Japan Press Weekly

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2015 April 15 - 21 [POLITICS]

Okinawa Governor’s claim is fair: Yamashita

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Yamashita Yoshiki told reporters on April 17 that it is “extremely reasonable” that Okinawa Governor Onaga Takeshi urged Prime Minister Abe Shinzo to cancel the plan to construct a new U.S. military base in the Henoko coastal district in Okinawa.

Yamashita went on to say, “In full support of the governor’s claim, the JCP demands that PM Abe abandon the construction project and negotiate with Washington regarding an unconditional removal of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station from the prefecture.”

In fear of directly facing the overwhelming local opposition to the base construction, Abe had declined to meet Onaga after he won the gubernatorial race last November. Pushed by mounting public criticism against the stance of the central government, the prime minister finally had no choice but to meet with the governor.

In the Japan-U.S. summit meeting scheduled for April 28, the base construction issue is expected to be on the agenda.

The U.S. administration ostensibly claims that it will set up its military facilities only in locations where they are “welcomed”. U.S. servicemen at Camp Schwab which is adjacent to the Henoko construction site are subjected to a storm of protest every day from local residents who are staging sit-ins there. Henoko is now the most “unwelcome” place in the world to locate a U.S. base.

In response to the governor’s request, Abe should convey Okinawans’ strong demands to President Obama in the upcoming talks.

Past related article:
> Onaga restates opposition to Henoko base construction in talks with top gov’t spokesman [April 6, 2015]