March 17, 2010

The Naha City Assembly in Okinawa on March 16 unanimously adopted a statement urging the Hatoyama administration to keep its election promise and to relinquish the relocation plan of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station within the prefecture.

The statement called on the Hatoyama government to agree to an immediate closure and return of the Futenma base, and to fulfill its election promise to relocate the base to outside Okinawa or even outside Japan.

In response to a proposal from the Japanese Communist Party, heads of six parties of the assembly, including the Democratic Party of Japan, jointly submitted the statement to the assembly.

JCP Naha City Assembly member Furugen Shigeharu stated, “Through our effort to overcome differences among political parties, we succeeded in adopting the unanimaous statement. This statement is significant on the grounds that all political parties of the Naha City Assembly, an assembly of Okinawa’s capital city, agreed to represent Okinawan people’s demands and convey their anger at the government attempt to impose additional burdens associated with U.S. military bases on Okinawa.”

Regarding the issue of the Hatoyama Cabinet stating its intention to relocate the Futema base within Okinawa, DPJ Naha City Assembly member Tamaki Akira said, “Such a move violates the DPJ’s election manifesto and ignores Okinawan’s demand.”
- Akahata, March 17, 2010