―　Having No Say When Washington Tries to
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Increase your Population by 25%　―

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ｂｙ　Ann Wright

　　　Ｔhe United States　and the Chinese governments have some remarkable
　　similarities when it comes to colonization. The Chinese government has
　　sent a huge Han population to inhabit Tibet　and overwhelm the Tibetan
　　population, even building the world's highest railway to get people and
　　materials there.

　　The United States government, with virtually no consultation with
　　the local government and citizens, is increasing the population of its
　　non-voting territory, Guam, by 25%. 　8,000 U.S. Marines, their dependents
　　and associated logistics units and personnel-a total of 42,000 new
　　residents-will be moved to the small Pacific island (barely three times
　　the size of Washington, DC) that has a current population of 175,000.
　　The move will have a tremendous impact on the cultural and social
　　identity of the island.

　　These military forces are being relocated to Guam, in great measure,
　　because of the "Close US Military Bases" campaign organized by citizen
　　activists in Okinawa, Japan. The United States　has had a huge military
　　 presence there since the end of World War II.

　　I thought I was reasonably well-informed about America's interests in
　　the Pacific. I had worked as a US diplomat in Micronesia for two years
　　and　travelled many times through Guam, a US territory, located an 8 hour
　 flight　west of Honolulu.　

　　But earlier this month, in Guam on a study tour sponsored by a coalition
　　 of Japanese peace activists spearheaded by CODEPINK-Osaka, Japan,
　　ｗhich included a former member of the Japanese Diet (Parliament),
　　I learned new aspects of the decision to relocate this large number of
　　U.S.military to Guam.

　　Guam was first colonized by the Spanish in the 1500s, became a US
　colony in 1898, a war-trophy from the Spanish-American war and served
　 as a stopover for ships travelling to the Philippines. During World War II,
　　Guam was attacked and occupied by Japan　on December 8, 1941,
　　the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. American citizens
　living on the island had been evacuated by the United States government
　　before the attack, but the indigenous Chamorro population was left behind.
　During the 31 months of Japanese occupation, the Chamorros endured
　forced labor, concentration camps, forced prostitution, rape and execution
　by the Japanese military. The United States military returned three and
　one-half years later on July 21, 1944 to retake Guam.

　　In 1950, Guam was made an "unincorporated territory" of the United
　　States　by a US Congressional act and residents were given UＮ as one
　　of 16　"non-self governing territories" left in the world.

　In order to get the 8,000 US Marines out of Okinawa, the Japanese
　government is paying $6 billion to the US　government for their relocation.

　　Guam officials are concerned that not enough of the relocation funds will
　be made available for the large infrastructure improvements that will be
　needed for the island's roads, water, sewage and electrical systems as it
　tries　to support a 25% increase in population. They feel the military will take
　 care　of its bases but may leave the local population struggling with the
　new infrastructure problems created by the large number of military
　personnel.

　The Japanese people, too, are in the dark about the details of the billions
　of dollars they will pay the US government to have US forces leave Japan.
　Japanese members of our delegation were shocked when they learned from
　local Guam activists that the relocation budget calls for the Japanese
　government to pay $650,000 for the construction of each new house on
　the base, while Guam activists told us the cost of a middle class home on
　 Guam　is around $250,000. The Japanese delegation was greatly concerned
　 that their　government is funding such inflated projects and is going to
　raise　the　budget with Japanese Diet members when they return to Japan.

　 Of concern to the Guam business community is consideration by US House
　of Representatives law makers to give Japanese contractors the same
　access as American firms to bidding on contracts worth more than $2.5
　billion in upcoming US　military construction projects on Guam. Apparently,
　the Japanese government, like the US government, likes to have its
　commercial　firms benefit from government aid projects it is funding "overseas."
　With Japan's $6 billion contribution to the $10 billion cost of relocating the
　Marines, Japan wants　some　of that money returned to Japan through
　construction contracts on the Guam　infrastructure projects.

　Many Guam officials and a large number of Guam citizens are deeply
　concerned about the cultural, economic and security impact of the dramatic
　 increase　in population and militarization of their island the relocation would
　present. The current cultural divide of those living in relative luxury inside
　the bases with better housing, schools and services has been a source of
　friction between　the US military and the local population over the years.

