'No' to new U.S. base in Nago; stop emergency legislation

As part of their representations to the government ministries and
agencies concerned on September 13, Japan's peace organizations demanded
that the government's plan to construct a new U.S. Marine Corps base in Nago
City in Okinawa be canceled and abandon its moves toward legislation to deal
with emergencies militarily.

The representations related to the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and U.S.
military bases in Japan was organized by the Central Action Committee for
Abrogation of the Security Treaty.

Addressing a meeting held before visiting government offices, Akamine
Seiken, Japanese Communist Party House of Representatives member, condemned the terrorist attacks in the U.S., saying that they have caused strong
anxiety among the people living adjacent to U.S. bases, especially in
Okinawa. He said that they will urge the government to pursue a peaceful
settlement.

At the Defense Agency, representatives took up the Japanese government's
promise of putting a 15-year limit to the use term of Nago's base, and asked
if the government has only advised the U.S. that this issue is only local
opinion in Okinawa. They also stressed that the government must give up
introducing the idea of the right to collective self-defense.

Live fire drills by the U.S. Marines at several sites in mainland Japan
have escalated both in scale and frequency since they were shifted from
Okinawa, said peace activists.

They requested the agency to thoroughly investigate mis-fire cases in
Fukushima and Hokkaido caused by the Self-Defense Forces.

They also demanded that the Foreign Ministry soon start negotiations with
the U.S. on the revision of the Status of U.S. Forces in Japan Agreement
(SOFA); the Environment Ministry take steps to stop the Nago new base plan
so that dugong and the natural environment in Okinawa be protected; the
Education Ministry take steps to defend children from possible accidents
caused by U.S. military facilities, and to deal with the Ehime Maru incident
off Hawaii. (end)