As usual this is just my thoughts, maybe it is impractical but maybe this is the best way forward!
It will not be easy but IT CAN BE DONE!
First of all, it is very important to have Facebook in English to make it easy to connect to foreigners especially Americans to make it easy for them to help you with political support, moral support and financial support via donation on Facebook itself.
Okinawans should always remember: He Who Got The Gold Makes The Rule. Okinawans got the land, the stuff under their feet, so they got to make the rule, not some distant powers in Tokyo or Washington! This means Okinawans makes the rule, not Tokyo or Washington in their pursuit for independence. So even while it seems Tokyo or Washington makes the rule, they are only temporary. Okinawans makes Permanent Rules to override the temporary advantages Tokyo or Washington have over them! In particular I refer to the final stages where Tokyo refuses to allow a referendum for independence, Okinawans should start making Rules to start running Okinawa AS IF she is ALREADY a free country!
Tokyo should constantly be shamed on the world stage, using Scotland and Quebec as examples. If the Canadians dare to allow Quebec to vote for secession, if UK dare to allow Scotland to vote for secession and thus independence, why can't Tokyo, a so called democratic country allow the same for Okinawa? Also Okinawans having form a plurality of voices seeking independence should seek US NGO's, influential citizens, Congressmen to support her push for independence as it is very likely US government may try to derail this independence effort covertly! Yes, there are US Congressmen who will be helpful because they truly believe in freedom and human rights for all! Hello NSA, are you sniffing around?
The very first step is to draw up an Economic Blueprint to show Okinawans and the world that an independent Okinawa is able to sustain herself viably without depending on Tokyo or US for handouts. As I had posted elsewhere, Okinawa is more than able to stand on her own feet. Remove foreign choke hold on Okinawa and Okinawans will be able to prosper beyond anybody's imagination! A little country like Singapore is able to prosper, so can Okinawa though the advantages are of a different nature.
Once a prima facie case can be made to support the idea that Okinawans can be self sufficient, the Okinawan independence activists should convince their fellow citizens to join the movement. Many of them may be fearful of losing their jobs, fearful of lost income, fearful of threats or just plain ignorance of the reality before them. They can be convinced that they will have a much brighter future than is now, they can be convinced they will be safe, they can be motivated to join the movement instead of just sitting on their hands. Some may need financial incentive to participate. Some may need to be instilled a sense of pride in their own culture. Some may need to learn their own history, especially WWII unnecessary death of almost 150,000 Okinawans. Anger, pride in one's own culture, seeking justice, seeking greater wealth, seeking better future for their future generations, these are the areas to motivate them, especially younger generations. There is NO need to have Okinawan diaspora in mainland Japan, Hong Kong or elsewhere. Okinawans don't need to take abuse from anybody!
Hopefully there is enough initial critical mass of at least 20% of Okinawans in favor of independence and this will encourage those sitting on the fence to join in later. This is simply natural for some people, they won't move until they see a herd instinct calling them to do so. Since Okinawa is a small island, as well as other smaller Ryukus islands, it is very practical to do Door To Door campaigning, person to person meeting to persuade fellow Okinawans to join the independence movement. This personal interaction, especially involving influential Okinawan musicians, politicians, well known personalities will improve the outcome.
It is very important to have a verifiable polling done, so perhaps a website on Facebook need to be set up or elsewhere to let supporters to vote On The Spot their support for independence. Short of that, collect signatures on the spot when they meet fellow Okinawans and these hundreds of thousands of signature cards can make a great publicity impression when make into a big pile in front of the Okinawa Assembly with photos taken to make them go viral!
Now the next step is using this Okinawan collective voices to be heard through the actions of their representatives in the Okinawan Assembly. I hope politicians of all parties, especially LDP members in the Assembly Think First for fellow Okinawans and put Tokyo's interest last! There is no harm to be a 'traitor' to LDP and be a hero to one's own motherland! A bill should be introduced in this Assembly demanding secession from Tokyo, a first step to declaration of independence. This is a very very important legal step as this put Tokyo on notice the will of the Okinawans cannot be ignored and Tokyo must be made to allow a referendum for independence by the Okinawans.
Obviously Tokyo will try every means to avoid getting to a vote in the Diet to allow for a referendum. If that is the case, the very first step is to invite more international news coverage like CNN, Reuters etc, especially all US based news companies to converge on Tokyo and Naha to watch democracy in action. Okinawans should start making protest in Naha first once the Diet refuse to allow a referendum. Doing something dramatic, theatretical to make it into the headlines.Tokyo will resist again, but this Naha protest is just for more publicity. The next step is to do protests in Tokyo itself. This is where the 'rubber meets the road'. This is where there is danger of violence but this is also where the Okinawans will have a chance to turn the corner to force Tokyo to allow for a referendum for independence vote. The referendum will be by Okinawans, NOT including mainland Japan which obviously is biased and have NO direct say in Okinawan destiny. So Tokyo must not be allowed to play games and disturb the referendum intention to achieve independence. A wonderful analogy is again the Scottish and Quebec referendums. Do they allow other citizens in UK or Canada decide on their future? Of course not, so Tokyo should not be allowed to pollute the referendum process.
It is very important to hire some top lawyers, preferably from US and UK to help ensure global attention to fairness in the referendum process. There is a US law firm involved in the Henoko Dugong protection ligitation, so this give you idea there are many US law firms who will be able and willing to help Okinawans, especially if the referendum case is filed by an NGO in US like in the Dugong case. Having a US organization initiate the court case will bring global attention and force Tokyo to be fairer in treating Okinawans. The Sea Shepherd anti whaling campaign is case in point. While this organization ability to work effectively in US against Japan's whale hunting is now compromised due to politics, at least she manage to generate massive publicity against Japan in her anti whaling effort. So US based companies working for Okinawans can cause problems for Tokyo and public sentiments may even give rise to call for boycotts against Japan to force her to to comply with Okinawan's wishes.
The protests in Tokyo will probably be a long campaign, months, even years but it will be well worth it. Meanwhile if Tokyo insist on dragging her feet, Okinawans should make a de facto government, much like Taiwan, unrecognized internationally by UN countries, but just go ahead to conduct business with other countries AS IF Okinawa is already an independent country. No, you don't need permission from Tokyo to run your own affairs. Revenues will flow into Okinawa and Okinawa get to keep ALL the revenues with NOTHING going back to Tokyo.
If Tokyo withhold the $3 billion budget for Okinawans yearly, Okinawans should do what they can to close the Japanese airbases and navy in Naha, the smaller islands nearer to Diaoyu/Senkaku islands. This may be the only language Tokyo understand to get things done. This need to be done with maximum international news reporting and best protest tactics.
I am pretty certain Okinawans will succeed. The most important thing is to have FAITH. There are millions of people all over the world who demand JUSTICE like me, and they are more than willing to help Okinawans succeed. We have cases where NGO's from Western countries send activists to Gaza to help the Palestines break free from Israel's stranglehold. I am certain there are many such people willing to come and help Okinawans. These peace activists will come and give Okinawans more People Power. To generate even more awareness Okinawans musicians should encourage their Western counterpart to have a Freedom Concert in Okinawa. This will be like a modern day Woodstock in Okinawa!
Persist & Okinawans will finally be Free At Last! You owe me an awamori !
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