Buoys were being floated off Okinawa yesterday in one of the first steps in the long-planned but highly contentious relocation of an US military base.
The buoys define the area where preparations for construction will begin on a facility in coastal Henoko that will house the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, which will be relocated from a crowded residential area of the island.
Okinawa houses the majority of US troops in Japan. Protests against the bases have been going on for decades. Aircraft noise, crashes and crime are among the frequent complaints.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense confirmed the placing of buoys began yesterday, but declined to give details, citing security concerns.
Public broadcaster NHK showed protesters on boats being blocked by patrol boats, and others holding up signs outside the US base saying “No new base.”
Opponents say majority of people are opposed to the construction, which some say would endanger the coral reef, tropical fish and other ocean life.
Land reclamation is needed for an airstrip to be built over the water from Camp Schwab, a US military base. The buoys mark the location where boring of the seabed will take place for a government study to prepare for construction.
Japanese media reports said the drilling could start as early as this weekend. The defense ministry declined comment. The US military also had no immediate comment on the activities yesterday.
Many Okinawans want the US off the island entirely, but public opinion is divided, with Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima backing the plan.
The US Marines’ relocation to Henoko is part of a broader plan to consolidate and reduce the US military presence on Okinawa. Previous efforts to implement the move have stalled. The US and Japan agreed on the plan in 1996.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration has repeatedly said the plan is important for the crucial alliance with the US amid territorial disputes with China and the nuclear threat from North Korea.
However, Susumu Inamine, the mayor of Nago, where Henoko is located, said his re-election earlier this year underlines the people’s opposition to the plan.
He said assessments on environmental damage were not thorough enough, and accused the government of forcing the issue.
“Pushing forward with this tramples on the human rights of the people, and the rich diverse natural life of this region. This is no longer about democracy,” Inamine said.
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