Okinawa Vice Governor protests “bad weather” pretext for relocating parachute drop training
On the morning of May 23 at the Okinawa Prefectural Office in Izumizaki, Naha City, Vice Governor Kiichiro Jahana submits a letter of protest to Ambassador Hiroshi Kawamura and Director General Toshinori Tanaka.
May 23, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo online edition
On the morning of May 23 Okinawa Vice Governor Kiichiro Jahana called Ambassador in charge of Okinawan Affairs Hiroshi Kawamura and Director General of the Okinawa Defense Bureau Toshinori Tanaka to the Prefectural Office. Vice Governor Jahana submitted a letter of protest to the other two concerning the May 21 parachute drop training exercise that was conducted by the U.S. Air Force at Kadena Air Base.
The U.S.-Japan Special Action Committee on Okinawa (SACO) 1996 Final Report sets forth that parachute drop training be conducted at Ie Jima Auxiliary Airfield. After receiving notice that the training was to be conducted in Kadena, Mayor of Kadena Town Hiroshi Toyama appealed on May 20 to the Okinawa Defense Bureau (ODB), the U.S. Air Force 18th Wing, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Okinawa Liaison Office, asking that parachute drop training not be conducted in Kadena. Chatan Town and the Okinawa Prefectural Government proposed this stoppage to the ODB the same day.
Ambassador Kawamura disclosed that the U.S. officials had explained that the initial plan was to conduct the training at Iejima, but due to bad weather conditions such as high waves it was difficult to conduct the training there. Director General Tanaka explained, “At the time the waves measured 2 or 3 meters, so they could not have used lifeboats.”
Vice Governor Jahana refuted, “We are entrusting the U.S. with judgment calls. The weather allowed for diving at the time of training. I hope you take action such as discussing this in the U.S.-Japan Joint Committee once again.” He made plans to appeal to the U.S. military and U.S. consulate general on May 24.
(English translation by T&CT and Erin Jones)
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