Japan Press Weekly

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2013 December 11 - 17 [OKINAWA]

Okinawa women say ‘No’ to reclamation of Henoko

Around 500 women on December 10 held a rally in front of the Okinawa prefectural office building demanding that the governor turn down an application to reclaim the sea area off Nago’s Henoko district for the construction of a new U.S. base.

The rally was hosted by an organizing committee consisting of 74 groups not restricted to party lines.

Representatives of women’s organizations and political parties, who co-head the organizing committee, delivered speeches.

Ishimine Masako, chair of the Okinawa prefectural liaison council of women’s organizations, in her speech expressed her determination to fight against the Abe Cabinet’s attempt to split the anti-base movement in Okinawa. She called on the participants to support Governor Nakaima Yoshikazu in the belief that he will keep his promise to reject the national government’s application for the reclamation work.

Japanese Communist Party member of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly Tamaki Nobuko said, “We should not pass down sufferings from U.S. bases to future generations,” and called on the participants to spread Okinawan demand across the nation.