I. Outline
The US and Japanese Governments have plans to build a new US military base on top of a healthy coral reef supporting at least nine species threatened with extinction and many other types of animal life. Due to global warming and pollution, Okinawa's reefs are already under severe threat, with more than half disappearing over the last decade. The threat from the base is widely recognised. In 1997, Japan's Mammalogical society placed the threatened dugong, which relies on these reefs for its very survival, on it's "Red List of Mammals," estimating the Okinawan population to be critically endangered. The US Government's Marine Mammals Commission is concerned that the project would constitute a serious threat to the animals' survival. The World Conservation Union's dugong specialists expressed similiar concerns. In addition, the Endangered Species Act of the US, lists the dugong and the three sea turtles affected by the project as engandered. Construction of the offshore facility will have devasting consequences for avian and terrestrial species. With complete destruction of the coral reef off the coast of Henoko village, the plan will deplete fresh water supplies, increase the human population in these sensitive areas, and encourage yet more environmentally destructive development. [1]

II. Background
The Okinawa Prefecture was under direct US military occupation from 1945 until 1972, when it was handed over to the Japanese. Okinawa is seen to be of prime geo-political importance and is known as the 'Keystone of the Pacific.' Even now, nearly 20% of the Okinawan landmass is under direct US military occupation, and though Okinawa accounts for only 0.6% of Japan's total landmass, 75% of al US military facilities are concentrated there. It is proposed to relocate the existing U.S. Futenam Air Station to the coastal area of Henoko. The area is located on the eastern coast of Okinawa and the largest sea grass beds are found there. The proposed development is to be a massive structure, 1,500m in length, 600m wide, with the capacity to accomodate 2,500 troops and 60 helicopters. When fully operational, it will cover an area of 90 hectares of water (recent reports are indicating a much larger facility; 2,600m by 730m, covering an area of 200ha). This will deter photosynthesis, ecologically isolate the waters from the Pacific Ocean, block the diurnal migration of dugongs between daytime refuges outside the reef area and nightime inshore feeding areas, greatly increase the risk of accidents, oil leaks, water and sound pollution, and in total cause the destruction of the marine system and the most preferred home of the Dugong. [2][3]

The Okinawans are clearly opposed to a base at Henoko. They have repeatedly expressed their desire for the removal of American military facilities. However, their sense of outrage goes deeper. In 1998 the assembly of Nago city of Okinawa passed a resolution stating that "it is our responsibility to preserve the precious sea where dugongs and sea turtles are born and grow, which heals our soul and provides us with sustenance," therefore the region should be: preserved for "future generations." The dugong has been an integral part of Okinawan culture. It has been designated as tennen-kinnenbutsu (national monument) under the "Historic National Monument Protection Law" before WWII. This has continued under various laws ever since.
Okinawans believe that dugongs were their ancestors. Higashionna Takuma, Secretary of the Save the Dugong Foundation states: "Our guiding principle is 'to live in harmony with the dugong.' Not only is the dugong vital, but also the environment inhabited by the dugong. In other words, ensuring an environment in which dugong can survive is also vital for us as human beings...We can establish a mode of living without the [military] bases. If the natural environs are destroyed, and the dugongs lost from this region, what on earth will be left?" [4]

Conclusion
The threat to Okinawa's natural heritage, culture and environment is clear: if this military facility is constructed, then the coral reef will be destroyed, and when this occurs the sea grass upon which the dugong, the very symbol of Okinawan identity and culture, will be eliminated from the earth. There is a further dimension to this attempt by Japan to reinforce its control over Okinawa with this strategic US base: the waters between Okinawa and China are rich in both oil and gas deposits. [5]
Disputes between Japan and China are on the increase over the disputed Senkaku / Diaoyutai islands, approximately 200 nautical miles southeast of Okinawa. The natural gas and oil resources in the East China Sea are potentially enormous. The interests of western oil companies are clearly involved, and if the Henoko base is constructed, it further assist in securing the interests of US oil corporations in the East China Sea, at the expense of both Okinawa and Taiwan.[6][7][8]