Statement of Protest

AWC-Japan
April 16, 2012

The United States and Republic of the Philippines launched the joint military exercise BALIKATAN 2012 today, April 16, 2012. We strongly denounce the start of this military exercise that raise military tension in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to press, this year’s BALIKATAN exercise is held in many places in Philippine including Palawan Island that is located near the disputed Spratly Islands and around 4,500 US troops and around 2,300 of AFP join it. It clearly aimed at containing China. The US also seek for reinforcement of military presence in Philippine through deployment of the Marines and US warships. We also denounce the US and Japanese governments’ maneuver for integration of both army and preparations of invasive war in the region.

On the other hand, the large scale of US-ROK military exercises named KEY RESOLVE and FOAL EAGLE is conducting with participation of more than 10,000 US troops from February 27 to April 30 in Korean Peninsula. In addition, a large scale of US-ROK joint landing exercises named DOUBLE DRAGON was implemented on the end of March. These are clearly rehearsals for wars of aggression against DPRK. Governments of the US, Japan and South Korea had propagated the ‘threat of North Korea’, saying that the launching of satellite by DPRK is actually a test of long-range ballistic missile. But in reality, the governments of the US, Japan and South Korea have continue warmongering and war preparation against DPRK. We condemn their moves.

On January 2012, the US Obama administration announced the ‘new military strategy’ that aimed to reinforce the US military presence in the Asia-Pacific region. In parallel, the US have launched the maneuvers including the start of deployment of the Marine Corps in Australia, the seeking of rotational deployment of the Marine in Philippine, Hawaii, South Korea and other places and the construction of naval base for the US in Jeju Island of South Korea. We shall intensify our joint struggle against such moves in solidarity with people in Asia-Pacific.

Now the US and Japanese governments intend to consolidate US bases in Japan and the US-Japanese military alliance under the name of ‘review’ of realignment of US bases in Japan. They continue to seek construction of new US base in Henoko, Okinawa and new heliports in Takae, Okinawa. They also intend to deploy multi-mission tiltrotor aircraft named MV Osprey to and move the marines in Iwakuni base. In addition, they express the repair of Futenma base in Okinawa but it means the fix of the base permanently. We strongly condemn the moves of these moves of the US and Japanese government.

We shall fight against our struggle against strengthening US-Japanese military alliance and US military presence in Asia-Pacific in solidarity with struggling people in the region, including people in Okinawa, Iwakuni and Kanagawa who resist the realignment of US bases in Japan. Junk US-Japanese military alliance! All US troops out of Okinawa, ‘mainland ‘ of Japan and whole Asia-Pacific! ###