Japanese march against US military ties buildup

Demonstrations have gone into their second day in Japan against government plans to boost military cooperation with the United States.

Thousands of people marched in Ginowan in Okinawa Prefecture, southeast of Tokyo, on Saturday to protest against Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s recent agreement with US officials to relocate a military base in the area.

People from other parts of Okinawa also attended the march which reportedly saw 2,600 people encircling the Futenma airbase in the downtown of Ginowan. They chanted slogans against the plan, saying they want back an “Okinawa without US bases.”

“Oppose enhanced Japan-US defense ties,” the protesters shouted, criticizing the government and the US over their disrespect for the “will” of the islanders.

The decision to move Futenma within the less-populated coastal area of Henoko in Nago City was raised during Abe’s recent week-long visit to Washington where he and US president Barack Obama agreed to initiate the construction of a new base in Okinawa.

Locals have long opposed the presence of US troops in the island, which hosts about 70 percent of Washington’s military bases in Japan.

Similar demos were also held in Henoko on Friday to mark the 43rd anniversary of Okinawa's reversion from the United States to Japan. A mass rally is also planned for Sunday with an estimated 30,000 people reportedly ready to take part in the anti-US military move.

The deep-rooted resentment against the US in Okinawa boiled over in 1995 when US servicemen brutally raped an elementary schoolgirl, triggering mass rallies and violence across Japan. US troops have been involved in other cases of violent conduct in the area making people more and more sensitive about Abe’s pro-Washington policies.

Abe says he intends to increase the country's defense ties with the US in a bid to keep China in check. However, critics say the policy directly violates Japan’s pacifist constitution and would lead to a new confrontation with China in the future.

MS/KA/HMV

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