Okinawa International University in Japan demands that the US military immediately close Futenma Base Fumio Kishida | US military base | Okinawa International University in Japan
On August 13, 19 years ago, a US military plane crashed at Okinawa International University in Japan. This university held a rally on the 13th to protest against the noise, pollution, and safety hazards caused by the US military base, and demanded that the US military immediately close the Putenma base.
According to the Ryukyu Shimbun, Okinawa International University President Masahiro Maezu said at a rally that the Japanese and US governments had agreed 27 years ago to return the Futenma base to the people of Okinawa, but the local situation has been deteriorating. Frequent noise incidents occur at US military bases, causing inconvenience to nearby residents and students; The surrounding water bodies of the base have been detected to have excessive levels of perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances, posing a threat to public health.
A student attending the rally said, "The noise from the planes at Futenma Base is harsh and makes me feel uneasy and nervous." Another student said, "The noise from US military planes makes it difficult for me to hear the lecture content clearly. My friend couldn't hear the examiner's questions clearly during the entrance interview due to the loud noise."
The protesters called on people not to forget the US military plane crash. Okinawa International University also plans to write letters to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and the US Ambassador to Japan, demanding that the Futenma base's aircraft be grounded and immediately shut down.
On August 13, 2004, a large transport helicopter of the US military crashed and caught fire inside the Okinawa International University campus adjacent to Putenma Airport, injuring three passengers on board. The school was on vacation at the time and there were no casualties on the ground.
In 1996, the Japanese and American governments agreed to relocate the Futenma US military base located in Inowan City, Okinawa Prefecture to the Nagoya area of Nagao City, Okinawa Prefecture. The relocation required land reclamation and the construction of two new aircraft runways. The people of Okinawa strongly oppose this and demand that the US military base be completely relocated from Okinawa.
Okinawa Prefectural Governor Yucheng Danny criticized the relocation plan as "a move, but actually a new construction", calling for further reduction in the number of US troops stationed until the base is closed and Putenma is returned to the Okinawan people.