Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has apologised the people of Okinawa for breaking his campaign promise to move a US military base off the island.
The PM apologised on May 23 in unveiling a plan to relocate a US Marine Corps base within Okinawa prefecture, Japan’s Kyodo news reported on May 23.
But the government's plan to move the Marine Corps Futemma Air Station from the populous city of Ginowan to the coastal area at Cape Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa, is strongly opposed by Okinawa Govover Hirokazu Nakaima, who says it will be difficult to implement, according to the agency.
''I offer my heartfelt apology for causing confusion to the people of the prefecture in the process of being unable to keep the promise to move it out of the prefecture,'' Kyodo quoted Hatoyama as saying during his talks with the Okinawa governor.
The talks were held during Hatoyama's second visit this month to Okinawa in a last-minute attempt to gain the understanding of local people on the thorny relocation issue.
Prior to the premier's arrival, local protesters staged a rally outside the prefectural government office, calling on Hatoyama to stick to his campaign pledge and give up the plan to relocate the base within the prefecture. Many of them held up a red card bearing a Chinese character for ''anger.''
Japan and the US broadly agreed on May 22 on a fresh accord expected to be announced May 28. It is effectively in line with an existing relocation plan under a 2006 Japan-US accord.
Before coming to power, the premier had pledged during an election campaign last summer that he would seek to move Futemma functions out of Okinawa altogether to ease the prefecture's base-hosting burdens, such as noise pollution and risks of accidents and crimes associated with the US military presence./.
The PM apologised on May 23 in unveiling a plan to relocate a US Marine Corps base within Okinawa prefecture, Japan’s Kyodo news reported on May 23.
But the government's plan to move the Marine Corps Futemma Air Station from the populous city of Ginowan to the coastal area at Cape Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa, is strongly opposed by Okinawa Govover Hirokazu Nakaima, who says it will be difficult to implement, according to the agency.
''I offer my heartfelt apology for causing confusion to the people of the prefecture in the process of being unable to keep the promise to move it out of the prefecture,'' Kyodo quoted Hatoyama as saying during his talks with the Okinawa governor.
The talks were held during Hatoyama's second visit this month to Okinawa in a last-minute attempt to gain the understanding of local people on the thorny relocation issue.
Prior to the premier's arrival, local protesters staged a rally outside the prefectural government office, calling on Hatoyama to stick to his campaign pledge and give up the plan to relocate the base within the prefecture. Many of them held up a red card bearing a Chinese character for ''anger.''
Japan and the US broadly agreed on May 22 on a fresh accord expected to be announced May 28. It is effectively in line with an existing relocation plan under a 2006 Japan-US accord.
Before coming to power, the premier had pledged during an election campaign last summer that he would seek to move Futemma functions out of Okinawa altogether to ease the prefecture's base-hosting burdens, such as noise pollution and risks of accidents and crimes associated with the US military presence./.
