Okinawan university demands nearby U.S. base be closed immediately at rally 5 years after U.S. helicopter crash

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Okinawan university demands nearby U.S. base be closed immediately at rally 5 years after U.S. helicopter crash

At a rally on August 13 to commemorate a U.S. military helicopter crash on Okinawa International University campus five years ago, the university renewed its demand that the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City be closed without delay.

The rally took place in front of a monument built at the crash site next to the collapsed wall and the charred tree.

A statement read by Okinawa University President Tomikawa Moritake said, "It is very regrettable" that U.S. military aircraft still keep flying over the campus and that nothing has been solved since the accident in 2004.

The president added, "They may try to justify the flights from the viewpoint of international politics or security needs, but such flights that threaten not only the quietness and peace on the university but also the lives of students are absolutely unacceptable."

At a news conference on the same day, Ginowan City Mayor Iha Yoichi criticized both the Japanese and the U.S. governments for failing to take measures to improve the safety of residents. The mayor said, "The dangers associated with the U.S. Futenma base remain undiminished."

He added, "The U.S. Futenma air base, whose safeness is not legally guaranteed, is the world's most dangerous airfield. It should be immediately closed and the site returned to Japan."

- Akahata, August 14, 2009