Japan Press Weekly

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2015 February 25 - March 3 [US FORCES]

Okinawa JCP protests against US military aircraft’s drop incidents

Japanese Communist Party members of the prefectural and other local assemblies in Okinawa on February 24 made representations to the Defense Ministry’s prefectural bureau against frequent accidental drop incidents involving U.S. military aircraft.

The JCP assembly persons noted that the number of incidents in which U.S. military airplanes have dropped equipment parts or other items during flight increased to 10 last year, although the number remained at 1.1 a year on average between 1972 and 2013, adding that four “drop” accidents already occurred this year.

Saying, “That’s very unusual,” the JCP demanded that the defense authorities request the U.S. military to stop flying airplanes of the same type which caused drop incidents unless the causes are identified.

A Defense Bureau official in reply said, “It is up to the U.S. military to decide matters related to the operations of their aircraft”, and refused to accept the JCP’s demand.

Imori Sachiko, JCP member of the Uruma City Assembly, stressed, “Okinawan people live in constant anxiety that a U.S. military airplane could crash into their places of work, study, residence, or recreation. Don’t allow U.S. military aircraft to fly freely without adequate safety precautions in place.”

In the representations, the JCP lawmakers also protested against the abusive remarks made by a senior officer of the U.S. Marine Corps in Okinawa towards local residents opposing the construction of a new U.S. base in Henoko.

Past related articles:
> US military far cry from being ‘good neighbors’: Okinawa governor [February 14, 2015]
> US military in Okinawa shows open hostility towards anti-base protesters [February 12, 2015]