基地の存在は命に関わる問題だ」「容認する人の思いも聞きたかった」などの声が上がった。「世界のウチナーンチュと行く!高江辺野古ゆんたくバス2016」(同実行委員会主催)の一環で、北米や南米7カ国からの13人を含む約20人が参加した。

 辺野古の浜ではヘリ基地反対協議会の安次富浩共同代表からの説明を受けながら、米軍キャンプ・シュワブと民間地を分け隔てるフェンスの向こうを興味深く眺めるなどした。

 松本カリナ沙登美さん(27)=ブラジル3世=は2013年の研修生時代にも辺野古を訪れたことがある。建設を止める手だてとして「やっぱり抵抗は必要だ」と考える。ブラジルでは市民デモに警察がゴム弾や催涙弾で対応することがあるというが「(日本の機動隊が市民を)手で押しただけだとしても、暴力には変わりない」と率直に話した。

 ジェフ・タナカさん(27)=米国出身、カナダ在住4世=は、日本や米国に支配された沖縄の歴史に言及し「長いことその土地に住んでいた人々を押し出すという構造は、カナダの先住民が抱える問題と似ている」と自国の状況と重ねた。「沖縄の言葉や土地、文化を残そうとしている人は希望になる」と話した。

 父方母方共に本島北部にルーツのあるアルゼンチン3世のヘラルド・マリアノ・和男さん(35)は、米軍基地を渋々容認する人の思いも聞きたかったが、時間が足りなかった。基地の存在は「人命に関わる問題だ」とし「命を犠牲にしてまで守らないといけないものはないはずだ」と話した。

 実行委員会の徳森りまさん(29)は「基地問題の賛否を問うのではなく、現場を見て聞いて、考えてもらう機会をつくりたかった」と意義を述べた。

英文へ→Young attendees to the 6th Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival visit and study Henoko and Takae

沖縄県系若者が辺野古、高江に 基地沖縄 苦難学ぶ

Young attendees to the 6th Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival visit and study Henoko and Takae

October 25, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo


Young attendees to the 6th Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival visit and study Henoko and Takae

Participants in the tour to Henoko and Takae look on and take pictures through the fence of Camp Schwab on October 24 at the beach in Henoko.  


On October 24, young people of Okinawan heritage in their 20s and 30s from countries around the world visited places shaken by military base issues, namely the ocean at Henoko and the woods in Takae, prior to the opening of the 6th Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival on October 27. These participants shared thoughts such as, “resistance is essential after all,” “the existence of the bases is a problem which affects people’s lives,” and “I also wanted to hear the thoughts of people who accept [the bases].” Linked to the festival, the bus tour Yuntaku Bus 2016 via Takae and Henoko took about 20 participants including 13 from North and South America to view these areas.

At the beach in Henoko, participants listened to co-representative of the Helicopter Base Objection Association Hiroshi Ashitomi’s explanation, and gazed with great interest toward the fence that separates Camp Schwab from civilian soil.

Satomi Karina Matsumoto is a 27-year-old 3rd generation Okinawan from Brazil who also visited Henoko during her introductory period to the festival in 2013. She thinks as a method for stopping construction “resistance is essential after all.” Although in Brazil police will use rubber bullets and tear gas on citizens’ demonstrations, she says that, “[Japanese riot police officers] only laid hands [on citizens], but the violence is no different.”

Jeff Tanaka is a 27-year-old 4th generation Okinawan who was born in the United States and resides in Canada. Alluding to Okinawa’s Japan- and U.S.-dictated history he says that the way people who have lived on that land for a long time are being pushed off resembles the issues that Canada’s indigenous people face. He went on to say that those who retain Okinawa’s language, land, and culture will become Okinawa’s hope.

Harold Mariano Kazuo is a 35-year-old 3rd generation Okinawan from Argentina, with roots to the northern part of Okinawa Island on both his father’s and mother’s side of the family. He was also looking forward to asking for those who reluctantly accept the military bases to share their thoughts, but there was not enough time. Along the lines of bases affecting human lives, he goes on to say that, “There nothing worth protecting to the point of sacrificing lives.”

Lima Tokumori, a 29-year-old on the committee for the Yuntaku Bus tour, said about the experience, “It is not about asking [others if they] accept military base problems or not, it’s about seeing and hearing about the actual sites, and creating an opportunity to have people consider [these situations].”

(English translation by T&CT and Erin Jones)

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October 25, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo