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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe: Disputes Over US Military Base in Okinawa

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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe: Disputes Over US Military Base in Okinawa International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN (Online): 2319-7064 Index Copernicus Value (2016): 79.57 | Impact Factor (2017): 7.296 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe: Disputes over US Military Base in Okinawa Ajeng Tri Hidayati1, I Ketut Surajaya2 1Graduate Student Japanese Studies Program School of Strategic and Global StudiesUniversitas Indonesia 2Professor of History Japanese Studies Program School of Strategic and Global StudiesUniversitas Indonesia Abstract: The existence of US military bases in Okinawa reaped pros and cons at the domestic and international level to relocate Marine Corps Air Station or MCAS Futenma from Ginowan city to Nago city in Henoko. The relocation of MCAS Futenma that has been agreed since 1996 by Japan and the United States was still not fully approved by Okinawa people. The Okinawa people do not want the military base to be relocated to Nago city, because they wanted the US military base to be completely removed from Okinawa. This research will analyze the policy of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in addressing the issue of relocation of US military base in Okinawa (MCAS Futenma). This research used theory of decision making process proposed by William D. Coplin. The results of this study indicated that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe continue efforts to relocate the US military base in Okinawa, namely MCAS Futenma to Henoko by looking at various policy determinants. The factors that boost Shinzo Abe's policy were Japanese domestic factors, economic and military capabilities,including the international context. Keywords: Relocation; Okinawa; MCAS Futenma; Shinzo Abe 1. Introduction Okinawa has a long history and set of characteristics that distinguish it from other regions in Japan. In the past, the The security alliance between Japan and the United States is kingdom of Ryukyu was an independent state that gave one of the most important military ties in the Asia Pacific tribute to China. The islandwas conquered and occupied by region. As an alliance, Japan and the United States worked the Japanese Satsuma clan in 1609. After the Meiji together to carry out defense and security strategies in Restoration, the kingdom of Ryukyu was fully integrated protecting their respective interests. In a symbiotic into the country of Japan in 1879 (Hook &Siddle, 2003:1). relationship of mutualism, Japan which had no military As Japan’sinvolvement in World War II, in 1944, Okinawa power after World War II was assisted by the United States became the only Japanese territory that became battle to support its military power. One of the military ground. More than 10,000 US troops and about 90,000 cooperation undertaken by Japan and the United States was Japanese soldiers were killed in the fighting (Japan to build a US military base in Okinawa. The issue of US Communist Party, 2000: 1). The most striking news was the military bases in Japan, precisely in Okinawa,was a complex huge number of civilian casualties. More than 100,000 issue. At the international level, US military base in people or nearly one-third of the population of Okinawa died Okinawa was vital to support Japan's security, so Japan in this war. allowed United States to build its military base in Okinawa. However, at the domestic level, there were pros and cons on The war was the bloodiest war in the Pacific. Okinawa the issue of Okinawa's military base between the central Island was destroyed. The Allied Forces then used Okinawa government, local government, and also the Okinawa as a base to prepare invasion to main islands of Japan. The peopleincluding Japanese people who live outside Okinawa US military forces occupied Okinawa and sent survivors to region. camps they set up in other areas, and continued until after the war against Japan. On August 15, 1945, after the atomic Although Japan and US alliancewas regarded as security bombingon Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan made an footprint in the Asia Pacific region, pros and cons of the unconditional surrender that marked the end of World War presence of US military bases in Okinawa was still hot topic II in East Asia and the Pacific. US forces then occupied the to discussuntil now. Okinawa was perceived as "keystone of military base of the Imperial Japan from 1945 to 1952 the Pacific" because of its strategic location and close (Pajon, 2010: 7). proximity to cities in other countries. The distance from Okinawa to Taipei, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Manila, The return of Japanese sovereignty was marked by the and Tokyo are all within a 1,500 km radius. This explains signing of San Francisco Peace Agreement on 8 September why Okinawa remains an important key for US troops in 1951 by Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida. This Agreement Asia. Okinawa