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Okinawa Governor Vows to Stop Relocation of US Base Within Prefecture

© AP Photo / Eugene HoshikoProtesters in front of Camp Schwab
Protesters in front of Camp Schwab - Sputnik International
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Japan's Okinawa Prefecture will never allow the United States to relocate a military base on its territory, governor Takeshi Onaga said Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The governor added that he would look at every legal measure possible to obstruct construction work in Nago.

In 2006, Tokyo and Washington formally agreed to relocate the Futenma Air Station within Okinawa Prefecture from the city of Ginowan to the less populated Henoko coastal area in Nago city. The move triggered a wave of protests with people citing environmental concerns and opposition to the US military presence.

"It's not easy for the Coast Guard and riot squads to stop [anti-base protesters]. I'd like to tell America that [we] will never let them build [the base]," Onaga said during a news conference, as quoted by the Japan Times.

Protesters raise placards during a rally to oppose the transfer of a key U.S. military base within the prefecture, at a baseball stadium in the prefectural capital Naha on Japan's southern island of Okinawa, in this photo taken by Kyodo May 17, 2015 - Sputnik International
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Okinawa Fights for Future Without US Military Bases
On Tuesday, a new wave of protests erupted in Okinawa, with demonstrators clashing with the police. The protesters called for construction of the replacement base to be shut down.

In April, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his US counterpart Ashton Carter reconfirmed the relocation plan. Later that month, Onaga asked Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to stop the relocation of the US military base within the prefecture and convey to the US president the Okinawan people's opposition over the plan.

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