Give up new base construction and relocation of Futenma base within Okinawa!

Japan Press Weekly

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Give up new base construction and relocation of Futenma base within Okinawa! - Akahata editorial

Regarding the issue of the new U.S. base construction and the plan to consolidate the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station with the Kadena Air Base, Foreign Minister Okada Katsuya during his first visit to Okinawa as a foreign minister repeatedly said, “The issue should be concluded by the end of the year.” Okada also said, “We have made no promise to remove the Futenma base outside the prefecture or outside Japan. I don’t think that (closure of the Futenma base) will settle the matter.” Okinawans are furious after hearing Okada’s remarks.

With Okinawans’ opposition to the new base construction and the planned relocation of the Futenma base within the prefecture, Okada should negotiate with the U.S. government reflecting their demands. If Okada makes no change in his position, his attitude is inconsistent with Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio’s remarks, when he said, “I will fully keep the sentiment of the Okinawan people in mind.”

Relocating the Futenma base within the prefecture is impossible

At the summit meeting last weekend with U.S. President Obama, Prime Minister Hatoyama agreed to set up a ministerial working group to discuss the Futenma base issue. President Obama in his remarks said that establishing the working group will help to implement the bilateral agreement on the construction of a new U.S. base. Prime Minister Hatoyama said, “I take the agreement seriously. However, if everything is decided under the agreement, we don’t need to discuss anything.” Concerning the matter whether he will make his decision before the end of this year, Hatoyama said, “Hopefully, by the year-end, but there is a possibility that it will take a long time.”

Together with Defense Minister Kitazawa Toshimi, Foreign Minister Okada Katsuya is a member of the working group inaugurated on November 17. Okada’s repeated remarks against Hatoyama’s explanation raise doubts about the Hatoyama administration’s stance towards the issue.

In Okinawa, Okada said that relocating the Futenma base to outside Okinawa or Japan is a “very narrow road.” This ignores Okinawa’s reality and tramples on Okinawans’ demands.

There is no question that the removal of the Futenma base, which occupies a vast area of land in the middle of the densely populated area of Ginowan City, is a matter of urgency and cannot be deferred any longer because of safety and quality of life concerns.

Okada is sticking to his proposal to move the Futenma base operation into the U.S. Kadena Air Force Base. But Okinawans will not accept such a change because it will only worsen the already unbearable noise pollution from sonic booms caused by U.S. military planes. The majority of Okinawans are against any relocation of the Futenma base within the prefecture. The fact is that construction work, even preparatory work, has not been allowed to start for 13 years since the plan to construct a new base was put forward due to the strong opposition.

Foreign Minister Okada should begin negotiating with the United States the closure of the Futenma base in response to the demand of Okinawans as well as Futenma residents.

Far from being willing to demand the dismantlement of the base, Okada is defiantly insisting that his party did not promise during the general election that the Futenma air base will be moved outside of Okinawa or Japan.

But everyone knows that Hatoyama, as the president of the Democratic Party, clearly stated during the election campaign that the Futenma base should be moved out of the country. Okada was the secretary general of the DPJ at that time.

He is now insisting that his party did not promise to move the base out of the country even though he never took issue with the DPJ president’s remarks on this issue. Who can accept such a contradictory argument?

Time to end Japan’s subservience to the U.S.

At a press conference following his recent visit to Okinawa, Okada stated that the new government will fundamentally follow up on what the previous government negotiated with the United States on the Okinawa issue. He even said, “If the agreement (with the United States) is canceled, the U.S. Marine Corps relocation plan and the return of the Futenma base site will also be canceled.” We know that U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates used the same logic to demand that Okinawa accept the construction of a new base during his recent visit to Japan.

These events show clearly that Japan should drastically move away from the type of diplomacy under the LDP-Komei government that prioritized subservience to the U.S. by giving the Japan-U.S. military alliance.

- Akahata, November 18, 2009