Japan Press Weekly

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2014 April 23 - May 6 [POLITICS]

DefMin plans to deploy 1,252 patrol vessels to suppress anti-base protesters

The Defense Ministry plans to deploy a total of 1,252 patrol vessels to discourage anti-base protest actions against the planned construction of a new U.S. base in Okinawa’s Henoko district, Japanese Communist Party Dietmember Kasai Akira revealed.

At the April 25 meeting of the House of Representatives Foreign Committee, in response to Kasai’s question, the Defense Ministry said that in preparation for reclamation of the sea area for the base site, it seeks to complete field surveys regarding the geology of the seabed, locations of coral reef habitat, and effectiveness of dugong detectors by November this year. While the research is conducted, the ministry plans to mobilize 1,252 patrol vessels in total.

Asked by Kasai what the aim for the guard ships is, the defense authority said, “In order to secure safe and smooth operations of the projects”.

The Defense Ministry started exploratory drillings in 2004, but had to stop before finishing it in the following year because peace activists in canoes carried out protest actions in the sea area.

The JCP lawmaker criticized the government for not only ignoring people’s angry voices but also trying to suppress the anti-base movements. Foreign Minister Kishida Fumio replied, “During the Japan-U.S. summit meeting (on April 24), the two leaders agreed to make a steady progress in the realignment of the U.S. Forces in Japan.”

Ashitomi Hiroshi, a co-leader of the anti-U.S. heliport council, commenting on this issue said, “I was astonished at the number of the patrol vessels to be deployed. Evidently, they are meant to intimidate protesters, but we will keep on protesting in a non-violent manner.”