Protest rally against the Kadena-Futenma integration plan

Protest rally against the Kadena-Futenma integration plan


June 12, 2011 Ryukyu Shimpo

“Protest rally against the Kadena-Futenma integration plan” was held at Michinoeki Kadena, in Kadena Town. Those at the rally adopted a resolution and called for the rescinding of the Kadena-Futenma integration plan, the reduction of accidents related to the U.S. military bases in Okinawa and relocation of Futenma Air Station either out of the prefecture or out of Japan.
Suffering from the negative impact of noise and exhaust fumes from U.S. airplanes, local citizens issued a firm “NO” to the re-emergence of any plan that looks to integrate the Futenma U.S. Marine Air Station into the Kadena Air Base.

The anti-integration executive committee consists of members from the Kadena Town Assembly, the Kadena Council for Countermeasures for the U.S. military bases and the Council of the Heads of Residents’ Associations. Hiromi Tasaki, the head of the Kadena Town Assembly, chaired the Committee. In addition to the Committee, the representatives of Kadena Town Women’s Association and Kadena Town Senior Citizens’ Club also expressed their stance at the rally.
Before the rally, the Chubu Okinawa Association of Chairmen of Town and Village Assemblies called for the participation of neighboring municipalities.

The rally confirmed that a delegation consisting mainly of town councilors would visit Tokyo and directly pass a resolution to the Japanese government prior to the Two-plus-Two meeting of the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee scheduled for June 21.

Okinawa now sees the Kadena-Futenma integration plan emerge for the third time.
This time, Carl Levin, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and others senators considered the current plan put forward by both the U.S. and Japanese governments for the relocation of Futenma Air Station to be unrealistic and proposed the Kadena-Futenma integration plan to the Department of Defense as an alternative.

(English Translation by T&CT, Mark Ealey）

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