Japan Press Weekly

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2011 November 16 - 22 [OKINAWA]

Multiparty Okinawa assemblypersons ask JCP for cooperation in antibase effort

A delegation consisting of all the political parties in the Okinawa prefectural assembly came to Tokyo and asked the Japanese Communist Party for cooperation in their effort to oppose the construction of a new U.S. base in Okinawa.

JCP Chair Shii Kazuo stressed the significance of the multi-party resistance, saying that it puts considerable pressure on the central government to change its plans. He responded to their request, saying, “We are with you. Let’s fight together!”

He also informed them that in the Diet deliberations, the JCP has been criticizing the national government for imposing another U.S. base on Okinawa and demanding that Japan retract the agreement with the United States on the construction of a new base off Henoko in Okinawa’s Nago City and unconditionally remove the U.S. Futenma base from Okinawa.

The Okinawa delegation consists of assembly members from the JCP, the Liberal Democratic, Komei, Social Democratic, Okinawa Social Mass parties, and two other parties. They also visited representatives of other political parties in the national Diet.

The Okinawa prefectural assembly on November 14 unanimously adopted a statement calling on the central government to give up its intent to proceed with a meaningless environment impact assessment to be used to justify the construction of a U.S. base off Henoko in Nago as a replacement for the U.S. Futenma base in Ginowan City.

The Okinawa delegation during their stay in Tokyo submitted this statement to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.