沖縄侮辱発言―アセス強行はあり得ぬ

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 30
EDITORIAL: Rape remark could spell end to Futenma plan
沖縄侮辱発言―アセス強行はあり得ぬ

It was about the most unconscionable slur anyone could have directed at women and the people of Okinawa.
　女性と沖縄を蔑視する暴言であり、断じて許せない。

Discussing the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Satoshi Tanaka, director-general of the Okinawa Defense Bureau, said to the effect on Nov. 28, "Would you say, 'I will rape you,' before you rape someone?"
　沖縄防衛局の田中聡局長が、米軍普天間飛行場の移設問題に絡んで、「これから犯す前に犯しますよと言いますか」という趣旨の発言をした。

Tanaka used the rape analogy to explain the government's reluctance to set the submission date of an assessment report on the environmental impact of the air station's planned relocation to the Henoko district in Nago--a plan the people of Okinawa vehemently oppose.
　沖縄の反対を無視して、名護市辺野古への移設を進めるための環境影響評価（アセスメント）の提出時期を明かさない政府の姿勢を、女性への性的暴行に例えたものだ。

Tanaka was reportedly holding court with members of the press at a pub in Naha when he made that comment. 　那覇市の居酒屋で県内の報道関係者と懇談し、酒を飲んでいた。

He was drinking, and the session was supposed to be off the record, which must have loosened his tongue.
オフレコが前提でもあり、口が軽くなったのだろう。

But an Okinawan newspaper went ahead and reported his gaffe.
　地元紙が報じ、表面化した。

The Asahi Shimbun did not have any of its reporters at the pub when he made the outrageous remark, but the paper ran its own version of the story after establishing the veracity of the original report.
朝日新聞は発言時は、その場にいなかったが、補強取材をして記事にした。

What Tanaka said should never be condoned.
私たちも、あってはならない暴言だと考える。

In fact, it was the rape of an Okinawan schoolgirl by U.S. soldiers 16 years ago that triggered the move to relocate the Futenma base.
　振り返れば、普天間移設のきっかけは、１６年前の米海兵隊員による少女暴行事件だった。

But the girl was certainly not the last victim of sex crimes by U.S. service personnel.
その後も米軍人による暴行事件は続いている。

Anyone who has any understanding of the feelings of the people of Okinawa would never even dream of saying what Tanaka said.
県民感情に少しでも寄り添える人物なら、こんな例え話をできるはずがない。

He was totally unqualified for the job, and of course he had to go.
　県民と向き合う責任者としては不適任極まりない。更迭は当然である。

The Yoshihiko Noda administration has at least shown its readiness to gradually lighten Okinawa's base burden. 　野田政権は、沖縄の基地負担を軽減する具体策を少しずつ積み上げてきた。

For instance, drills at the Kadena Air Base will be partially moved to Guam, and the Status of Forces Agreement will be reviewed to allow Japanese courts to try civilians in the employ of the U.S. military for crimes they commit while on duty.
　米軍嘉手納基地での訓練の一部をグアムに移す。米軍属の公務中の犯罪を日本で裁判にかけられるよう、日米地位協定の運用を見直す、などだ。

These measures are nowhere near adequate, of course, and they may well represent nothing more than the administration's ploy to defuse opposition to Futenma's move to Henoko.
　いずれも不十分な内容だし、辺野古移設のための懐柔策という底意も否定できない。

Still, Okinawans might have taken these moves as Tokyo's attempt to restore trust.
それでも、沖縄の信頼を取り戻したいという政府の心構えを示す効果はあったかもしれない。

But these efforts have gone down the drain now.
　そんな努力も水の泡だ。

Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima said of Tanaka's gaffe, "I refuse to make any comment on his remarks that are grossly offensive to decency."
　仲井真弘多知事は「コメントもしたくない。口が汚れるから」と述べた。

We are sure this is how many Okinawans feel.
多くの県民が同じ思いだろう。

For all this mess, however, the government is reportedly set on going ahead with the final environmental assessment procedures before the end of this year.
　それにもかかわらず、政府は年内に、アセスメントの最終手続きに入る方針を変えないのだという。

Earlier this month, the Okinawa prefectural assembly unanimously adopted a statement demanding that the government abandon the submission of an environmental assessment report.
　沖縄県議会は今月、アセス提出の断念を求める意見書を全会一致で可決したばかりである。

Now that Tanaka has vastly compounded the problem, it must be all too obvious that the assessment cannot possibly proceed as planned.
そこに、この暴言が重なったのだ。もはや、アセス手続きなど進むはずがないことは明らかではないか。

We have repeatedly argued that the planned relocation to Henoko is no longer viable, and that Tokyo and Washington must seek a new solution.
　私たちは辺野古案はもう不可能であり、日米両政府は新たな策を探るべきだと繰り返し主張してきた。

It appears that the mess caused by Tanaka spells the end of the Henoko plan.
この騒動は辺野古案撤回への決定打に見える。

The government must stop and think.
　政府は、まず立ち止まるべきだ。

Should the government go ahead with the environmental assessment as if nothing has happened, it would be tantamount to accepting Tanaka's slur.
何もなかったかのようにアセスを強行するなら、局長の暴言を追認したことになる。

The government must not repeat the same mistake.
政府が過ちを重ねてはならない。