Tomigusuku City Assembly passes protest resolution with a big “NO” to Chinese assertion “Okinawans are an indigenous people”.

Splendor of Okinawa: Mealeycup Sage, roadside Futenma,15de25

In October, the Chinese Deputy Ambassador to the UN, at a general meeting of the UN Commission on Human Rights (Commission 3) criticized the Japanese Government, asserting, “Halt prejudice and discrimination against Okinawa’s indigenous population!”


Taking issue with that statement, on 18 December, Okinawa Prefecture’s Tomigusuku City Assembly passed a protest resolution with the majority in agreement against the Chinese “incorrect statement”. The Assembly also passed a resolution requesting that Governor Denny Tamaki issue a clarification asserting that the people of Okinawa Prefecture are indeed Japanese nationals.


The protest resolution pointed out, “The Chinese statement is an improper infringement on Japan’s sovereignty. It is nothing other than an intrusion into our government.” Thus the resolution was a resolute denial of the Chinese side’s claim.


On 15 December, The Ishigaki City Assembly passed the same sort of protest resolution.


Again and again, since 2008, the UN Commission on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has issued its recommendation, “Recognize Okinawa’s people as an indigenous population!”, based on claims of those with theories of Ryukyu independence.


In the Assembly’s declaration of opinions, however, a withdrawal was strongly requested of the demand that Governor Tamaki declare the UN recommendation null and void.


 In the count of ballots, with the chairman abstaining, 10 of the 20 members  voted for the resolution, 8 against, and 2 absent.


The thinking in the opinions among those against was, “In light of international standards, it can be thought that people who have Ryukyuan roots ought to be acknowledged as members of an indigenous people.”


The background of these resolutions is that China has started a propaganda war by questioning whether there is an issue with Japan’s possession of Okinawa. China seems to have expectations of wanting to heighten activity against the Japan Self Defense Force and US Military in Okinawa by fanning divisions between Mainland Japan and Okinawa.


Avoiding that trap, Governor Tamaki is not clearly fighting back against the Chinese Deputy Ambassador’s statement. He merely expresses points of view, such as, “There are those who say we’re the Ryukyuan people”, and “Viewpoints on that topic are varied!”


Original Japanese article: Sankei Shimbun, published Thursday 18 December 2025 at 20:47. Byline: Naoki Ohtake.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/6542a6fede4fcca442582cb2791434bb10aef8e6


Denny in the News: Denny Tamaki is the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Although 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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