Japan Press Weekly

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2017 May 31 - June 6 [SDF]

70% of Ishigaki residents sign petition opposing SDF deployment

A group of residents of Okinawa’s Ishigaki City on May 31 visited Tokyo to submit to the Defense Ministry 14,000 signatures opposing the deployment of a Ground Self-Defense Force unit to their island.

Combined with the 14,000 signatures, the number of signatures presented to the ministry totals 35,720, accounting for 70% of the city population.

Following the city mayor’s approval for preparations for the GSDF deployment, the Defense Ministry on May 17 provided to the city government a draft plan for a military facility to be built in the city.

In the submission, residents’ group co-leader Uehara Hidemasa pointed out that the major lesson learned from the 1945 Battle of Okinawa is that a military presence does not protect residents, and demanded the cancellation of the deployment.

Okinawa-elected opposition lawmakers, including Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Akamine Seiken, also participated in the submission.