RIMPAC 2022 comes at a sensitive moment when the US and its allies have stepped up provocative actions in East Asia, aimed mainly at China, a rising power that seemingly challenges US hegemony in the Pacific. However, for many people including Indigenous Pacific Islanders, US militarism remains front and centre in their fight for sovereignty and peace.

The fight to reclaim Okinawa continues despite ferocious opposition from the ruling parties in Japan who take advantage of their power and the fact some Okinawans’ livelihoods depend on base-related employment or business. This resistance is part of a larger movement for Indigenous rights, peace, and justice across the Asia Pacific region.

Okinawans, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike, have been fighting to rid Okinawa of US bases for decades, giving rise to one of the strongest peace movements in the world, attracting broad international support. Thus, we were doubly shocked to learn that the Canadian Armed Forces are regularly using US military installations on Okinawa today.