JCP Shii and Ginowan City Mayor agree to work to solve U.S. Futenma base issue

Japan Press Weekly

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JCP Shii and Ginowan City Mayor agree to work to solve U.S. Futenma base issue

Mayor Iha Yoichi of Ginowan City in Okinawa which hosts the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station on September 14 visited Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo at the JCP head office to request further JCP cooperation aimed at the early closing and return of the Futenma base and requiring the observance of the same safety and environmental standards adopted in the U.S.

In the meeting, Shii said, "In a party leaders' debate during the August 30 House of Representatives general election campaign, Democratic Party of Japan President Hatoyama Yukio declared that the Futenma base should be relocated to somewhere outside of Okinawa or of Japan. I want to urge Hatoyama to implement this election pledge. If Hatoyama intends to fulfill the promise, revision of the 1996 agreement of the Special Action Committee on Okinawa (SACO) will be necessary. I will ask Hatoyama to hold negotiations on a SACO review."

Regarding the issue that the safety standards required in the U.S. are not applied to the Futenma base, Shii pointed out that this issue should be solved immediately and the new administration has a responsibility to remove the dangers by closing the base.

Iha said, "I hope that the new ruling party will start discussions about revision of the SACO agreement. I ask the JCP to make efforts to push the new administration to get started."

In his reply, Shii stated, "Although the Obama administration is taking a positive approach to the abolition of nuclear weapons, there is no change concerning Japan-U.S. relations because the Liberal Democratic and Komei government merely has made no demands for change. The important thing is how the Japanese government will represent the Japanese people, especially Okinawans. I call on the new administration to work hard on this issue."

- Akahata, September 15, 2009