ID :
15889
Thu, 08/14/2008 - 20:34
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/15889
The shortlink copeid
Group opposes plan to build replacement U.S. military base in Okinawa
NAHA, Japan, Aug. 14 Kyodo - A group of 18 intellectuals in Okinawa issued a joint statement Thursday opposing a Japan-U.S. plan to build a replacement facility for the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station.
Kunitoshi Sakurai, president of Okinawa University, Moriteru Arasaki, professor emeritus at the university, Masaaki Gabe, professor at the University of the Ryukyus, and prize-winning novelist Tatsuhiro Oshiro, were among the group that issued the statement at a news conference at the Okinawa prefectural governmentoffice in Naha.
The group said it will send the statement to U.S. presidential hopefuls Sen.
Barack Obama of the Democratic Party and Sen. John McCain of the RepublicanParty.
''Construction of a new military base would destroy mountains and kill the sea,'' the group said in the statement. ''Okinawa does not need such afacility,'' it said.
The concentration of U.S. military facilities in Okinawa Prefecture is based on the logic that troublesome facilities are permissible in the prefecture, which is located far away from Japan's four main islands and the population of which accounts for less than 1 percent of Japan's total population of 127 million, itsaid.
The statement accuses the Japanese and U.S. governments of applying a similar logic to the building of the new facility in northern Okinawa Island, which isless populated than other parts of the island.
Seigen Miyazato, a political scientist and professor emeritus at the University of the Ryukyus, told the news conference that the group was taking the opportunity to state its case ahead of the November presidential election inthe United States.
In July, the Okinawa prefectural assembly adopted a nonbinding resolution against the Japan-U.S. plan to relocate the Futemma Air Station within Okinawa,Miyazato said.
The group said it plans to hold a number of symposiums on the issue of militarybases in Okinawa.
Japan and the United States have agreed to relocate the Futemma base from densely populated Ginowan in the southern part of Okinawa Island to Camp Schwabin Nago in the northern part of the island.
But it is not clear when the relocation will be realized due to difficulties in talks between Japan's central government and the Okinawa prefectural governmentover the replacement airfield to be built in Nago.
Kunitoshi Sakurai, president of Okinawa University, Moriteru Arasaki, professor emeritus at the university, Masaaki Gabe, professor at the University of the Ryukyus, and prize-winning novelist Tatsuhiro Oshiro, were among the group that issued the statement at a news conference at the Okinawa prefectural governmentoffice in Naha.
The group said it will send the statement to U.S. presidential hopefuls Sen.
Barack Obama of the Democratic Party and Sen. John McCain of the RepublicanParty.
''Construction of a new military base would destroy mountains and kill the sea,'' the group said in the statement. ''Okinawa does not need such afacility,'' it said.
The concentration of U.S. military facilities in Okinawa Prefecture is based on the logic that troublesome facilities are permissible in the prefecture, which is located far away from Japan's four main islands and the population of which accounts for less than 1 percent of Japan's total population of 127 million, itsaid.
The statement accuses the Japanese and U.S. governments of applying a similar logic to the building of the new facility in northern Okinawa Island, which isless populated than other parts of the island.
Seigen Miyazato, a political scientist and professor emeritus at the University of the Ryukyus, told the news conference that the group was taking the opportunity to state its case ahead of the November presidential election inthe United States.
In July, the Okinawa prefectural assembly adopted a nonbinding resolution against the Japan-U.S. plan to relocate the Futemma Air Station within Okinawa,Miyazato said.
The group said it plans to hold a number of symposiums on the issue of militarybases in Okinawa.
Japan and the United States have agreed to relocate the Futemma base from densely populated Ginowan in the southern part of Okinawa Island to Camp Schwabin Nago in the northern part of the island.
But it is not clear when the relocation will be realized due to difficulties in talks between Japan's central government and the Okinawa prefectural governmentover the replacement airfield to be built in Nago.
