Who owns Okinawa?

That may seem like a completely stupid and obvious question as Okinawa is a part of Japan. Yet someone else controls 20% of that small island and no its not Japan. The United States has about 38,000 Marines stationed on Okinawa as part of the U.S. Japan defense treaty which has been in place since the end of the Second World War. Okinawa's citizens have grown weary of this arrangement because crime, noise and various forms of pollution among other complaints. It is their fervent wish to have these bases located outside of Okinawa. After all the reason for their existence has faded into history. As the Soviet Union no longer exists and the Cold War has come to an end. Yukio Hatayama and his coalition partners in the newly elected government would like to bring some relief and positive change to the people of Okinawa by giving the people what they want moving a majority of the Marines outside of Okinawa.

Yet the U.S. acts like they own the place and are refusing to even discuss any changes presented as it would upset their Western Pacific Defense posture. Who remembers the U.S. Navel base at Subic Bay in the Philippines? When the American's acted in a similar fashion the government of the Philippines forced the closure of the base and the American's left. The U.S. has treated the Koreans just as poorly when the Korean government negotiated a secret agreement to have Yongson Garrison moved to a new base 60km south of Seoul. Under the original agreement the Koreans were forced to fund 85% of the cost of the relocation and construction costs. That was until the agreement was leaked to the press and a more equitable agreement was reached.

Shouldn't the people of Okinawa and the government have a say in how they are treated buy the U.S? Of course they should. Its time for the U.S. to stop treating them as if they are second class and treat them as equals as it they, the people of Okinawa that must live with the outcome of any agreement that is reached.