Japan Press Weekly

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2014 December 24 - 2015 January 6 [POLITICS]

Okinawa Pref. Assembly adopts statements opposing planned US base in Henoko

Following anti-base candidates’ victories in the Okinawa gubernatorial and general elections, the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly on December 24 adopted two statements by majority vote, demanding that the Japanese and U.S. governments give up the plan to construct a new U.S. base in Nago’s Henoko district in the prefecture.

The statements point out that candidates opposing the base construction plan won in both the recent gubernatorial and the national elections as well as in the January Nago City mayoral and the September Nago City assembly elections. Stressing that these victories represent Okinawans overwhelming opposition to the new base in Henoko, the statements argue that if the Abe government pushes forward with the construction ignoring Okinawan people’s will, the claim of Japan being a democracy will be called into question.

One of the two statements calls on the Japanese government to start negotiations with its U.S. counterpart for the closure and removal of the U.S. Futenma base in Ginowan City. The other strongly demands that the U.S. government return the base site to Okinawa.