Japan Press Weekly

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2019 February 20 - 26 [POLITICS]

Shii: Gov’t should take seriously Okinawans’ opposition in Henoko referendum

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on February 24 issued the following statement regarding the result of the prefectural referendum over the ongoing reclamation work for the construction of a U.S. base in Nago’s Henoko district in Okinawa Prefecture.

The result of the Okinawa prefectural referendum clearly indicates Okinawans’ opposition to the Henoko reclamation work.

The voting outcome is not only a victory for Okinawa’s democracy and local autonomy but also a historic victory for Okinawans. I would like to express my heartfelt respect to Okinawans who successfully realized the referendum by overcoming many challenges.

I strongly urge the Abe government to take seriously Okinawans’ opinion as clearly revealed in the referendum and immediately put a stop to the Henoko landfill work for constructing a new base.

The return of U.S. Futenma base site will never become a reality as long as it is conditioned on achieving the relocation to Henoko. I strongly demand that the government negotiate with the U.S. for an unconditional removal of the Futenma base.

Past related articles:
> Okinawa-wide referendum officially announced [February 15, 2019]
> Revised ordinance will open door to ‘prefecture-wide’ referendum over Henoko base project [January 30, 2019]