 1,700 attend a JCP-sponsored symposium against U.S. base In Zama City in Kanagawa Prefecture where residents have risen in protest against the planned relocation of the U.S. Army 1st Corp. to Camp Zama, the Japanese Communist Party on May 7 held a symposium titled "Impact on Kanagawa of U.S. military realignment." More than 1,700 citizens, including officials of neighboring municipalities and non-JCP members of local assemblies, attended the symposium. Asai Motofumi, former professor at Meiji Gakuin University, Iha Yoichi, mayor of Ginowan City in Okinawa, and JCP Executive Committee Chair Shii Kazuo spoke as panelists. Asai emphasized the need to envisage the maintenance of peace without relying on force. Pointing out that in the United States as well as the rest of the world, people are increasingly aware of how dangerous the U.S. Bush administration's preemptive attack strategy is, he said, "We don't have a bleak prospect for the future." Iha spoke about Okinawa's local administrative heads making efforts to remove U.S. military bases from Okinawa. Arguing that it is impermissible to accept the U.S. advisory to relocate the U.S. Futenma Marine Corps Air Station within Japan, he called for the U.S. Marines to be withdrawn from Japan. Shii spoke on the "struggle against the strengthening of military bases under the name of the global U.S. military 'transformation'." He revealed the fact that the U.S. government is seeking to reinforce the functions of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines as strike forces as well as strengthening their Command functions. A message sent from Zushi City Mayor Nagashima Kazuyoshi, who is demanding the withdrawal of the plan to construct a housing complex for U.S. Marines in his governing district, was read during the symposium. - Akahata, May 8, 2005 |