　Guam officials said that they too have been perturbed about the extra-
　ordinarily　high expenditures on US military base facilities, when the
　Government of Guam is strapped financially. The officials said they were
　amazed and horrified when they learned that the Air Force recently built
　an on-base animal kennel for　$27 million, with each animal space costing
　$100,000, when locally, the government is unable to provide sufficient
　infrastructure for its citizens, much less animals.

　Professors and students at the University　of Guam　expressed concern
　that there will be a sharp increase in sexual assault and rape on the island
　due to　the relocation of US Marines. They believe one of the reasons the
　Japanese　government finally was able to get the US government to move
　some military forces out of Okinawa was because of major citizen
　mobilizations　that occurred　in response to rapes by US military personnel.

　 In 2008, the US Ambassador to Japan　had to fly to Okinawa　to give his
　apologies for the rape of a 14 year old girl by a US Marine. The US military
　forces on Okinawa had a 3 day stand-down for "reflection" and Secretary
　of State Condoleezza Rice had to express her "regrets" to the Japanese
　Prime　Minister "for the terrible incident that happened in Okinawa...
　we are　concerned　for the well-being of the young girl and her family."

　In April, 2008, U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant Tyrone Hadnott, 38, who had been
　in the Marines 18 years, was charged with the February 10, 2008, rape of
　14 year　old girl, abusive sexual contact with a child, making a false official
　　statement, adultery and kidnapping.

　　On May 17, 2008, Hadnott was found guilty of abusive sexual conduct and
　 the four other charges were dropped. Hadnott was sentenced to four years
　 in prison,　but will only serve a maximum of three years in prison due to a
　pretrial agreement that suspended the fourth year of the sentence. He was
　 reduced to private and　given a dishonorable discharge from the US Marines.

　The rape accusation against Hadnott stirred memories of a brutal rape more
　than a decade ago and triggered outrage across Japan. Japanese Prime
　Minister　Yasuo Fukuda said that Hadnott's actions were "unforgivable."

　　There are US Congressional stirrings of concern about the relocation of
　the Marines to Guam. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee
　 chair　Ike Skelton has raised concerns about the size, scope and cost of
　the move to Guam. "At over $10 billion (two and one-half times the initial
　cost estimate of $4 billion), it is an enormous project, and I am concerned
　that the thinking behind it is not yet sufficiently mature," Skelton said at a
　recent Congressional　hearing. "We need to do this, but it needs to be done
　right."

　In a challenge to US military "forward deployment" strategy in Asia and
　the Pacific, Guam activists strongly feel the US military should relocate
　large　ｆorces to the mainland of the US where there presence can be better
　absorbed　by the greater populations and existing large military bases, rather
　 than to their small Pacific island.

　However, the US　federal government seldom takes into account local
　feelings　about their projects, particularly military projects in a region far
　removed　from the Washington power center.

　Guam activists want their voices heard and respected and not to be treated
　 as merely residents of a colony of the United States.　　　　

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・http://www.voicesofconscience.com/　　Voices of Conscience

・GAZA  FEEEDOM   MARCH!
　http://www.gazafreedommarch.org/article.php?list=type&type=416

・http://codepink.jp/  　Code Pink Osaka

・　http://www.codepink4peace.org/　Code Pink

　- about Ann Wright -

　During the run-up to war in Iraq, Army Colonel (Ret.) and diplomat Ann
　Wright　resigned her State Department post. She was one among dozens
　of government　insiders and active-duty military personnel who leaked
　documents, spoke out, resigned, or refused to deploy in protest of
　government actions they felt were illegal. In Dissent: Voices of Conscience,
　Ann Wright and Susan Dixon tell the stories of these men and women, who
　risked careers, reputations,　and even freedom out of loyalty to the
　Constitution and the rule of law. 　
　（ http://www.voicesofconscience.com/）

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　 thankful to Ann Wright, Hisae Ogata, Kyle Kajihiro and Sung-Hee, Choi.