Japan Press Weekly

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2015 March 4 - 10 [POLITICS]

Okinawan univ. students protest detention of civilians opposing US base construction

A group of university students and teachers in Okinawa issued a statement on March 3 in protest against the U.S. military detaining two Japanese citizens opposing the planned construction of a new U.S. base at the Henoko coastal area in Nago City.

The statement notes that there is no legal basis for the detention. It stresses that a series of violent actions against protesters by the U.S. and Japanese authorities infringe upon fundamental human rights which are guaranteed by the Japanese Constitution.

At a press conference held in the Okinawa prefectural office building, Ryukyu University professor Abe Kosuzu referred to the fact that Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide denounced the Okinawa prefectural government for starting an investigation into the situation of coral reefs, which were damaged due to the preparation work for the base construction. She insisted that the central government should respect the will of Okinawans opposing the construction project, which was explicitly expressed in the elections last year.

On the same day, Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Akamine Seiken took up the detention incident at a House of Representatives Budget Committee session. He condemned the authorities for violating the constitutional right to protest against those in power.

On February 22, the U.S. military detained two Japanese activists preparing for a rally in front of the gates of U.S. Camp Schwab and handed them over to the Nago Police. Faced with strong protests from local residents, the police released the detainees the following night.