Perspectives
Chief Cabinet Secretary OKs Tokunoshima residents' conditions for Futenma base relocation
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano has told residents of Tokunoshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture that the government would comply with their seven conditions for relocating U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the island, including writing off debts totaling 2.5 billion yen.
The three mayors of the island's towns have refused to negotiate over the government's plans to move part of the base's helicopter or training functions to Tokunoshima, and it is believed that the offer of local incentive measures is designed to reopen the door to negotiations. However, the method of pressuring the island to accept U.S. troops in exchange for cash is likely to draw criticism.
Hirano met with 14 residents supporting the relocation at a hotel suite in the city of Kagoshima on Sunday. They handed him a sheet of paper containing seven conditions for accepting the relocation of the base. After looking at the requests, Hirano stated, "The relocation and incentive measures are separate issues, but we will accept all seven items."
The seven conditions were: 1) Cancel approximately 25 billion yen in debt (government bonds) incurred by the three towns located on Tokunoshima; 2) Bring down the relatively high sea and air fares to a level comparable to fares to and from Okinawa; 3) Make fuel prices comparable to those in mainland Japan and Okinawa; 4) Grant the same subsidies given to Okinawa Prefecture's brown sugar refineries to those in Kagoshima Prefecture; 5) Establish new special medical, social and economic zones (with exemption from health care tax); 6) Transfer jurisdiction of the Act on Special Measures for the Amami Islands Promotion and Development from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to the Cabinet Office.; and 7) Establish nurses colleges and vocational schools on the island.
During the talks, Hirano apologized over the fact that the government's fiscal 2010 budget for the Amami Islands had been slashed by 29 percent compared with the previous year, and promised to address the issue when compiling next fiscal year's budget. He also referred to the possible placement of a helicopter ambulance service on Tokunoshima Island, and indicated that he would discuss local promotional measures with the island's three mayors and Kagoshima Gov. Yuichiro Ito.
Hirano's uninhibited approach reveals the desperation of the government, which has refused to let go of Tokunoshima. Government officials have considered distributing part of the functions and training of Futenma base to Japan Self-Defense Force bases across the nation, but Tokunoshima is the only proposed area outside Okinawa Prefecture where military forces could make a day training trip from Okinawa. It is possible that the island could be used as a training area for troops permanently stationed in Okinawa, but if the island refuses to accept troops then nothing will come of the government's plan.
At the end of his talk with residents, Hirano had participants remain quiet about the details, and when approached by reporters, they maintained that there had been no discussions about local promotional measures. However, one of the participants conveyed Hirano's statement that the government would accept all of the residents' conditions to the three mayors.
While locals in favor of the relocation hope that acceptance of the government's proposal will slowly gain momentum, for the time being there are no prospects of the mayors of Tokunoshima returning to the negotiation table. (By Ai Yokota, Political News Department)
(Mainichi Japan) May 20, 2010