is the largest island in the Ryukyu was implemented on 28 April 1952. In addition, there was archipelago, located in the southern part of the Japanese also established cooperation between Japan and the United archipelago. Okinawa Island is a small island located 1,500 States called the US-Japan Administrative Agreement km from Tokyo with a length of 100 km and a width of 15 (USJAA) on 28 February 1952 (Karnell, 2015: 19). The km. Okinawa's area is only 0.6% of Japan's total land area agreement gave US troops access to a military base in but become home of 75% of US Armed Forces stationed in Japan’s territory to ensure the defense and security of Japan. Japan (Pajon, 2010: 5). It was related to the 1947 Constitution of Japan which prohibits the development of armed forces and militarism Volume 7 Issue 6, June 2018 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Paper ID: ART20183422 DOI: 10.21275/ART20183422 1083 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN (Online): 2319-7064 Index Copernicus Value (2016): 79.57 | Impact Factor (2017): 7.296 things. Thus, US military base in Japan can be regarded as base. Okinawa Prefecture is only 0.6% of the total area of "insurance" that ensures Japan’s security. The return of Japan, but become home of 75% of US Armed Forces Japanese sovereignty in 1952 excluded the territory of stationed in Japan. The presence of many military facilities Okinawa and still under US occupation. Twenty years later, had made Okinawa people disturbed and did not want only in 1972, Okinawa was handed over back to Japan (Hook & the relocation of military base but its removal from the Siddle, 2003: 3). Okinawa region. After the Cold War, Japan and the United States further Japanese leaders have negotiated a lot in tackling the issue strengthened the security alliances. There are two reasons of relocating US military base in Okinawa, including in for strengthening the alliance;first, Japan believes that Shinzo Abe's administration. Pros cons of relocation of strengthening the alliance was the most effective strategy for military basewere not only between the government and the dealing with post-cold war threats. Second, the alliance people, but also between central and local governments. In offered a framework for Japan to develop its own defense the administration of Shinzo Abe, pros cons of relocating capabilities. On the other hand, the people of Okinawa this military base were heating up. The electionof Abe in wanted a reduction of US military base in Okinawa, so the 2012 signified the sustainability of plan to relocate the issue of military bases in Okinawa was again emerged. The military base from Futenma to Henoko. In February 2013, culmination of the issue of US military bases in Okinawa Shinzo Abe and US President Barack Obama agreed on this was based on the cases of violent rape by US troops in 1995 despite strong local opposition against the relocation (The (Toshiaki, 2003: 35). About 80,000 residents held Japan Times, 2013). demonstrations and protest at US military bases in Okinawa asking to be immediately moved. 2. Problem Definition The Special Action Committee on Facilities and Areas Responding to the statement, it appeared that Abe still (SACO) was formed to plan the reduction of US military wanted to relocate the US military base from Futenma to base in Okinawa in the future. Japan and the United States Henoko despite resistance from local people. Given the declared that SACO would develop recommendations for complexity of US military base relocation issues, it would be the Security Consultative Committee (SCC) on matters interesting to analyze more in depth regarding Abe's policy related to consolidate and reduce the facilities and areas of addressing the issue. The election of Shinzo Abe as Prime controlled by US military and aligning the operational Minister in 2012, 2014, and 2017 can also be an objective procedures of US forces in Okinawa according to their analysis showing direction of Abe's strategy through policies respective obligations, respectively under the Treaty of issued regarding the relocation of US military bases. Mutual Cooperation and Security and other relevant agreements (MOFA, 1996). In the final SACO report 3. Literature Review released in December 1996,it was recommended that eleven military facilities and approximately 5,000 hectares area There are several literatures used as references in this were to be returned to the Okinawa community (Tanaka, research, including an article entitled “When Domestic 2000: 19). Factors Matter: The Relocation of US Bases in Okinawa” by HyonJooYoo (2014). This paper described domestic Finally in 1996, to find a way out of the problem, Japan and elements that created barriers to Japanese government in United States agreed to relocate Futenma military base fulfilling its commitment to the United States on US military (Furuki Toshiaki, 2003: 35). The relocated US military base base in Okinawa. According to Yoo, although was the MCAS base (Marine Corps Air Station) at Futenma internationally the country may chose cooperative policies located in downtown Ginowan.
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