Neutrality of a consulting committee for relocation of
Futenma Marine Air Base in Okinawa to Henoko is questioned. Asahi Shimbun
reported that some of the members of Environmental Observation Committee on
Relocation of Alternative Facility of Futenma Air Base, established by national
government with request of former governor of Okinawa, had received donation
from the developers of construction of in Henoko. Although the donation did not
violate any law, any decision made by the committee had to be suspected as in
favor of national policy to build new base against public opinion in Okinawa.
According to Asahi, suspected members included chairman of
the committee, Yoshiyuki Nakamura, a professor of Graduate School in Yokohama
National University. Developer for construction of the alternative facilities
in Henoko or consulting firm donated to three members, the total amount rose up
to ¥11 million. The donation was made after those firms achieved the bit for
construction project in Henoko. While the donation went through universities to
which the members affiliated, they did not have to report to what purpose the
donation would be spent.
Another member, Takeshi Hara, Chairman of Japan Fisheries
Science and Technology Association, was listed as a board member of a
non-profit organization headed by chairman of a consultant firm that received a
number of contracts for projects in Henoko. Hara had been receiving ¥2 million
of annual reward from the NPO.
All the suspected committee members insisted that donation had
not affected the discussion in the committee. But, the committee was dealing
with important issues for preserving environment around Henoko coastal area,
such as protecting dugongs or transplanting coral reefs. Every meeting was not
open to the public and transcript of discussion did not disclose the name of
speaker. No one outside the community can realize whether the donation affected
to the discussion. In addition, Asahi revealed that the operation of the
committee was confided to another consultant firm that had received many
businesses for Henoko relocation.
Governor of Okinawa, Takeshi Onaga, did not care the close
relationship between developers and the committee members, because he had ordered
halting the relocation project in Henoko. For him, the committee has already
been useless. But, the scandal reflected usual fabrication of “neutral opinion”
by bureaucrats in Tokyo. By sending preferable persons to consultative
committee, they pave a way for their controversial policies. Bureaucrats
believe in a saying: God dwells in the details.
No comments:
Post a Comment