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| December 13, 2011 |
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| Government's Environment Study for New Base |
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Outrage sweeps through the island of Okinawa. Then-chief of Okinawa Defense Bureau (now dismissed) made appalling remarks: 'would you say that ''I will rape you'' before assaulting?' Meanwhile, Minister of Defense Ichikawa Yasuo told that he did not know well about the violent crime committed by US soldiers against a schoolgirl of the island in 1995. Nevertheless, the Noda government still plans to submit a report before the end of the year on Environment Impact Assessment for construction jobs at the Henoko Area to obtain permission from the Okinawa authorities. It insists that it would fulfill a pledge with the United States to build a new US base in Henoko, Nago City.
GOVERNMENT ENFORCES OKINAWA TO APPROVE CONSTRUCTION WORKS
Give up and Withdraw Plan
The central government is intended to present an environment impact statement to Governor of Okinawa to receive a go-ahead decision of construction jobs. It will carry out a pledge made with the US government to build a new base to replace with the Futenma Airfield, the most dangerous base in the world. The controversial report is called Henoko Environment Impact Assessment on construction of alternative facilities. The Noda government is ready to proceed with formalities to start reclaiming works at the publicly owned water area after obtaining an approval from Governor.
However, Governor of Okinawa, the Prefecture Assembly, Mayor of Nago City and its Assembly as well as residents as a whole are fiercely against the relocation plan to Henoko, where a new base will be built. Local people hold protest rallies and join civic actions on the daily basis to demand the central government to give up and withdraw the plan to obtain permission from Governor for construction.
On November 14 the Prefectural Assembly unanimously adopted a written statement in the extraordinary session to demand the central government to abandon presentation of the assessment report. The statement sternly criticizes the government's act, saying that 'it neglects the comprehensive will of residents of Okinawa, including all the members of 41 municipality assemblies and the prefectural assembly who oppose the construction plan' and that 'it cannot be accepted'.
Super-partisan members of the Diet elected from the Okinawa constituencies and who were born in the island issued November 17 an urgent statement. It demands the Noda Government to abandon presenting an environment statement and renounce related formalities. They are seven MPs of the both Houses, who represent the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and Kokumin-Shin-to, Social Democratic Party and Communist Party and those who are independent. Senators belonging to the Liberal Democratic Party did not join the seven, but they support the decision of the Okinawa's local assembly.
Unqualified Assessment
The so-called Henoko Environment Assessment Statement is defined as illegal and unscientific. Eleven organizations, including the JUCON, a network of environment protection groups and peace organizations of the United States and Japan, released a joint statement November 17 which declares 'strong objection to the government of Japan which will submit an illegal assessment statement and apply for authorization to reclaim the public water areas'.
The joint statement harshly criticizes, saying: the government had forcibly introduced vessels of the Self Defense Forces for a prior study (an environmental research) before announcing the job details to the public, which violates the Act on Environment Impact Statement which sets forth procedures for an environmental study and the Ordinances of Okinawa on environment impact assessment, thus the government's report is unqualified in terms of Environment Impact Statement'.
It continues to point out the government assessment study itself is unscientific: the government had set up underwater video cameras, passive sonars and settling boards for planula of coral, which has damaged the natural environment and wild lives. The government studied the area by using these instruments.
It further claims: the government altered the original plan by adding construction items one after another; an ammunition loading facility, a cleaning facility, a heliport and etc. These facilities vastly affect the environment. This way of procedure is illegitimate. The civic organization demands that 'the expanded plan should be rendered to the original phase in compliance with the relevant laws' and criticizes that 'residents were deprived of opportunities to raise opinions on the changes'.
Government Covers Deployment of Osprey
The civic network claims that the Ministry of Defense had hidden a plan to deploy MV-22 Osprey, a vertical taking-off-and-landing aircraft, at the new base in Henoko, and that this element was not included in the environment study. That is a serious failure in assessing environmental impacts.
Aircraft Osprey has frequently caused accidents, killing over 30 crew members. In the United States an obligatory environment impact study is imposed when deploying Osprey, while here in Japan the deployment plan was kept secret.
The Noda government has ridiculed Okinawa. A series of misconducts of the members of his cabinet cannot be justified. The New Socialist Party demands the government to withdraw the illegal and unscientific environment report and to suspend application for reclaiming works at the sea water area. The government must convert to a policy to close the Futenma Airfield to return the site immediately.
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