Okinawa governor approves of plan for new U.S. base in Okinawa
Okinawan Governor Nakaima Hirokazu has expressed his stance to accept the plan to build a new base offshore of Nago City in Okinawa as an alternative to the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station now located in Ginowan City.
Nakaima on October 13 submitted to the Defense Ministry his opinions about an environmental assessment for the construction of a new base. He said that the best decision would be to relocate the U.S. base outside Okinawa, but (taking the environmental issue into consideration) he requested that the government construct the new U.S. facility at the most remote location at the offshore of Nago City.
The need now is for the Okinawan governor to respond to Okinawan people's consistent opposition to the new U.S. base construction within Okinawa.
In the recent general election, all the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties' candidates advocating the plan to build a new U.S. base within Okinawa lost their seats in the Okinawa constituency. Governor Nakaima should accept this electoral verdict.
The people of Okinawa should be the ones who decide what to do with the base issue in Okinawa.
Since the 1996 agreement made between the Japanese and U.S. governments on the plan to construct a new U.S. military base in Nago City, the Japanese government has made desperate efforts to start construction work for a new U.S. base. However, fierce public protest has prevented the government from doing any work at the planned construction site.
Reflecting on Okinawan people's wish to realize "a peaceful and prosperous Okinawa without military bases", Governor Nakaima should send both the Japanese and U.S. governments a message calling for an immediate closure of the Futenma Air base and the return of it to Japan without condition.
- Akahata, October 14, 2009