Landfill Begins

Ignoring consistent protest of the people, Ministry of Defense started main construction of new base of United States Force in Henoko, Okinawa, on Tuesday. Considering overwhelming opposition to the construction of Okinawan voters in elections, it is excessive infringement of state power on autonomy. Governor of Okinawa, Takeshi Onaga, announced his intention to file new lawsuit against Shinzo Abe administration. Twenty-one years after the Japan-U.S. agreement on returning of Futenma Marine Air Base, Okinawan issue is recognized as getting into a new phase.

In the Tuesday morning, a large crane started its work of dropping tens of rocks in the net into the northern coast of Camp Schwab Although five bags of rocks were located in the coastal area, they did not dropped them into the sea afterward. Government of Okinawa sent patrol boats offshore the camp and reconfirmed the starting of main construction. “We will protest it, exploiting all measures in appropriate occasions, to implement my promise to the people in Okinawa not to let them build new base in Henoko,” told Onaga to the reporters.

It was a case of rape and murder on young girl by U.S. military personnel in Okinawa in 1995 that caused the agreement of relocation of Futenma Air Base. While it was originally a plan of constructing heliport offshore Henoko, the Jun-ichiro Koizumi administration fundamentally changed the plan to landfill of the coast. Building heliport was changed into building new base, causing serious concern of Okinawa that the base would be a main target of attacks, reminding of devastative fight with U.S. Force at the end of World War II.

The likeliest protest of Okinawa is indicting Government of Japan on violation of local law for regulating crush of rocks in the coast without permission of Governor. Onaga argues that the last permission has been expired at the end of March. As soon as Okinawan government reconfirms dredging or pile driving, Onaga is going to file a lawsuit to require immediate stop of the construction.

Abe administration is self-confident on the future of the project. It draws a blueprint of finishing landfill within five years and returning of Futenma Air Base in next few years. “There is no concern on it at all,” boasted Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga. Abe administration has been making unilateral advance after Supreme Court approved Abe administration’s demand for voiding Onaga’s cancelation of landfill license. No one can see the end of confrontation between Okinawa and Abe administration.