Japan Press Weekly

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2013 July 3 - 9 [OKINAWA]

State provides funds to local fisheries cooperative and gets approval for US base construction

With the aim of obtaining local approval for the planned construction of a U.S. base in Okinawa, the national government offered benefit to a fishermen’s cooperative, revealed Akahata on July 9.

The U.S. and Japanese administrations agreed to “relocate” the U.S. Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City to an area off the coast of Nago City in Okinawa. Gaining the consent of a local fishermen’s association is needed to reclaim land from the sea.

The Nago Fisheries Cooperative on March 11 held an extraordinary general meeting to discuss the issue at a wedding hall in the city. The leadership proposal to give their consent to the reclamation was passed with a majority approval.

In response to inquiries from Akahata, the Okinawa Defense Bureau said that it paid about 330,000 yen in total to cover the costs of renting rooms and buses for the meeting. The authorities explained that their action was based on an official notice issued by the Defense Ministry which provides that the authorities are allowed to spend public money to reward local influential persons, buy presents for them, and rent rooms to hold meetings to persuade people to support government policies.

Ashitomi Hiroshi, representative of a local group against the construction of the U.S. On-Sea heliport, said, “This is bribery to obtain the support of local residents. The authorities should immediately revoke this notice and discontinue such practices.”