 1st anniversary of Okinawans' sit-in against new base construction April 19 will mark the 1st anniversary of the start of residents' sit-in in protest against the planned construction of an on-sea U.S. military base in the Henoko district of Okinawa's Nago City as a replacement for the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City. On April 17, about 450 Okinawans took part in a rally commemorating the 1st anniversary of the sit-in which has blocked a drilling survey the government planned to carry out in preparation for the base construction. On behalf of the rally organizers, Yamauchi Tokushin, co-representative of the Okinawa Prefectural Council against Relocation of U.S. Bases within Okinawa, called on the participants to continue to fight until the base construction plan is scrapped. Japanese Communist Party Okinawan Prefectural Committee Secretary Furugen Muneyoshi stated, "Initiated here on Henoko beach, the struggle for a military base-free Okinawa is increasing in Okinawa," referring to Irabu City residents making the local assembly retract a resolution to host the Self-Defense Forces base and Ie Village Assembly adopting a resolution to oppose relocation of a U.S. Marine helicopter unit to the village. Ashitomi Hiroshi, representing the Council against the Construction of U.S. On-Sea Heliport said, "Our struggle has been supported by donations from thousands of people and about 30,000 people who took part in the sit-in. The growing public awareness has prevented the government from carrying out the drilling survey." (Akahata April 18, 2005) |