 Stop drilling survey immediately: JCP Ichida In a published comment on September 9 regarding the start of a drilling survey for the construction of a new U.S. military base in the sea off the Henoko District of Nago City, Okinawa, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi stated as follows: We protest against the drilling survey conducted by the Naha Regional Defense Facilities Administration Bureau in defiance of surrounding residents' protest and demand that the survey immediately be canceled. The construction of a new U.S. base is based on the 1996 Japan-U.S. Special Action Committee on Okinawa (SACO) agreement, but opinion polls show that 93 percent of the Okinawans call for the agreement to be reviewed. The start of the drilling survey represents the government's attitude that adheres to the SACO agreement with total disregard for the sacrifice of the residents. The JCP demands that the plan to construct the new base in the offshore Henoko district be revoked, and will do its utmost in solidarity with Okinawans to put an end to the use of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station and have the land returned to Okinawa. (end) |