Post-WWII hopes
The Ryukyu Islands and the Amami Islands were under the trusteeship of the U.S. which attempted to rid the islands of all Japanese influence by such measures as advocating for the name Ryukyu (instead of Okinawa), promoting the local language and the use of local currency.
Ryukyu was also stirred by the independence movement which swept the globe. The Islanders restarted discussions on such topics as "motherland," "nation," and referred to themselves as Ryukyuans. Local authorities hoped to reestablish their sovereignty over the islands with the help of the U.S.
The West, however, feared that Ryukyu would become Communist due to the burgeoning local Communist powers, especially the Communist Party of Okinawa and the Communist Party of Amami.
On becoming aware of this growing trend, the U.S. listed all such parties as illegal organizations while exercising strict censorship to control local public opinion. The U.S. even forcibly seized civilian land in order to set up military bases.
As a result, Ryukyuan hopes of U.S. support for their cause were also dashed.
Ryukyu independence and the future?
Sentiment for Ryukyuan independence grew during the early 1970s when local residents became increasingly disappointed with the Japanese government, which appeared weak in its complicity with all U.S. demands regarding military bases on Okinawa.
Besides their resentment for U.S. military bases, local Ryukyuans realized that the Japanese government was unable to demand a U.S. withdrawal, and that the key to the problem lay in independence and sovereignty. Since 2005, Dr. John Chuan-tiong Lim, associate professor at the University of the Ryukyus instigated what would become an annual island-wide poll, the results of which revealed that some 40 percent of local residents maintained their status as Ryukyuan, not Japanese, while 20 percent reiterated that Ryukyu should be independent.
The Japanese government has always distanced itself from the Ryukyu independence movement, outwardly ignoring the movement and its sentiments while tacitly working to suppress it. The Japanese authorities have never directly responded to any appeal for Ryukyuan independence, instead instructing the media to understate all such sentiment, thereby ensuring that the Japanese public remains in the dark.
Besides downplaying calls for Ryukyuan independence, the Japanese authorities have also attempted to re-label and discredit the decades-old movement, calling it a "cultural movement" and allowing major national web forums to launch personal attacks against the movement's leaders.
It is clear that there exists a major difference in culture and tradition between the Ryukyuans and the Japanese. This difference, along with the military alliance between Japan and the U.S. which has led to military bases on Okinawa, an issue which the Japanese government seems unable to tackle, has, and continues to provide fuel for the Ryukyu Independence movement.
The author is with China Institute of International Studies.
This article was first published in Chinese and translated by Chen Boyuan.
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
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