June 5, 2023

Calling for the cancellation of the central government’s plan to deploy a Self-Defense Force unit equipped with anti-ship missiles to Ground SDF Vice-Camp Katsuren in Okinawa’s Uruma City, local residents on June 4 held a rally in front of the base’s main gate.

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Akamine Seiken, on behalf of the Okinawa-elected opposition parliamentarians’ group, delivered a speech in solidarity. Akamine pointed out that the Kishida government intends to join the U.S.-led Integrated Air-and-Missile Defense system (IAMD). He said that this means that Japan may take part in U.S-led wars, and stressed that in order to defend national security, the need is for the government to strengthen its peace diplomacy, not military capabilities.

JCP Okinawa Prefectural Assembly member and former SDF member Shimabuku Keisuke also spoke in solidarity. He pointed out that under the government policy based on the national security legislation and the three key security-related strategies, SDF members will probably be put in situations where they may fuse with the U.S. military and face the risk of killing and being killed in U.S. wars. He said, “Our fight will contribute to protecting SDF members’ lives.”

Teruya Hiroyuki of a local anti-base group called on participants to work hard to increase residents’ awareness of the danger of possible attack by an enemy force precisely because of the deployment of missiles and to work to block the deployment plan.

The rally received solidarity messages from anti-base groups of residents working for the same goal in Yonaguni Town, Ishigaki City, and Miyakojima City, all of which host SDF bases.

Past related articles:
> Draft outline of 3 key security documents proposes introduction of 'IAMD' system [December 11, 2022]
> Ishigaki islanders seek referendum on deployment of GSDF missile base [September 20, 2019]
> Miyakojima residents stage protest to demand removal of missile base [April 7 and 8, 2019]