The governor of Japan's Okinawa sought international backing at a U.N. session Monday for his opposition to a plan to relocate a U.S. military base within the southern prefecture.
But Gov Denny Tamaki's stance was immediately questioned by a Japanese government official at the venue in Geneva, a split highlighting the contention over the project based on an agreement first reached by Tokyo and Washington in the 1990s.
"I am here today to ask the world to witness the situation in Okinawa," Tamaki told a session of the world body's Human Rights Council, arguing that the concentration of the military bases there threatens peace.
Tamaki, the first Okinawa governor in eight years to address the council, said, "The reclamation work proceeds despite the fact that it was clearly opposed by Okinawan voters in a democratically held referendum."
He spoke during a part of the session that was allocated for a Japanese nongovernmental organization.
Under the bilateral agreement, the Japanese government is proceeding with work to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a densely populated area in Ginowan to a new facility being built in a coastal area in Nago, both on Okinawa Island, despite staunch local opposition.
Tamaki has sought to drum up international support as he struggles to prevent the relocation plan, saying the island prefecture 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.
Earlier this month, however, Japan's Supreme Court turned down his government's appeal against the central government's order related to carrying out necessary landfill work.
After Tamaki's address at Monday's event, a representative of the Japanese government mission in Geneva defended the ongoing work to build an airfield in the Henoko area of Nago.
"Steadily advancing the construction work based on the policy that the Henoko relocation is the only solution will enable the complete return of Futenma Air Station as swiftly as possible" and lead to the elimination of dangers to the local population, the official said.
Tamaki's predecessor Takeshi Onaga expressed his opposition to the Futenma base relocation plan at the council in 2015.
© KYODO
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TokyoLiving
All overseas U.S. military bases threaten world peace..
Legrande
Well unfortunately for Tamaki the UN usually sides with and supports US interests so it is unlikely to do anything for Tamaki and the Okinawan people.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Did someone say something? I could swear I heard someone say something.
TaiwanIsNotChina
That's quite impressive that 193 members of the General Assembly and 15 members of the Security Council with two hostile vetos sides with the US. Could it just be that the dictatorship brigade are reviled the world over?
BertieWooster
“Okinawa governor tells U.N. that U.S. military base threatens peace”
He's right.
It does.
lincolnman
The Chinese love to hear those words Denny - as they continue to sail around and intrude into Japanese waters near the Senkaku islands - which by the way, are in YOUR prefecture...
Tamaki is beholden to the anti-base elements on Okinawa - the anti-base elements that rail against the bases in public but do everything they can to keep them there privately. Any reduction in the bases would rob them of their most potent political cudgel - and force them to focus on the real problems facing Okinawa residents...
i remember when I was working with the US government and we wanted to return a large portion of the Northern training Area north of Nago. The Okinawa Prefectural government told us they didn't want it returned - because the public would then hold them responsible for developing it.
The Okinawa people need a real leader - one that will cooperate with the national government to get the extension at Camp Schwab built so Futenma can be closed and returned...or do the current politicians want to keep Futenma open so they can continue to avoid being responsible for developing it?
Kumagaijin
While I do think that most US bases threaten peace, the fact remains that China can't be trusted, nor Russia. Just look at what happened in Hong Kong and what is currently happening in the East China Sea. In the case of Russia, you've got the Ukraine. Whats needed is negotiations and peace deals, something rare in today's political climate. The world seems to be headed into a toilet.
OssanAmerica
Gov Tamaki is catering to his home crowd voters. Many of whom are knowingly or unknowingly advancing China's interests. China wants nothing more that the US to be out of Okinawa and Japan as it represents the biggest obstacle to taking Taiwan. Where is the Okinawan outrage when China is trying to take the Senkakus?
Obstructing the planned (how any years now?) closure of Futenma is part of this resistance.
The US bases in Okinawa have, and are continuing to keep the peace not threaten peace.
JboneInTheZone
This is pretty common for all countries with US bases: complain about them in public and privately do all they can to keep them. I remember in 2014 Germans were celebrating US troop removal. Around that same time when Russia invaded Crimea the Germans were at the table signing contracts to relocate those same troops back to Germany.
For anyone who agrees that these bases threaten world peace, could you explain to me why?
Paul
People in Okinawa better start learning Chinese!!!
Fredrik
I can see two solutions:
(1) Officially make Okinawa part of U.S.
(2) Declare Okinawa a sovereign nation, independent of both U.S and Japan.
