Japan Press Weekly

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2014 October 15 - 21 [US FORCES]

Kochi residents hold rally to commemorate 20th anniversary of US military aircraft crash

On October 15, in protest against low-altitude flight training exercises by U.S. military aircraft, a rally took place in Motoyama Town, Kochi Prefecture, with 130 people taking part.

The rally was also organized to commemorate the 20th anniversary of a crash of a U.S. military aircraft in a dam in the prefecture.

In October 1994, a U.S. A6E Intruder carrier-borne aircraft crashed in the Sameura Dam during a low-altitude flight training exercise, killing two crewmembers. Located within a one kilometer radius from the crash site were a local government office, childcare centers, and schools.

In the rally, Japan Peace Committee Secretary General Chisaka Jun delivered a speech. He cited that successive Japanese governments have allowed U.S. military aircraft to conduct low-altitude flight training drills and that the U.S. military is seeking to carry out similar drills using Osprey aircraft. “The risk of crashes will increase,” Chisaka pointed out.

Motoyama Town Mayor Imanishi Yoshihiko also participated in the rally. He said, “U.S. low-altitude flight training drills both in the daytime and nighttime infringe on local residents’ basic human rights. In order to correct this situation, a revision of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement is necessary. I will make efforts to achieve this in collaboration with local residents and neighboring municipalities.”