arms2

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

JCP Shii in Iwakuni calls for national unity to foil U.S. military realignment in Japan

On July 31 in Iwakuni City, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, which hosts the U.S. Marine Corps Iwakuni Air Station, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo spoke at a rally and called for nationwide solidarity in the struggle to foil the government attempt to divide the anti-U.S. base movement and stop the U.S. military realignment in Japan.

Before an audience of 1,300, including conservatives, Shii emphasized the important historical significance of the two judgments Iwakuni citizens have passed: first, the majority vote of 'no' in the referendum last March over the plan to relocate a U.S. carrier-loaded aircraft wing to Iwakuni from the U.S. Atsugi Naval Air Facility in Kanagawa, and second, the mayoral election last April in which the incumbent mayor who opposes the strengthening of the base functions was reelected.

If the Iwakuni base functions are further strengthened, Shii warned, it will be the largest U.S. air base outside the U.S., and the base will have two strike forces overseas, the Marine Corps and the aircraft carrier strike group.

Shii pointed out the following three problems involved in the plan: (1) U.S. forces will cause more noise pollution by carrying out more flight exercises by relocating carrier-borne aircraft at the newly enlarged runway that is being constructed ostensibly to reduce noise pollution; (2) 12 mid-air refueling aircraft will be redeployed from the U.S. Kadena Air Base in Okinawa in accordance with the 'final' agreement Japan and the U.S. reached in May as part of the U.S. military realignment and reinforcement in Japan; and (3) night landing practices will be conducted reneging on the promise that there will be no NLPs at Iwakuni.

Shii emphasized that the drastic increase in the Iwakuni base function will affect the whole of the Chugoku and Shikoku regions as well as the Seto Inland Sea area, in that it is added to the existing two dangerous changes, a sharp increase in the low-altitude flight exercises by U.S. fighters, and possible entry of a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier into waters off Iwakuni.

The JCP chair stated that the U.S. military realignment/reinforcement plan is facing various contradictions across the nation, specifically in the metropolitan area that includes Kanagawa, Iwakuni, and Okinawa. He quoted a former SDF officer as saying that if part of the plan fails, the whole plan could fail.

* * *

Earlier in the day, Shii visited Hiroshima City to hold talks with Yoshida Masahiro, the head of monks of Daiseiin temple in Miyajima, Hatsukaichi City Mayor Yamashita Saburo, and Ohtake City Mayor Iriyama Yoshiro.

Yoshida, the chief priest of the temple with a 1,200-year history, told Shii that the whole Miyajima area that includes the Itsuku-shima Shrine, the virgin forest on Mt. Misen, and the surrounding sea, is designated as a World Cultural Heritage. He said that the beautiful site must be conserved, and called for opposition to the dangerous plan that will disturb their religious activities.

Shii said that although the U.S. forces claim that they won't conduct flights over the Miyajima district, the U.S has never kept its promises in the past.

Mayors Yamashita and Iriyama emphasized that their cities will defend the safety and security of citizens under any circumstances.
- Akahata, August 1, 2006