JAPAN-U.S.: Perry Arrives for Talks on Security Pact

By Suvendrini Kakuchi Reprint | | Print |

Suvendrini Kakuchi

TOKYO, Oct 31 1995 (IPS) - U.S. Defence Secretary William Perry arrived in Tokyo Tuesday for talks on the U.S.-Japan security pact which has come under close scrutiny after the rape of an Okinawan girl allegedly by three U.S. servicemen in September.

Perry will meet with Japanese government officials to discuss provisions in the 44-year-old agreement that an overwhelming number of Japanese consider unfair.

In response to a recent rally by some 85,000 people demanding changes to the pact, Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama this week said he would seek a cutback in U.S. presence in Okinawa and greater authority over U.S. troops stationed on Japanese soil.

U.S. bases occupy 70 per cent of Okinawa, a tiny island in southern Japan. Okinawa is home to 75 per cent of U.S. troops in the country, and 30 per cent of U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific.

Washington says it is prepared to reduce the number of U.S. forces in Okinawa if the Japanese government offers alternative sites for the bases. U.S. defence officials have made it clear they do not intend to cut the overall number of troops in Japan.

Despite their differences, both sides remain staunch supporters of the treaty which has helped maintain security in Asia and has allowed Japan, considered an enemy by its neighbours during World War II, to increase its influence in the region.

“Japanese politicians and officials do not want the security pact tampered with because of the crucial role it plays in Japanese diplomatic interests,” says Kazuhisa Ogawa, a respected analyst and advisor to the Japanese government.

Japan, defeated by the allied forces at the end of World War ll, signed the security treaty with the United States in 1951.

The pact allows U.S. forces to maintain military bases here to protect Japan and address regional conflicts. Japan’s post-war constitution prohibits the country from having its own military and taking part in foreign armed conflicts.

Perry’s visit comes amid mounting opposition here to the U.S.- Japan security agreement. Public opinion polls this month show a little more than 50 per cent of respondents oppose the security pact, 30 per cent higher than previous surveys.

Okinawans, especially, seem determined not to let go of an opportunity to lighten what they feel is the “unfair” burden they must carry to maintain peace in Asia.

Despite intensive dialogue with the Japanese government, Okinawan governor Masahide Ota, himself a strong anti-bases activist, refuses to sign a new land lease that would force landowners to rent land to the U.S. military.

To try to appease the Okinawans, the government in Tokyo has offered the northern island of Hokkaido as a site for new U.S. facilities.

But experts say transferring the bases is easier said than done. “Okinawa has been host to the bases for so long. It is also the most strategic place in Japan for the U.S. military,” said Ogawa.

He pointed out that during the 1990 Gulf War Okinawa played a crucial logistical role for the U.S. military. Thousands of U.S. ships plied the waters between the Middle East and Japan carrying ammunition and replacements.

Okinawa was also the most important base for U.S. troops during the Korean War in 1952 and the Vietnam war in 1970.

Both U.S. and Japanese officials want to resolve their differences over the security agreement before President Bill Clinton arrives in Japan for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November.

While some kind of compromise might be reached on shifting some of the bases to mainland Japan, the actual working out of the pledge will take a long while, Ogawa explained.

Aware of the importance of the pact for both countries, Tokyo is expected to offer Perry increased financial support for the U.S. facilities in Japan. Japan currently contributes more than half of the financial budget for the U.S. bases.

U.S. and Japanese officials are also expected to discuss a bigger role for Japan in the security pact.

Defence analyst Naoki Usui says the time has come for Japan to take a more active part in maintaining security in the Asia- Pacific.

“Japan must not continue to rely too heavily on U.S. troops for its own defence. We are now ready to dispatch our troops with the United States to conflict areas in the rest of the world,” he said.

But analysts stress Japan must be careful the new role it is seeking will not destroy Asian trust.

“Japan’s war aggression in Asia has strained its relations with the region. Most of Asia, despite its strong economic ties with Japan, continue to harbour a deep seated distrust of the richer and more influential nation,” says Usui.

U.S. troops in Okinawa are expected to respond to crises all the way from the U.S. West Coast to the Middle East and East Africa, according to U.S. military documents.

U.S. marines in Okinawa are part of the 82,000 strong Pacific Marine Corps — a Hawaii-based unit organised in 1992 that is independent of the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii. Marines based in South Korea are also part of the unit.

JAPAN-U.S.: Perry Arrives for Talks on Security Pact

By Suvendrini Kakuchi Reprint | | Print |

Suvendrini Kakuchi

TOKYO, Oct 31 1995 (IPS) - U.S. Defence Secretary William Perry arrived in Tokyo Tuesday for talks on the U.S.-Japan security pact which has come under close scrutiny after the rape of an Okinawan girl allegedly by three U.S. servicemen in September.
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