October 21, 2011
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2011 October 19 - 25 [OKINAWA]
Okinawans’ court action opens over US military aircraft noise pollution |
This is the third lawsuit filed by residents in Okinawa who have long been suffering from the tremendous roar of U.S. jet planes.
The Japanese government claims that the plaintiffs have no legal right to call for the cancellation of flight activities by the U.S. military since it is a third party outside the control of the Japanese authority.
On the other hand, the plaintiffs are seeking Japanese government responsibility for the base-related damages by allowing the U.S. forces to use the land in Okinawa for their bases as well as neglecting to address the noise issue.
During the first hearing at the Okinawa branch of the Naha District Court on that day, Matayoshi Himeka, a 17 year-old high school student, testified as a resident of Kadena Town where more than one third of people have joined the suit as plaintiffs. She spoke about how the roar of U.S. warplanes disturbed the graduation ceremony at her school and often frightens her younger sister. “I want to know what it is like to live a quiet life, in which we can actually hear and enjoy the sounds of singing insects.”
From the Sunabe district of Yomitan Town experiencing the worst noise pollution caused by U.S. military aircraft at the Kadena base, Nizato Tomiko, 65, stated that the population in her area has decreased by two thirds due to the noise pollution.
Plaintiffs’ lawyer Ikemiyagi Toshio said after the court hearing, “In the last 40 years since the first lawsuit of this kind was filed, base-related damages have become even more serious, although the court ruled that the excessive noise produced by U.S. military aircraft is illegal. We must resolve this situation.”
The second hearing is scheduled to take place on January 19.
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