University presidents in Okinawa ask for halt on US military flights

University presidents in Okinawa ask for halt on US military flights

Tamotsu Oshiro (from left), the president of Okinawa International University, Hajime Oshiro, the president of the University of the Ryukyus, and Toshiaki Nakahara, the president of Okinawa Christian University and Junior College, attended a news conference held at the Okinawa Prefectural Government building on October 5. They announced that they had sent a letter to the Government of Japan asking for the suspension of U.S. military aircraft flights over the campuses .


October 5, 2015 Ryukyu Shimpo

Ten presidents of universities, colleges and a technical junior college in Okinawa sent a joint letter to the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister at the end of September, asking for halt of the flight of U.S. military aircraft over the campuses.

They will also send the letter in English to the United States Government.

Hajime Oshiro, the president of the University of the Ryukyus, said at a news conference held at the Okinawa Prefectural Government building on October 10, “We have a duty to maintain a peaceful and safe environment for students and education staff members, as representatives of higher-education institutions.” He asked the governments of Japan and the United States to take urgent measures to resolve this issue.

They have made the same request for the third year in a row.

The letter, referring to the U.S. military helicopter crash, which took place off the coast of Uruma City in August, indicated that the environments of the universities, colleges and schools were disturbed by the noise of flights of the U.S. forces’ aircraft daily.

They expressed their concerns, suggesting that the situation has worsened because the possible risk of a crash increased due to the MV-22 Osprey aircraft’s deployment.

(English translation by T&CT)

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