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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Okinawans indignant at government approval of U.S. forces in Japan realignment plan

"It's like a government under U.S. occupation. How outrageous it is for the U.S. and Japanese governments to construct a monstrous base with two runways joined in a V-shape and destroying the beautiful sea which is the dugongs' habitats!" said Kinjo Yuji, Nago Council to Block the Construction of U.S. On-Sea Heliport (Association for Life) leader.

He criticized the government for its decision of May 30 to implement the May 1 Japan-U.S. agreement on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan that includes the construction of a new U.S. Marine Corps air base on the shoreline of U.S. Camp Schwab in Nago City in Okinawa.

Okinawa's two local dailies on May 31 editorially criticized the government decision. Ryukyu Shimpo said, "The government is so high-handed that it ignores public opinion." The Okinawa Times said, "The government hurriedly tried to set the stage for the Japan-U.S. summit talks in June."

Clearly, the government completely ignored the public opinion survey that showed 70 percent of the prefectural people and 86 percent of Nago citizens are opposed to the new U.S. base plan.

The Okinawa Prefecture Fisheries Association and the Okinawa Prefecture Association of Fisheries Cooperative Heads on May 10 adopted a resolution calling for opposition to the new base plan in a bid to defend Okinawa's fisheries. The resolution pointed out that once the U.S. base is constructed and the sea off Camp Schwab reclaimed, it will seriously destroy coral reefs, waterweed beds for dugongs as well as the fish breeding grounds, and eventually destroy the fishing grounds in Okinawa's sea.

The association of the 13-district heads of Nago near Camp Schwab had petitioned the central government to take economic development measures for the region, but the association head said that the association's opposition to the new base plan remains unchanged.

In Ginoza Village, which is next to Nago City, the village head accepted the base construction, but Ginoza Village Assembly chair Shiroma Seishun maintains his opposition to the construction, saying, "In Okinawa, no land has been freely offered to be used as a U.S. base site. If the base is constructed under the recent agreement, it will be for the first time that Okinawa voluntarily offers the land. How humiliating the government approval is!"

Okinawan Governor Inamine Keiichi has expressed "deep regret" in his comment on the government decision. The deputy governor stated, "So long as the talks are premised on the government plan for V-shaped runways, the prefectural government will not attend talks between the central, prefectural, and local governments on U.S. bases in Okinawa."

Nago Mayor Shimabukuro Yoshikazu, who expressed support for the new base plan, has had to admit that he is dissatisfied with the government decision.

On May 25 in Okinawa, about 1,200 people held a rally in Naha City calling for opposition to the U.S. air base plan. Miyazato Seigen, former professor at Ryukyu University, said to the participants, "Though residents of the prefecture may be disadvantaged, they are backed by strong public opinion."
- Akahata, June 1, 2006