Japan Press Weekly

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2016 May 25 - 31 [US FORCES]

Okinawa Prefectural Assembly demands USMC withdrawal for the first time

The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly on May 26 approved a resolution protesting against the murder of a Japanese woman by an ex-U.S. marine and demanded the total withdrawal of the U.S. Marine Corps units stationed in Okinawa.

This is the first time that the prefectural assembly adopted a resolution pressing for all U.S. Marines to be removed from Okinawa. The resolution was jointly proposed by the Japanese Communist Party and other ruling parties supporting Governor Onaga Takeshi. The Liberal Democratic Party, the largest opposition party in the assembly, walked out before the vote.

The adopted resolution also calls for the immediate closure of the U.S. Futenma Air Station located in a densely populated area, the abandonment of the planned construction of a state-of-the-art U.S. base in the Henoko coastal district, and a fundamental revision to the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement which guarantees the U.S. military in Japan de facto extraterritoriality.

In deliberations on the resolution, JCP assemblyperson Kayo Sogi quoted a young mother as saying that in fear of being assaulted by U.S. servicemen, she cannot even go out to play with her child. He pointed to the need to abrogate the Japan-U.S. Security Pact, stressing, “Okinawans cannot live a peaceful life as long as U.S. bases remain in Okinawa.”

On the same day, representatives of the assembly made representations to the U.S. Consulate General in Okinawa and the local office of Japan’s Foreign Ministry.

Past related article:
> Okinawans protest alleged murder of Japanese woman by ex-US marine [May 21, 2016]