Japan Press Weekly

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2011 May 25 - 31 [US FORCES]

Okinawa JCP protests against US parachute training exercises

The Japanese Communist Party Okinawa Prefectural Assembly Members’ Group and the JCP Prefectural Committee on May 24 and 25 made representations to the central and the prefectural governments demanding the cancellation of parachute training exercises at the U.S. Kadena base.

The U.S. forces conducted the training at the U.S. Kadena Air Base on May 20 without prior notification.

In the petition submitted to both governments, the JCP criticized the U.S. forces for its arrogance in pointing to the possibility of more such training at the Kadena base by claiming that the Japanese government has allowed the use of the Kadena base as a parachute drop zone.

On May 24, a prefectural government official informed to the JCP representatives that the Okinawa government under Governor Nakaima Hirokazu lodged a protest to the U.S. and the Japanese governments and demanded the cancellation of the training exercise in stronger terms than is usual.

In the meeting with the Foreign Ministry Okinawa Office, Ambassador in charge of Okinawan Affairs Tarui Sumio said, “I acknowledge that the training exercises at the Kadena as an extremely exceptional and restricted case.”

The JCP said, “The U.S. arrogance in going ahead with the training despite the strong protests disregards Okinawans’ will and is unacceptable.”

When the JCP presented the petition to the Okinawa Defense Bureau on May 25, a bureau official said, “We don’t recognize the training as dangerous. The 1972 bilateral agreement (the 5.15 note) does not ban the parachute drop training exercise at the Kadena base.”

Angered by this remark, JCP Okinawa assembly members’ group chair Kayo Sogi said, “Can the U.S. forces freely carry out the training because the Japan-U.S. agreement doesn’t specifically prohibit it? Is the defense bureau just a puppet of the U.S. military?”

JCP representative of the assembly Nishime Sumie added, “The U.S. military declares that it will continue to hold parachute drop drills at the Kadena base despite protests. Does the bureau accept this position even though residents near the base raise voice of fear?”

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Local assemblies in Kadena and Chatan towns on May 26 unanimously adopted a resolution and a statement protesting against the May 20 parachute drop training exercises at the U.S. Kadena base and calling for a prohibition of the training.

Kadena Town and Chatan Town both host the U.S. Kadena base.