社説：辺野古取り消し やむを得ない知事判断

October 14, 2015 (Mainichi Japan)
Editorial: Okinawa Gov. Onaga compelled to revoke landfill work approval
社説：辺野古取り消し　やむを得ない知事判断

Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga has revoked the approval of land reclamation work off the Henoko district of Nago for the planned relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. With the move, the conflict between the national government and the Okinawa Prefectural Government has heightened, and it's likely that the matter will ultimately be brought to a court of law. It's unfortunate to see how the issue has developed into such an abnormal state of affairs.
　沖縄県の米軍普天間飛行場（宜野湾市）の移設計画をめぐり、翁長雄志（おながたけし）知事が移設先の名護市辺野古の埋め立て承認を取り消した。国と県の対立は決定的となり、最終的に法廷闘争に持ち込まれる可能性が高まった。異常な事態であり、残念だ。

Okinawa claims that the approval for landfill work given by former Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima has "flaws," while the central government argues no such errors exist. While the two parties strongly disagree with one another, it is difficult to judge which one makes a viable legal point.
　県は、前知事による埋め立て承認に「瑕疵（かし）があった」と主張し、国は「瑕疵はない」という。言い分は真っ向から食い違い、法的にどちらに理があるかは、まだ判断し難い。

However, isn't the latest development the result of the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's move to force the relocation of the U.S. air station within the island prefecture without hearing the voices of Okinawa? We believe that the situation required Okinawa to cancel the landfill work approval.
　だが、今回のことは、安倍政権が県の主張に耳を傾けず、移設を強行しようとした結果ではないか。県の取り消し判断はやむを得ないものと考える。

Looking back at the month-long "intensive consultation" with the national government this past summer, Gov. Onaga expressed dissatisfaction with the central government during an Oct. 13 news conference, saying, "The (Abe) Cabinet has little interest in solving problems while caring about the people of Okinawa."
　翁長氏は、記者会見で、今夏の１カ月間の政府と県の集中協議などを振り返って「内閣の姿勢として、沖縄県民に寄り添って問題を解決していきたいというものが薄い」と政府への不満を語った。

Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga criticized Onaga's decision, telling an Oct. 13 morning news conference that the Okinawa governor's move ignores a series of efforts taken by parties involved with Okinawa and the central government since Japan and the U.S. reached an agreement toward removing the risk of hosting the Futenma base. Suga's comment underscored the wide gap between the national government and Okinawa.
　菅義偉官房長官は、県の取り消し決定について「日米合意以来、沖縄や政府の関係者が重ねてきた普天間の危険性除去に向けた努力を無視するものだ」と批判した。溝の深さを改めて見せつけられるようだった。

The Okinawa government's decision to revoke the landfill work approval has deprived the central government of the legal ground for the work and drilling survey, a preliminary step toward the land reclamation project.
　今回の取り消しにより、政府は埋め立て工事と前段のボーリング調査について、法律上の根拠を失う。

As a countermeasure against Okinawa's move, the national government has filed an appeal to the land, infrastructure, transport and tourism minister for an administrative review based on the Administrative Appeal Act and also requested for a stay of execution against the Okinawa governor's revocation. Once the request is granted, the central government will restart the drilling survey off Henoko and embark on full-fledged construction as early as next month.
　政府は対抗措置として、行政不服審査法に基づき国土交通相に対し不服審査請求をする予定だ。あわせて取り消し処分の一時執行停止も申し立てる。執行停止が認められれば、政府はボーリング調査を再開し、来月にも本格工事に着手する構えだ。

However, the Administrative Appeal Act is originally intended to protect the rights of the people from administrative operations. It's strange when a central government appeals to itself and the same government makes a judgment on the matter.
　だが行政不服審査法は、行政に対して国民の権利を守るのが本来の趣旨だ。国が国に訴え、それを同じ国が判断することには違和感がある。

It's expected to take several months to see the result of the administrative review, after which either the national government or the prefectural government will likely take legal action against the land ministry's decision. Even if the central government built an alternative facility for the Air Station Futenma in Henoko after going through such a complicated procedure, the stable operation of the new base is unlikely.
　不服審査の結果が出るまでには数カ月かかるとされ、最終的には国か県のいずれかが結果を不服として提訴すると見られる。そこまでして辺野古に代替基地を造ったとしても、安定的に運用できないだろう。

In the 10 months since Onaga assumed office, the Abe administration lacked the willingness to acknowledge Okinawa's claim in terms of the U.S. base relocation plan. Top government officials at one point refused to meet with Onaga.
　翁長氏が知事に就任して１０カ月。この間、安倍政権は辺野古移設計画を進めるにあたり、県の意向をくみ取ろうとする姿勢に乏しかった。一時期は、翁長氏と会おうともしなかった。

Along with a notice of withdrawal of the approval, the Okinawa Prefectural Government submitted a 15-page report as to why Okinawa has decided to revoke the authorization for landfill work. In the long list of questions regarding the plan to relocate the U.S. base to the Henoko district, Okinawa argues that Japan will not lose its defense deterrence factor to a level that is intolerable even if the air station in Ginowan moves out of Okinawa to another prefecture.
　今回、県は、取り消しの通知書とともに、１５ページにわたって理由を記した文書を政府側に提出した。そこには「普天間が他の都道府県に移転しても、沖縄には依然として米軍や自衛隊の基地があり、抑止力が許容できない程度にまで低下することはない」など、辺野古移設への疑問が列挙されている。

The central government should not force the base relocation to Henoko, but rather halt the drilling survey and other work related to the relocation plan and face Okinawa sincerely to provide answers to these questions.
　政府が今すべきは、強引に辺野古移設を進めることではなく、移設作業を中止し、これらの疑問にきちんと答えることではないだろうか。

毎日新聞　2015年10月14日　東京朝刊