An Osprey plane prepares to land at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, December 1, 2023. /VCG
The metropolis meeting of Ginowan in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture, along with native enterprise organizations, held a rally on Sunday and issued a joint assertion urging the Japanese and US governments to set a transparent deadline for the return of the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, native media reported.
Around 1,000 folks from varied sectors attended the gathering in Ginowan, Kyodo News reported.
The joint assertion stated native residents have endured the dangers of plane accidents and protracted plane noise from the US base for many years, including that “our patience has reached its limit.” The residents known as for the immediate return of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and the announcement of a particular timetable for its handover.
Ginowan Mayor Atsushi Sakima stated it has been 30 years since Japan and the United States agreed to return the bottom, warning that “at this rate, the air station could still remain even after 40 years.”
The metropolis authorities additionally plans to submit its calls for to the Japanese prime minister’s workplace, the Ministry of Defense and the US Embassy in Japan, the report stated.
In 1996, Japan and the United States reached an settlement to return Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. The Japanese authorities later determined to relocate the power to the Henoko district of Nago City and has since pushed ahead land reclamation work for the substitute base. However, the return of the air station has but to be accomplished.
For years, Okinawa residents have complained about issues related to the heavy focus of US navy amenities on the island, together with plane noise, security issues and crimes involving US navy personnel, whereas persevering with to name for the elimination of US bases from the prefecture.
Source: CGTN