首相沖縄訪問 米軍基地負担を着実に減らせ

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Government must work to reduce Okinawa U.S. base-hosting burdens
首相沖縄訪問　米軍基地負担を着実に減らせ

The government must make utmost efforts to steadily ease the burden that hosting U.S. military bases places on Okinawa Prefecture.
　沖縄の米軍基地負担を着実に軽減するため、政府は全力で取り組まなければならない。

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended a memorial service on Monday for those killed in the war commemorating the 69 years since the end of the Battle of Okinawa, which raged just before the Pacific War came to an end in 1945.
　太平洋戦争末期の沖縄戦の終結に合わせた「慰霊の日」の２３日、安倍首相は、沖縄全戦没者追悼式に出席した。

In a speech at the ceremony, Abe said: “We will give consideration to the feelings of the people of Okinawa and will do our best to reduce their burden for hosting the bases, while assuming a stance of carrying out what we can do as much as possible.”
　あいさつで、沖縄県内の基地負担軽減について「沖縄の方々の気持ちに寄り添いながら、『できることは全て行う』との姿勢で全力を尽くす」と強調した。

Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima last December approved a reclamation project necessary to transfer the functions of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma Air Station in Ginowan to the Henoko coastal district in Nago. Nakaima had previously called for “relocation to a place outside Okinawa” in a peace declaration at the ceremony for three consecutive years, 2011-13. This year, however, he changed his wording to shift away from insistence on a plan for relocation outside of Okinawa.
　仲井真弘多知事は昨年末、米軍普天間飛行場の辺野古移設に伴う埋め立てを承認した。式典の平和宣言では、３年連続で「県外移設」を訴えてきたが、今年は県外に固執しない表現に変えた。

His difficult about-face on the matter came as strong calls persist among prefectural residents for relocation outside of Okinawa. To show good faith in supporting Nakaima after his wrenching decision, the government must implement various measures to reduce the prefecture’s burden in hosting U.S. military bases.
　沖縄県では依然、県外移設を求める声が根強い中、苦渋の判断をした仲井真知事を支えるためにも政府は、様々な基地負担軽減策をきちんと実行する必要がある。

The Futenma issue is expected to be a major topic of contention in November’s gubernatorial election, as Nakaima’s term in office ends. Nakaima remains uncommitted on whether he will run for a third term. At the same time, the conservative mayor of Naha, an opponent of the Henoko relocation plan, has been seeking to run in the election.
　仲井真知事の任期満了に伴う１１月の知事選では、普天間問題が大きな争点となろう。辺野古移設に反対する保守系市長が出馬の構えを見せる一方、知事は３選出馬に関して態度を保留している。

To minimize the impact of the gubernatorial election results on the relocation plan, it is imperative to take every possible measure.
　知事選結果が辺野古移設に与える影響を最小限にするため、可能な手を打つことが重要である。

Advance return of Futenma

The central government reportedly plans to begin boring as part of soil investigations at the planned reclamation site in July and to advance construction work on replacement facilities ahead of schedule as much as possible. It is imperative that the planned return of Futenma Air Station and associated land to Japan, targeted for fiscal 2022 and onward, be advanced as much as possible by speeding design and construction.
　政府は、埋め立て予定地のボーリング調査を７月にも開始し、代替施設の工事をできる限り前倒しする方針という。設計・工事期間の短縮を図り、「２０２２年度以降」とされる普天間飛行場の返還を早めるべきだ。

Tokyo and Washington agreed last week to restrict entry into the area scheduled for land reclamation and the surrounding waters at all times.
　日米両政府は先週、埋め立て予定地を含む周辺水域を常時立ち入り禁止とすることで合意した。

This may be an inevitable step to preclude obstruction by opponents and avoid unexpected confusion. To help promote the work, not only the Defense Ministry but also the National Police Agency, as well as the Japan Coast Guard and other relevant organizations, must join hands in taking all possible measures.
　反対派による妨害を排除し、不測の事態を避けるにはやむを得ない。作業を円滑に進めるため、防衛省だけでなく、警察、海上保安庁など関係機関が連携し、万全の体制をとることが求められる。

The government is also looking into the possibility of drastically pushing forward the return of Camp Kinser in Makiminato, which has been targeted for return to Japan in 2024-25 or later.
　政府は、「２４～２５年度以降」とされる牧港補給地区の返還の大幅繰り上げも検討している。

Japan and the United States have also been negotiating to conclude a new agreement under which environmental surveys for U.S. bases to be returned to Japan would be conducted in advance. This could amount to a de facto revision of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement. If such a change were to be realized, it would have a great significance.
　返還予定の米軍基地内の環境調査を事前に行えるようにする新たな協定の締結に向けた日米交渉も行っている。事実上の日米地位協定の改定に当たるもので、実現すれば、その意義は大きい。

As for training involving the U.S. military’s MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft deployed at the Futenma base, efforts must be made to move more training to areas outside of Okinawa Prefecture. It is essential that the prefecture’s heavy burden be shared broadly across the whole of Japan.
　普天間飛行場に配備されている米軍輸送機ＭＶ２２オスプレイの訓練についても、県外への分散移転をさらに拡大したい。沖縄の過重な負担を日本全体で引き受けることが大切である。

Moving forward with the realignment of U.S. bases in Okinawa, while maintaining deterrence capabilities of U.S. troops, and completing this work in conjunction with regional development, will be an important part of reinforcing trust between the Abe administration and the local governments and residents of Okinawa.
　在沖縄米軍の抑止力を維持しつつ、地域振興とも連動した基地再編を進めることが、安倍政権と地元の信頼関係を強化しよう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 24, 2014)