Without response to concerns over foreign intervention, Governor Tamaki to bring Henoko to the attention of the UN. (28au23)


Splendor of Okinawa: Mexican Petunia, roadside Uruma, 27au23


Governor Denny Tamaki intends to give a speech at the UN Human Rights Commission when it holds its session in Geneva, Switzerland. On 25 August, he expressed his thoughts on using the speech to bring attention to opposition to the relocation of the U.S. Military Futenma Airfield to Henoko in Nago. At a press conference on that day, he stated, “Without reflection on the popular sentiment among the prefecture’s residents, this new base construction is being forced on us. Shouldn’t we be making public that what’s being done is an issue involving the very fundamentals of our democratic nation?


As for the content of the speech, the governor stressed, “First of all, I’d like to bring attention to the problems that infringe on the human rights of our prefecture’s residents, such as crimes, accidents, environmental pollution that emanate from the omnipresent U.S. Military bases, as well as their menace to the feeling of secure well-being in the daily lives of our people.


The governor expressed his emotion by adding, “From here on in, this isn’t just an Okinawan problem, and I want to broadcast the thinking of Okinawa  Prefecture that so-called human rights and democracy are universal issues!”


On the other hand, voices of concern were raised that by broadcasting an internal problem of our country to the international community, “The Governor is inviting the meddling of foreign powers”. 


When queried on his awareness of this  point at the press conference, Governor Tamaki tempered his reply, noting, “An international consensus is indeed taking shape which backs our Prefecture’s engagement. Certainly, I also want to exchange opinions on solving regional problems such as the Security Treaty.” Thus, the governor avoided addressing such concerns directly.


At this point in time, the Prefecture is ‘in preparation’ for Governor Tamaki’s attendance before the UN Human Rights Commission. The schedule and such will be made public gradually as they are firmed up.


If Governor Tamaki’s speech at the UN Human Rights Commission becomes a reality, it will be the first for an Okinawan Governor since the late Governor Takeshi Onaga’s in 2015.


Original Japanese article: Yaeyama Daily News, published Saturday 26 August 2023 at 04:00.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/968f643c916df5331ff5f0c2f4b89dd891d2d8c1


Denny in the News: news about Governor Denny Tamaki.


Denny Tamaki is the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Although Okinawa is important as an international tourist destination and a key element in strategic US Military Forces, its governor receives very little coverage in the Japanese press and almost none in the English language media. 


This blog hopes to  translate one news article a day on the governor.  It is unsponsored and unauthorized. The translator simply hopes to improve his skills and perhaps give the governor an English speaking audience. 


Any suggestion on improving the translation will be gratefully accepted. However, please leave political comments for another forum.


Where they occur, words and phrases in Ryukyuan (the Okinawan language) are rendered in italics and translated in parentheses. Names  whose readings are uncertain are rendered as Name (=Kanji?) as in Nagayuki (=長行?). Any corrections in such instances would be gratefully appreciated.




 

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