Research for new U.S. base construction halted due to local protest

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Research for new U.S. base construction halted due to local protest

Faced with strong local protests, the Defense Facilities Administration Agency on September 14 gave up its planned research in preparation for the construction of a new U.S. Marine Corps base on the coastline of U.S. Camp Schwab in Nago City, Okinawa.

At 7:30 a.m. in front of the Camp Schwab gate, about 50 members of the Nago Council against the Construction of the U.S. On-Sea Heliport began their protest, urging DFAA officials not carry out the research. The officials went back without entering the base.

Japanese Communist Party Nago City Assembly member Gushiken Toru who took part in the protest said, "The DFAA's action deeply offends local residents opposing the new base construction."

The DFAA said that it has not decided the date for conducting the research yet.

Archaeological ruins estimated to be 1,000 to 2,000 years old have been discovered in the Camp Schwab's barracks area that is located in the planned construction site of a new U.S. base. The DFAA plans to spend 40 million yen to conduct the research into the buried cultural property there. It was to conduct preliminary studies of the research on that day

The government is hastening preparations for the new U.S. base construction. The DFAA plans to draw up a master plan for the construction within this fiscal year. On September 5, it began checking facilities in Camp Schwab that need to be removed or relocated because of the base construction.
- Akahata, September 15, 2006