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Opinion

Panama's Peace Constitution

By DOUGLAS LUMMIS


パナマの平和憲法

パナマと日本はどちらも平和憲法を持っており、国内に米軍基地がある。パナマでは多くの人々が米軍基地に反対しているが…。

Until recently I had thought the only country other than Japan to have a peace constitution was Costa Rica. But there is one other: Panama.

The story begins in 1977, when U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian leader Gen. Omar Torrijos signed treaties in which the United States promised to return the Panama Canal to Panama and to withdraw all military forces by Dec. 31, 1999.

The treaties also provided that on Jan. 1, 1990, the person in charge of administering the canal, until then a U.S. appointee, would be replaced by someone appointed by the government of Panama. At that time Panama was under the dictatorship of Manuel Noriega, a former CIA agent now hostile to the United States. In late December 1989 the U.S. invaded Panama (the 20th U.S. military intervention in that country), "arrested" Noriega (for drug dealing), and installed Guillermo Endara as president.

The invasion was a classic mix of U.S. "idealism," national interest and brutality. It was clearly a violation of international law. Based on the number of people killed and wounded, it was the most violent event in Panamanian history. Through it, the United States succeeded in getting a "friendly" person appointed to head the canal administration (just in time!). The military dictatorship was overthrown and a less repressive regime was installed. And the Panamanian military (called the Panamanian Defense Forces) was dissolved. In 1993 the constitution was amended to become the world's third peace constitution.

The reader can see the similarities with the case of Japan, and the differences. The big difference is that Panama never invaded any foreign country. The military was mainly for the purpose of controlling Panamanians, its abolition was primarily a matter of democratization.

The big similarity with Japan's case is that the United States still has military bases there. Under the Panama Canal Treaty, they are to be returned by the end of 1999. And some have already been returned. But now the U.S. government is pressuring Panama to renegotiate the treaty to allow some U.S. military to remain after 1999. Panama's government elite (this is another similarity with Japan) seem willing. Why? There are many reasons, but according to the Panamanian Nationalist Forum, the main reason is "so that the U.S. military may intervene in Panama to keep the oligarchy in power, as happened in 1925, 1989, and other times."

The U.S. government, on the other hand, gives the absence of a Panamanian military as a reason for keeping its military there. To do what? To protect the canal, they say (against whom?). To help fight the "drug war" (a chief raison d'etre for the U.S. military after the end of the Cold War). To carry out jungle warfare training (To fight where? The U.S. has no jungles.).

As in Okinawa, many people in Panama are campaigning to get the U.S. bases out. If they succeed, perhaps we can say that Panama has finally become an autonomous, postcolonial state. If they fail?


Shukan ST: Aug. 15, 1997

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