Japan Press Weekly

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2015 December 9 - 15 [POLITICS]

Okinawans angry with offer of gov’t subsidies to have them accept US base

Local residents near the U.S. base construction site in Okinawa’s Nago City are raising their voices in anger over the enticement system which the Abe government recently created with the aim of getting them to accept the base construction.

At the end of November, the central government introduced the system to grant subsidies directly to Nago’s three districts (Henoko, Kushi, and Toyohara), which are adjacent to the site. The outline for the grant program states that its purpose is to proceed with the construction work “smoothly”. It is clear that the Abe administration is aiming to weaken the strong local opposition with the lure of an infusion of taxpayer money.

However, one of the heads of the three wards insists that whether local residents will approve of the construction project has nothing to do with the subsidy program. Another ward chief also said, “The state authorities have not clearly told us that our consent to the construction is a precondition for giving us the subsidies.”

Nishikawa Ikuo, a 71-year-old man who has led the opposition campaign in the Henoko district, said, “According to the government outline, acceptance of the state subsidies means giving consent to the construction project. I suppose that the central government had intended to bribe local citizens from the beginning.”

The head of Nago’s Teima ward, which is also located in the vicinity of the site but is not covered by the grant program, said, “The true aim of this subsidy system is to help the Abe administration to claim that ‘local residents are supporting the construction’ in the ongoing court battle with the Okinawa Prefecture. Their action is deceitful and dishonest.”

Although the subsidy program was introduced, the Kushi ward still maintains its resolution to continue to oppose the construction. Residents of the Henoko ward are about to discuss how to deal with the grant program.

The national government’s same old tactics, which offer a carrot to split local people, are just further fueling Okinawans’ anger.

Past related article:
> Abe gov’t tries to bribe Okinawans so they will accept new US base [October 27, 2015]