Voters on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa have rejected the controversial relocation of a US military base in a referendum, according to local media, but the result is likely to be ignored by the prime minister, Shinzo Abe.
Kyodo news agency said its projection based on exit polls indicated that more than a quarter of Okinawa’s 1.16 million eligible voters had opposed the plan: a threshold that requires the island’s governor, Denny Tamaki, to “respect” its outcome. The public broadcaster NHK said a majority of voters had come out against the move supported by the Japanese and US governments.
Sunday’s non-binding referendum asked voters if they opposed, supported or held neither opinion on the construction of a military base in Henoko, a fishing village on the island’s northeast coast that is home to coral reefs and one of the few remaining habitats of the dugong.
The new facility is supposed to replace the marines’ Futenma airbase, located in the middle of a densely populated city on the island. Futenma has attracted complaints about crimes committed by service personnel, noise and the threat of aircraft accidents in an area close to homes and schools.
Critics say the Henoko base will destroy the area’s delicate marine ecosystem and threaten the safety of 2,000 residents living near the site.
Opposition to the US military presence on Okinawa surged after the 1995 abduction and rape and abduction of a 12-year-old girl by three US servicemen.
A year later, Tokyo and Washington agreed to reduce the US military footprint on Okinawa by closing Futenma and relocating its functions to Henoko. But most Okinawans want the new base to be built elsewhere in Japan.
Some voters complained that the government in Tokyo had routinely ignored their objections to the presence of US military personnel and bases.
“There are so many American troops here. Of course, ninety-nine percent of them are good people, but then there is that one percent who do bad things. It’s hard for us,” Tomomichi Shimabukuro, who runs a seaside inn, said ahead of the vote.
Political and legal challenges to construction work at Henoko have irritated US officials, who insist that marines are needed on Okinawa to respond to crises in potential regional flashpoints in the South and East China seas, as well as the emergence of a nuclear-armed North Korea.
Abe has claimed the replacement base is the only way of easing pressure on residents living near the Futenma base while maintaining Japan’s commitment to its security alliance with the US.
While the “no” vote is not legally binding, the government risks accusations of dismissing local sentiment out of hand if it continues with land reclamation work in the sea off Henoko.
Jun Shimabukuro, a professor at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, said the referendum was an important opportunity for the island’s residents to make their voices heard. “It can be a test to gauge if democracy is working in Japan,” Shimabukuro said ahead of the vote.
Tamaki, who was elected last September vowing to oppose the base relocation, described the vote as a “precious” opportunity to communicate Okinawa’s opposition to the central government.
Col John Hutcheson, a spokesman for US Forces Japan, said the relocation plan would enable the US military to close Futenma while protecting “vital capabilities” to ensure regional security.
“We are committed to maintaining good relations with local communities on Okinawa and do our best every day to balance their concerns with the necessity to maintain readiness in support of our treaty commitments,” Hutcheson said, while declining to comment directly on the referendum.
Agencies contributed to this report.
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