JCP urges defense bureau to investigate often-flooding river within US base

Japan Press Weekly

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

JCP urges defense bureau to investigate often-flooding river within US base

Japanese Communist Party House of Representatives member Akamine Seiken on August 13 called on the Okinawa Defense Bureau to go onto a U.S. base and conduct research on a river that flows through the base and often floods residents’ houses located around its lower reaches.

Okukubi River runs through Okinawa’s Onna Village and Kin Town and has its upper reaches within U.S. Camp Hansen. The two municipalities have repeatedly requested the prefectural government to do repair works to prevent its flooding, but the U.S. forces have not allowed it to carry out investigations within its facility.

The JCP’s Onna Village Assembly member Ueda Ryosuke, who accompanied Akamine, said that residents want necessary measures to be taken to eliminate the dangerous situation which has been in existence since before Okinawa’s return to Japan in 1972.

Akamine stressed that Japan should be able to do investigations inside U.S. military facilities under the bilateral Special Action Committee on Okinawa (SACO) agreement.

An official of the Okinawa Defense Bureau repeatedly told them that under the bilateral agreement Japan cannot do research on U.S. bases without permission from the U.S. side.

- Akahata, August 13, 2010