Tokyo intends to ignore referendum on US base in Okinawa: PM Abe

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he intends to ignore Okinawan people's opinion and proceed with the government's controversial plan to relocate a US airbase on the island.

Okinawa residents are set to vote on the issue in a referendum on Sunday and decide whether they approve the relocation of the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station to the remote coastal region of Henoko.

The relocation plan, backed by the government of Abe, offers the closing of the base, currently located in the densely-populated part of the island and opening of a replacement facility some fifty kilometers away at Nago district.

"We are proceeding with the transfer of drills conducted at Futenma to locations outside the prefecture. We will continue to put all our efforts into reducing the burden on Okinawa," Abe told the parliament on Friday.

Local authorities have long objected to the plan.

Okinawa governor Denny Tamaki has denounced the central government's move, saying in the past that he hopes the referendum will offer Okinawans an opportunity to voice their opposition to the move.

The outcome of the Sunday vote is not legally binding.

According to a poll conducted by Japan's Kyodo News earlier this month, more than two-thirds of the Okinawan voters said they would vote against the base relocation. Only one in six planned to vote in favor, according to the survey.

Okinawa hosts more than half of the nearly 47,000 American military service members stationed in Japan.

While Tokyo insists that the base is necessary on the island, residents oppose the presence of US forces in their homeland. They argue that moving the base to another part of Japan is not a solution, since it would still pose an environmental threat.

Okinawa residents have long demanded the US base's closure, citing concerns about the long records sexual abuse on other crimes by the American soldiers.

Anti-US sentiments have even been on the rise after a US serviceman was found guilty in December 2017 for rape and murder of a 20-year-old Okinawa woman.

Kenneth Franklin Shinzato, who worked at the Kadena air base in Okinawa, admitted to charges of rape resulting in death of Rina Shimabukuro in April 2016.

US sailor arrested in Japan over sexual assault

Tokyo police arrested the USS Ronald Reagan sailor on the same day that a drinking ban on the ship's sailors was lifted.

Late last year, a high court in Japan upheld a lower court’s ruling that sentenced Shinzato to life in prison.

They have also been frustrated over numerous US aircraft mishaps and a range of safety concerns as well as noise pollution caused by the military presence.

Critics say Abe has prioritized his government’s alliance with Washington over the rights of his own people.

“Okinawan residents have long campaigned for the removal, reorganization and downsizing of military bases,” said Hiroyuki Teruya, a professor of political science at Okinawa International University. “However, the Japanese government has prioritized the stability of the security treaty and ignored this issue.”

US President Donald Trump and Abe have said both governments are committed to the relocation plan. The two agreed on the need for the “long-term, sustainable presence of US forces” in Japan during their first meeting back in 2017.

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