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"GFJ Commentary"
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"GFJ Commentary" presents views of members of GFJ on the relations of Japan with the rest of the world and other related international affairs. The view expressed herein is the author's own and should not be attributed to GFJ.
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Unfinished Tasks of the Futenma Issue
By YUSHITA Hiroyuki
former Ambassador to the Philippines
In order to turn the recent agreement between Japan and the U.S. over the Futenma issue to be an opportunity to strike a balance between the two tasks of reducing the burden of Okinawa and of maintaining Japan's national security, which emerged in the course of "twists and turns" over the issue, it is essential for us to address the following three tasks and yield results.
The first task is to swiftly embody the agreement between Japan and the U.S. on the relocation of the Futenma base. The Japanese government should make every effort to attain the cooperation of the people of Okinawa to implement the agreement on the return of the Futenma base and also the development of Okinawa. Since the relocation of Futenma base was agreed between the previous regime of Japan and the United States, the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito Party which were the ruling parties at that time should assist in realizing this relocation plan.
The second task is to engage in the reduction of the burden and promotion of regional development of Okinawa, which go beyond the Futenma problem. The current government policy clearly states that there is a need "to reduce Okinawa's burden caused by the concentration of the U.S. bases there." It is perhaps the first time that this issue is seriously taken up on national level. We must, though belatedly, make the most of this opportunity to correct the unjust and consider how best to share, on the national level, the burden of the national security.
The third task is to promote discussion at the national level on Japan-U.S. alliance which encompasses but is not limited to the issue of U.S. bases in Japan, so that the knowledge and thoughts on security issues as a whole should be enhanced. The Hatoyama administration clearly lacked awareness of the deterrent effect of U.S. forces in Japan. His later shift in policy revealed that Japan has been stupefied by provided peace. With this provided peace, Japan did not have to consider the issue of security seriously during and even after the Cold War, and was able to devote itself in economic development. However, it has to change as the situation has changed. Otherwise, Japan will be in a difficult position to keep its security under the current circumstances of the multipolarization of the international community, the expansion of Chinese military power, and North Korea becoming a nuclear-armed state.
If a positive outcome regarding these three tasks is obtained, a valuable lesson will have been learnt from the Futenma issue, in which the calamity turns into a blessing.
(This is the English translation of an article which originally appeared on the BBS "Giron-Hyakushutsu" of GFJ on 2 June, 2010, and was posted on "GFJ Commentary" on 30 June, 2010.)
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For more views and opinions in the backnumber of "GFJ Commentary," the latest of which are as follows, please refer to:
http://www.gfj.jp/eng/commentary/backnumber.html
No.29 A Government Can be Collapsed by "Such a Thing"
by SUGIURA Masaaki, Political Commentator
(30 April 2010)
No.28 Some Thoughts on Futenma Station Relocation Issue
by OKAWARA Yoshio,Chairman of The Global Forum of Japan
(26 February 2010)
No.27 Reflections on Russia Train Bombing
by OOTOMI Akira, Editor in Chief, Chechen News
(31 December 2009)
No.26 Unfathomable Japanese Policy toward Russia
by HAKAMADA Shigeki, Professor, Aoyama Gakuin University
(31 October 2009)
No.25 Adopt a New Pacifism as Japan's National Policy
by YUSHITA Hiroyuki, Visiting Professor, Kyorin University
(31 August 2009)
No.24 What We Expect from India
by IWAKUNI Tetsundo, Member of the House of Representatives (DPJ)
(30 June 2009)
"GFJ Updates"
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"GFJ Updates" introduces to you latest events, announcements and/or publications of GFJ
Event
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GFJ and its two sister organizations, the Japan Forum on International Relations (JFIR) and the Council on East Asian Community (CEAC), taking advantage of an occasion of a visit to Japan of a prominent person on international and other affairs, monthly organize a "Diplomatic Roundtable" meeting, which is an informal gathering of members of the three organizations for a frank exchange of views and opinions with the visiting guest. The 60th "Diplomatic Roundtable" was held on 29th June 2010 on the topic of "Current Political Movements in Central Asia: Domestic and Foreign Policies." An outline of the presentation by Farkhod SABIROV, Head of the Department of International Relations, Institute of Forecasting and Macroeconomics Research, the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan, and former Visiting Research Fellow of JFIR, is as follows.
Although Kyrgyzstan had until recently enjoyed reputation in the international community as the "Switzerland of Central Asia" or an "island of democracy," she now suffers from uncontrollable political turbulence, especially in the Southern region, after having experienced regime collapses in 2005 and 2010. Moreover, Kyrgyzstan may well emerge as the first failed body politic in the post-Soviet era, since those in power there failed to overcome the confrontation between the rich north regions dominated by Kyrgyz communities and the poor south dominated by Uzbeks. It is widely held that the Osh massacre was the result of a provocation organized by the clan of the ousted Kyrgyz former President K. Bakiyev. They financially support illicit activities in the South for the purpose of rattling the legitimacy of the current interim government. In order to meliorate such situation in Kyrgyzstan, one should think about what prevents Kyrgyzstan from becoming real democratic nation. In Kyrgyzstan, loyalties to their tribes and families maintain the political system. As a result, a parliamentary democracy does not work properly due to the lack of individualism among the nation. This leads to family-based authoritarianism, and thereby disrupting a regime one after another in the end. Instability in Fergana Valley which is tribally complicated also accelerates the nation-wide unsettled political situation. Although the possibility of Russia's intervention in this political instability through the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is often pointed out, neither CSTO nor Russia seems to play a great role in settling this problem. The systems of CSTO are not designed well to tackle on this kind of issue. Besides, Russia's own intervention will not be beneficial to Russia in terms of cost and benefit, and other members of CSTO are on the alert for Russia's future intervention in their own countries. The United States, on the other hand, which has a military base in Kyrgyzstan, is proposing to act collectively though the framework of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), thereby warning against Russia-led CSTO playing the central role in maintaining security in Central Asia. China, too, is cautious about this U.S. intention, and other small players seek influence in this region as well. Consequently, today's situation in Central Asia can be depicted as "New" Great Game, which is reminiscent of the imperialistic conflicts between Russia and the United Kingdom in the 19th century. Today's political game between the big players makes it further difficult for countries in Central Asia to achieve both "nationwide" uniformity and "regional" integration.
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