chōng shéng

冲绳

liú qiú

琉球

rén

人

de

的

yuán zhù mín zú

原住民族

shēn fèn

身份

zhī

之

zhēng

争

The Ryukyu people have long lived in the Ryukyu Islands in southern Japan. They once had their own kingdom, language, and culture.

Later, the Ryukyu Kingdom was annexed by Japan.

Schools promoted Japanese, some traditional customs were restricted, and the Ryukyuan languages gradually declined. Today, they are in danger of disappearing.

The United Nations has repeatedly recommended that Japan recognize the Ryukyu people as an indigenous people—that is, a group that lived in an area before the formation of the state and has its own culture—but the Japanese government has never agreed.

Okinawa also has many U.S. military bases, which occupy large areas of land.

Residents cannot freely enter the bases to investigate pollution, and they are also concerned about noise, health, and safety issues.

Many people oppose expanding the bases and hope to reduce Okinawa's burden.

However, the Japanese government believes that these bases are very important for national security.

If the Ryukyu people gained indigenous status, they might have stronger grounds to demand land rights and the right to participate in local decision-making.

As a result, cultural protection, residents' rights, and national security affect one another, making the issue of Ryukyu identity more complex.