 Zama City Assembly opposes reinforcement of U.S. Camp Zama The Zama City Assembly on October 18 adopted a unanimous resolution expressing opposition to the planned relocation of the U.S. Army 1st Corps Command, which covers the whole Asia-Pacific region ranging from the U.S. mainland to the eastern coast of Africa, to the U.S. Camp Zama in Kanagawa Prefecture. The U.S. Army Japan Headquarters and the 9th Theater Army Area Command are deployed in this camp located in Zama and Sagamihara cities. The Japanese Communist Party drafted the resolution which was supported by ruling party members of the city assembly and was jointly submitted to the assembly. The assembly chair and vice chair will present it to the Japanese government. The resolution states that despite mass media reports that about 800 personnel from the 1st U.S.A.C. Command in Washington are expected to be deployed to Camp Zama, the city has received no information from the Japanese government. Representing 130,000 citizens, the Zama City assembly's resolution warns that the Command's transfer plan contradicts Article 6 of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty under which the U.S. Forces in Japan are assigned to cover the "Far East" areas and that this plan, if implemented, will drastically reinforce and perpetuate Camp Zama's operational capabilities, undermining Zama citizens' desire to get the camp site withdrawn. Welcoming the unanimous resolution, Nakazawa Kunio, JCP assembly member group chair said, "Mayors of both Zama and Sagamihara cities which host the base have expressed opposition to the plan. We will struggle until the plan is lifted, hand in hand with Zama's mayor, assembly, and citizens." * * * About 20 citizens from 7 organizations in both cities on October 16 visited Camp Zama to deliver a petition directed to the commander of the U.S. Army in Japan calling for the relocation plan to be withdrawn, but the U.S. base refused to receive the petition. (end) |