Japan Press Weekly

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2014 July 2 - 8 [POLITICS]

Demolition work of old buildings in Henoko begins for new US base construction

Demolition work on existing buildings at the planned site for a V-shaped runway began on July 1 as the very first phase before the construction of a new U.S. military base at Henoko in Nago City, Okinawa.

With the de facto start of construction work, Okinawa citizens who have been staging a sit-in protest for ten years at the Henoko district are expressing their anger.

According to the Okinawa Defense Bureau, buildings to be demolished will include factories, clinics, warehouses, and barracks located at the planned construction site for the new runway at U.S. Camp Schwab.

The government at a Cabinet meeting on the same day decided that it will extend a no entry zone in the sea off Henoko, and this measure will continue until the new base construction is completed.

A zone of 2.3 kilometers (currently 50 meters) from the coast will be off-limits, obviously with the aim to keep away on-sea protesters. A seabed boring survey will begin as early as mid-July.

Rushing to the vigilant tent village for sit-in demonstrators, they said, “From now on, the real fight begins” and opponents renewed their resolve to fight. A representative of local residents said he will work out countermeasures to deal with the extended no-entry sea area.