BY LAURA GARZA
The visit of President Clinton to Japan for a November 20 summit meeting with Tomiichi Murayama, the country's prime minister, was intended to provide an opportunity to reaffirm the security arrangement pact between the two governments with much fanfare.
Instead, the review of the accord takes place amidst a heated debate, with more and more Japanese working people raising their voices against the U.S. military presence in Okinawa and throughout Japan.
The largest mobilizations against U.S. bases in decades have taken place in Japan recently. They were sparked by the September 4 rape of a 12-year-old Okinawan school girl. Three U.S. soldiers entered guilty pleas on November 7 to conspiring to abduct and rape the girl. Marcus Gill, one of the GIs, pleaded guilty to charges of beating and raping her.
Washington's defense of the U.S. bases has not been helped by the facts that have emerged so far. The incident was sparked, according to one defense lawyer, because Gill just wanted to "have fun," but didn't have enough money to pay a prostitute. The other two soldiers charged pled guilty only to conspiracy, claiming they didn't succeed in raping the girl, and one denied he had hit her.
U.S. military authorities initially refused to turn the soldiers over to Japanese officials. They were forced to do so after massive protests swept Okinawa when the three GI's were indicted. In a new bilateral agreement, Washington agreed for the first time to consider requests to turn over soldiers accused of crimes. But the decision remains in the hands of the U.S. military brass. The Status of Forces Agreement, outlining the rules under which the U.S. forces operate, has not been changed.
U.S. defense secretary William Perry visited Japan in the wake of the largest protest in 25 years. Between 60,000 and 85,000 people marched in Okinawa October 21, with another 10,000 demonstrating in Tokyo. Among the slogans the protesters shouted was "Yankee go home." Perry tried to placate the growing anger in the population with promises that Washington would consider some "adjustments" and work to "reduce the intrusiveness" of the 47,000 troops stationed in Japan.
Stating his remarks were a "preview" of what Clinton would say, Perry also stressed the U.S. government had no intention of reducing the number of troops stationed there. He stated the Japanese have to accept some inconvenience in order to have the "credible security guarantee" provided by U.S. troops. Perry also said that his government hoped Tokyo would "renew its commitment to U.S. troops" during Clinton's visit.
All three capitalist parties in Japan's governing coalition support the presence of U.S. troops and maintaining the security treaty. But the massive protests and growing sentiment against the bases have sent capitalist politicians scurrying to deliver some kind of change that will give the appearance of responding to the demands for cutting back the U.S. presence, especially in Okinawa.
In the wake of the protests, the daily Asahi Evening News ran a front-page column chiding Murayama for holding to the "stupid misconception that maintaining the Japan- U.S. security treaty is realistic."
On October 19 a government spokesperson said Murayama would raise the question of reductions in the size of the bases with Clinton at their meeting. The pressure to do so was highlighted by Murayama's statement that "the issue of Okinawa will be the issue that determines the fate of this cabinet."
The U.S. military concentrates 75 percent of its bases in Japan on the island of Okinawa, along with 29,000 troops. The island, which has its own distinct culture, was occupied by Japan and then by the U.S. military at the end of World War II, after a battle in which one in every three Okinawans died. It was returned to Japanese administration in 1972, and is the poorest prefecture in Japan. Some 47,000 U.S. troops are in Japan, and 13,000 more are on ships off the country's coast.
The U.S. bases occupy 20 percent of Okinawa's main island, and bring with them hazards, including target practice over highways and abuse by soldiers. There have 36 aircraft crashes since 1972, the latest being an F-15 jet that crashed off the island on October 17.
The governor of Okinawa, Masahide Ota, has refused to sign documents to extend leases on land used for the U.S. bases, some of which come up in March. Ota became governor four years ago after publicly campaigning to remove the bases, but he signed to renew the leases shortly after. Now, under pressure from the public mobilizations, he is refusing to budge. In an effort to resolve the crisis before Clinton's visit, Murayama met with Ota on November 4 to pressure him to reverse course. The leases can be forcibly renewed by Murayama. But he also campaigned in the past against the bases and wants to avoid being directly responsible for imposing the extensions.
A top Defense Ministry official, Noboru Hoshuyama, who headed the agency that oversaw all defense installations - including those used by the U.S. government - was forced to resign after he was quoted as calling Murayama "stupid" for his response to the situation. He stated his view that Murayama should have been more forthright in defending the U.S. bases and the security agreement.