Okinawans have right under international law to demand removal of U.S. bases

Okinawa's Ginowan City, which wants the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station to be removed in accordance with the 1996 Japan-U.S. agreement, held a symposium on December 2, to discuss how to get the agreement implemented.

The event was held on the 7th anniversary of the Final Report of the Japan-U.S. Special Action Committee on Okinawa (SACO) which set out an action plan to return the Futenma base site to Ginowan City in 5-7 years.

Panelists included representatives of the Japanese Communist Party, the Democratic Party of Japan, the Social Democratic Party, and the Okinawa Social Mass Party.

The ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties declined Ginowan City's invitation.

Referring to the report that the United States will start reviewing its force structure, Mayor Iha Yoichi stated that Okinawa must make the best use of this chance so that the Futenma base site can be returned.

The symposium's panelists were: Ueda Koichiro, Japanese Communist Party vice chair; Maehara Seiji, Democratic Party's next cabinet minister in charge of security; Fukushima Mizuho, Social Democratic Party chair; Umebayashi Hiromichi, NGO Peace Depot chief; Arakaki Shigeo, Okinawa's local party Social Mass Party secretary general; and Mayor Iha.

Ueda Koichiro, Japanese Communist Party vice chair, pointed out that Futenma residents are suffering from unbearable noise caused by an increasing number of flights of U.S. helicopters and called for the Futenma base to be removed completely.

The Okinawa governor's plan to relocate the Futenma base to the Henoko district of Nago City allows the Futenma base to remain for another 15 years. We must urge the prefectural government to review its relocation plan without delay.

Pointing out that the United States established its bases in Okinawa in violation of international law, Ueda emphasized that the Okinawans have a right to demand the return to Okinawa the U.S. military base site. (end)