Working Class Solidarity

🇯🇵🇺🇲 🚨 OKINAWA REJECTS HIGH COURT ORDER TO FACILITATE U.S. MILITARY BASE RELOCATION PLAN

The Japanese Okinawa Prefectural government rejected a High Court order Monday to approve and facilitate a revised plan for the relocation of a key United States Military Base located on the island district.

Okinawa Prefecture will file an appeal to the Supreme Court of Japan, according to Kyodo News, citing a government official.

Okinawa's Prefectural Governor, Denny Tamaki issued a statement declaring the ruling had "various problems," making it "difficult" for him to approve the modified plan, when, he says, many residents of Okinawa are strongly against the planned relocation of the Futenma U.S. Military Base.

Japan's central government is expected to approve the changes via proxy as early as Thursday, while Japan's Ministry of Defense said it will begin ground improvement work in mid-January.

The current situation began on Wednesday when the Naha-branch of the Fakuoka High Court ordered Tamaki to approve the central government's revised design changes as part of the relocation plan for the Futenma Air Force Base.

The controversial project aims to relocate the U.S. Air Force Base in Ginowan to the Henoko coastal area in Nago, also on the island of Okinawa.

Previously, Tamaki had told the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva that the heavy concentration of U.S. Military Bases in Okinawa threatens peace in the region, noting that the Japanese government is forcibly filling in previous coastline to build the infrastructure for the Military base, and that they do so over the negative opinions of local residents.

The Governor has also expressed concerns over the excessive levels of toxic substances detected in the waters around U.S. Military Bases in the area.

The island of Okinawa hosts 70 percent of all the U.S. military bases in Japan while accounting for only 0.6 percent of the country's total land area. More than 70 percent of local residents opposed the U.S. military base construction on the Henoko landfill, showed a 2019 Okinawa Prefecture voting results.

Via@XinhuaNewsAgency

@WorkerSolidarityNews

🇯🇵 🚨 JAPANESE HIGH COURT ORDERS OKINAWA GOVERNOR TO APPROVE U.S. MILITARY BASE DESIGN CHANGES

BREAKING: OKINAWA| A Japanese High Court has ordered the Governor of Okinawa, Denny Tamaki, to approve design changes to a U.S. Military Base being relocated on the island on Wednesday.

According to reports, the Naha branch of the Fukuoka High Court ruled in favor of the central government in a lawsuit filed in October to force the Governor to approve design changes to the relocation effort of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air base, which is being moved from Ginowan to the Henoko coastal area in Nago, which is also in Okinawa.

Tamaki will have three business days to approve the project changes before the land, infrastructure, transport, and tourism minister will be authorized to approve the changes itself.

Tamaki still has the right to appeal the decision to Japan's Supreme Court, however the project will not be blocked while the decision is being appealed.

Earlier in September, Tamaki told United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva that the concentration of U.S. Military bases in Okinawa threatens peace, and noted that the central government is forcibly filling in previous coastline sea areas to build the new base, regardless of the opinions of local residents.

The Governor has also expressed concern about the excessive levels of toxic chemicals detected in the waters around U.S. Military bases in Japan.

The island of Okinawa hosts 70 percent of all the U.S. military bases in Japan while accounting for only 0.6 percent of the country's total land area. More than 70 percent of local residents opposed the U.S. military base construction on the Henoko landfill, showed a 2019 Okinawa Prefecture voting results.

@WorkerSolidarityNews