 Residents express anger at boring survey for constructing U.S. base The Japanese government on September 3 briefed a limited number of residents of Nago City in Okinawa on a boring survey it will carry out in preparation for the construction of a new U.S. air base off the Henoko district of Nago. Many of the 140 Nago residents attending the briefing criticized the government for attempting to rush to carry out the boring survey that will pave the way for the relocation to Nago of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station, which has long exposed Ginowan residents to the danger of accidents. Officials from the Naha Regional Defense Facilities Bureau, which is in charge of the construction of the base, tried to convince the residents that the boring survey at the planned construction site will not destroy the environment of the sea off Nago. A resident of the Henoko district said, "In our district, 94 percent of land is already occupied by the military. How can we live in peace if a helicopter base isconstructed in the sea off Henoko?" Another man said, "The Defense Facilities Bureau has for eight years rejected our request for explanation of the base construction plan. You have never replied to any questions we asked. Are you ignoring the city-wide referendum that rejected the construction plan?" About 200 people from the Okinawa Prefectural Peoples Council against Relocation of U.S. Bases and the Council against the Construction of U.S. Helicopter Base assembled near the briefing site in protest against the briefing. (end) |