Okinawa Prefectural Assembly objects to wartime bills

The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly on July 4 unanimously adopted a written opinion calling on the Diet to make "careful considerations" of the three contingency-related bills.

Okinawa followed Mie and Nagano prefectures in adopting a resolution calling for the "withdrawal" or "careful consideration" of the bills.

In May, Okinawa's Naha City Assembly adopted a resolution calling for "prudence" in dealing with contingency legislation. Seven other municipalities in the prefecture have followed this in expressing "opposition" to the contingency bills and another 39 have passed resolutions demanding "prudence" in handling the controversial bills. These municipalities account for about 90 percent of Okinawa's 52 municipalities.

In the written opinion, the prefectural assembly called attention to the present situation in Okinawa saying, "Many U.S. military bases are located close to residential areas. Crimes and accidents involving U.S. military personnel and their family members have occurred one after another. The U.S. presence adversely affects the Okinawan people's lives."

Stressing the need "to defend the people's lives, properties, and human rights," the written opinion demands the "careful consideration" of the bills in question.

Arasaki Moriteru, professor at Okinawa University, said that taking the tragic experience in the Okinawa Battle and concentrated-U.S. military bases into account, it is natural for Okinawa to adopt such opinions back-to-back. If the wartime legislation is invoked, Okinawa will continue to be used as a stepping-stone for U.S. military operations, so there should be more opinions expressing their clear opposition to the bills, he added. (end)