U.S. Forces' helicopters and refueling aircraft again land on Okinawa's islands

At civil airports on southern Okinawan islands lying between Okinawa's main island and Taiwan, the U.S. Marine Corps again landed of 14 large helicopters and a tanker aircraft for refueling on May 16, Akahata reported on May 17.

U.S. helicopters landed at Hateruma Airport in Taketomi Town and Shimochi-shima Airport in Irabu Town. These aircraft from the U.S. Futenma Air Station on the main island of Okinawa, were on their way back from multilateral military exercises in the Philippines.

The U.S. Forcesillegally landed on April 28 although the Okinawa prefectural government, which administers the airports, had not issued permission in either case.

The Taketomi Town Assembly has adopted a resolution against the use of the airport by the U.S. Forces. Akahata said that the landing of U.S. aircraft is aimed at establishing U.S. relay bases on these islands.

These two islands are locate about 350 kilometers from mainland Okinawa and about 460 kilometers from Taipei, Taiwan. The airport of Shimochi-shima, constructed in 1979 for training civilian pilots, has a 3,000-meter runway.

However, because of the decrease in the number of exercises, the town assembly has recently called on the Self-Defense Forces to come and carry out their pilots' training there. The U.S. announced its plan for the landing to the prefecture just after the town assembly decision. Both the prefecture and the town assembly expressed opposition to the landings.

Island people, members of the Miyako District Trade Union Council, and Japanese Communist Party assembly members lined up in front of the airport, shouting, "We'll never allow U.S. war training on this peaceful island." At Hateruma Airport, the mayor of Taketomi Town joined in the protest action.

Akahata said these U.S. Forces' actions mean that the War Laws, which give priority to the U.S. Forces for use of Japan's civilian airports and ports, are being implemented.

Okinawans, who are calling for the realignment and reduction of U.S. bases on Okinawa and the review of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, will never allow such an arbitrary plan, Akahata said.

In a separate article, Akahata quoted a report entitled "The United States and Asia" which was published on May 15 by the U.S. think-tank RAND. Akahata said that the U.S. wants to use these Okinawan islands as a U.S. air base in an emergency in relation to Taiwan. (end)