> Does anyone know of a good or interesting study or article about the UN or > NATO "peacekeepers'" conduct toward local women in the countries where they > have been stationed? > Will the Balkans be turned into a place resembling Okinawa, whose economy > has been distorted by the presence of US military bases? Will Balkan women > find themselves in a situation where the only gainful employment will be to > serve various needs and desires (including sexual ones) of "peacekeeping" > soldiers? Or have they already, in Bosnia, Macedonia, etc.? > Yoshie while below doesn't get at specific questions asked, info is relevant... > Women and Children, Militarism and Human Rights: > International Women's Working Conference > Naha City, Okinawa, May 1-4, 1997 > > Final Statement > > We are a group of women activists, policy-makers, and scholars from > Okinawa, mainland Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and the United > States who share a deep concern for the impact of the U.S. military > presence on women and children in all our countries. > For four days we have exchanged information and strategized > together about the situation of victims of violence committed by > U.S. military personnel against civilians, especially women and > children. We have shared information about the plight of Amerasian > children who are abandoned by their G.I. fathers, and the effects > of U.S. military bases on the social environment, in particular on > women who are absorbed into the dehumanizing and exploitative > system of prostitution around U.S. bases. We have considered the > current status of the various official agreements governing the > U.S. bases and military personnel; also the effects of high rates > of military spending on women and children in the U.S. We see > militarism as a system of structural violence which turns its > members into war machines and creates victims among women and > children in our local communities. Underlying our discussions this > week is the clear conviction that the U.S. military presence is a > threat to our security, not a protection. We recognize that the > governments of Japan, South Korea and the Philippines are also > complicit in this. > This is the first time that women have sat down together to discuss > these issues which are usually marginalized in discussions > concerning U.S. military operations. As a result of our work this > week, we see the many striking similarities in our various > situations more clearly than before. As women activists, > policy-makers, advocates and scholars, we have strengthened our > commitment to work together towards a world with true security > based on justice, respect for each other across national > boundaries, and economic planning based on local people's needs, > especially the needs of women and children. We will continue to > support women and children affected by U.S. militarism in all our > countries, and to create alternative economic systems based on > local people's needs. We will establish new guidelines to prevent > military violence against women that are quite separate from > existing official agreements. > In addition we demand the following: > > * that the Status of Forces Agreements between the United States and > the governments of Japan and South Korea be significantly revised > to protect the human rights of women and children, and to include > firm environmental guidelines for the clean-up of toxic > contamination to restore our land and water and to protect the > health of our communities; > * that our governments pursue sincere efforts to support the > democratization and reunification of Korea; > * that our governments take full responsibility for violence against > women perpetrated by U.S. military personnel; > * that all military 'R' and 'R,' which has meant widespread sexual > abuse and exploitation of local women and children, be banned; > * that all military personnel receive training aimed at preventing > the sexual exploitation, harassment, and abuse of women and > children who live and work around bases; > * that our governments provide substantial funding for the health > care, education, training, and self-reliance of women who service > G.I.s, and their children, including Amerasian children; > * that the U.S. government and the governments of Japan, South > Korea, and the Philippines take full financial responsibility for > Amerasian children, and that the U.S. government introduce > immigration law that provides for al Amerasians in these three > countries; > * that all U.S. bases, weapons, and military personnel be removed > from Japan and South Korea; > * that our governments fund detailed independent research on health > conditions due to military activities and operations (e.g. the > incidence of low birth-weight babies in the vicinity of Kadena Air > Base in Okinawa), as is being done in the U.S.; > * that our governments and public agencies recognize the central > importance of women's issues in all base conversion projects, and > include women in all levels or base-conversion decision-making; > * that money currently spent on the U.S. military by tax-payers in > the U.S., Japan, and Korea be devoted to socially-useful programs > that benefit women and children; > * that the lands currently in U.S. military use be developed to > benefit local people rather than investors and transnational > corporations as has happened at the former Subic Bay Naval Base > and Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines; > * that local, national, and international media investigate and > report the issues and concerns referred to here, and educate > people on the effects of the U.S. military presence in our > countries; > > We have committed ourselves to establishing an international > network to hold our governments accountable on these issues, and to > build a broad base of support to create a secure and sustainable > world for future generations. > 4 May 1997 > Okinawa see also: Saundra Pollock Sturdevant, _Let the Good Times Roll: Prostitution and the US Military in Asia_ Katharine H. S. Moon, _Sex Among Allies: Military Prostitution in US-Korean Relations_ I recall reading about Honduras as well but I can't find article or citation in my files...Michael Hoover