GillislowTier
Sadly the UN has all of nothing power
they will make a statement that no one will read, and that’s it
deanzaZZR
The tragedy of Okinawa continues; first with the invasion by Satsuma, then incorporation by Meiji, next the horror of WW2 and now US military occupation.
Yankee go home.
Mocheake
The article's title is quite misleading. We know Tamaki is opposed to the bases but I don't think he meant they threaten world peace. I'd like to see the quote where he actually said something like that, otherwise this is the equivalent of putting words in someone's mouth.
Mocheake
Fascinating, and wholly believable. Thanks for the valuable insight into their thinking. It won't sway any of the die-hard anti-U.S. faction on this site but it just shows you how things work down there from someone who has actually been involved.
opheliajadefeldt
There are a staggering number of USA bases and and troops stationed around the world, I believe about 75 bases all told. Do they help maintain world peace, well, that is debatable? What they do establish is USA military dominance on a scale no other country can match....as yet. The other thing I believe in though, is that if any one country goes up against this dominance, all hell will break through for that country, and the majority of the world will back the USA.
OssanAmerica
You left out the centuries of eunuchs and virgin girls they were forced to send to China as tributes before that.
deanzaZZR
Forced is an interesting word choice as there was zero Chinese military presence in the Ryukyu Kingdom. With the arrival of Satsuma forces in the late 17th century that all changed and local Okinawans have been under somebody's boot ever since. The current boot clearly reads USA.
Peter14
TokyoLivingToday 07:07 am JST
Amusing that such refrains always come from those who actually threaten world peace, but are held back by....you guessed it, US bases around the world. The US threatens to maintain peace in the world, and some oppose peace. Good to see them identify themselves.
TaiwanIsNotChina
That should tell you something, shouldn't it? Say what you will about the US, it isn't practicing smash and grab like some other countries.
Fighto!
What Denny needs to understand is that without the US bases, Japan will struggle to defend Okinawa from Communist China.
The fact is, China is expansionist. There is no denying this. China wants more land and islands - hence the manufacture of fake ones. Make no mistake - the Chinese are desperate to take control of Okinawa. The Americans put their lives on the line, 24/7, to prevent this.
Okinawans do NOT wish to be a province of Communist China. Denny needs to realize this - fast.
Fighto!
Both are terrible options.
The ONLY option -
(3) Continue to build up more JSDF and US bases on the Okinawan Islands to protect Okinawa as an inalienable and sovereign part of Japan.
WA4TKG
Also, remove the Pacifists / pro-chinese and you should have half the problem solved.
Agent_Neo
It is no surprise that Denny Tamaki, an anti-Japanese far-leftist, would make such a statement. However, he deliberately ignores the fact that peace is not threatened by the presence of bases, but by the presence of Chinese troops.
China's territorial ambitions towards the Senkaku Islands are clear.
I can't help but think that he is someone who is hoping for a successful career under the occupation of the Chinese military. After World War II, Okinawa belonged to Japan through a referendum.
However, the Chinese Communist Party is working hard to build up its military in preparation for a confrontation with the United States in the Pacific. Of course, the presence of the US military in Okinawa is inconvenient for the Chinese military.
Streamers and placards in Korean (North Korean) and Chinese are often seen at protests against the U.S. military base in Okinawa. It is obvious at a glance who is shouting against the base.
Pacificpilot
As governor, Temaki would like the removal of all US military bases from Okinawa. The question is what is Temaki‘s plan when China declares oceans south of the main island to be Chinese territory. That day will come so let’s hear what Temaki’s contingency plan will be.
voiceofokinawa
The Japanese government says Futenma must be relocated to Henoko by all means in order to eliminate the danger Futenma now poses at the current site. If that is the main reason for the relocation, then, why don't they remove more dangerous bases such as Kadena on Okinawa and Yokota in Metropolitan Tokyo., both of which have seen more serious aircraft accidents than Futenma.
An aerial photo of Yokota Air Base shows there is no difference between Yokota and Futenma, for the two bases are ominously surrounded by densely populated residential areas. LOL time and time again to the Japanese government's explanation.
They want to relocate Futenma, an illegal property sitting on illegally confiscated private lands. The Japanese media is beginning to notice that Japan is still under the U.S. forces' occupation and that Washington wants it that way forever.
voiceofokinawa
Power to Gov. Denny Tamaki. Get rid of Tokyo and Washington's nonsense. Tell the world community that this is a weaponless fight of justice against injustice.