January 21, 2010

The Miyakojima City Assembly in Okinawa, where the Shimojishima airport, a candidate site being considered as a replacement for the U.S. Futenma Air Station is located, on January 21 unanimously adopted a resolution in opposition to the transfer of the base to Shimojishima.

The resolution states that local residents will never accept the transfer, and requests the government to announce inside and outside Japan that there shall be no transfer to the airport.

In 1971, the year before administrative rights were returned to Okinawa, the central government and the then Ryukyu government exchanged a memorandum promising that the airport will not be used except for civil aviation. The airport is presently used for training commercial airline pilots.
- Akahata, January 21, 2010