Okinawans protest U.S. military helicopter crash
* Okinawans protest U.S. military helicopter
crash
* 55,000 signatures submitted to protest U.S. chopper crash
* 30,000 protest U.S. chopper crash, demand return of Futemma
base
A city in Okinawa protested the recent crash of a U.S. military helicopter with a petition signed by 55,726 people addressed to the Japanese and American leaders on Monday, and called for the return of a U.S. air station on the island.
The petition submitted by the city of Ginowan followed a demonstration by 30,000 people on Sunday over the Aug. 13 crash in a university campus. The accident damaged a building and injured the crew.
The petition called for an apology and compensation for the crash damage, an end to U.S. military flights over civilian areas, the return of Futemma Air Station to Japan, and a revision of the agreement governing U.S. military operations in Japan.
"To protect precious lives and peaceful living, the 88,000 residents of Ginowan city strongly and angrily protest the U.S. military helicopter crash and the way it was handled afterward," the petition said. The population of Ginowan is 88,000.
While the crash caused no injuries on the ground, Okinawans say the accident shows the dangers of operating a military installation in an urban environment.
Local police have also complained that the U.S. military blocked them from investigating the crash site, as American authorities say they are entitled to do under the Status of Forces Agreement, or SOFA.
Monday's petition, a copy of which was obtained from the Japanese Foreign Ministry, was addressed to U.S. President George W. Bush, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, and Japanese government agencies.
The accident stirred long-standing grievances of residents near the U.S. air station, and prompted Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba to suggest that the SOFA could be revised.
Japanese and U.S. officials recently agreed to set up a panel to examine the way such accidents are handled and suggest improvements.
Japan and the United States agreed in 1996 to relocate the Futemma base, but environmental concerns have hindered the building of a new heliport atop one of the area's last healthy coral reefs.
The presence of the U.S. military is a sensitive issue in Okinawa, which hosts two-thirds of the 50,000 American troops in Japan. Many Okinawans complain of crowding, noise and crime associated with the military bases.
30,000 protest U.S. chopper crash, demand return of Futemma base
About 30,000 people gathered in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, on Sunday to protest the recent crash of a U.S. military helicopter at a university there and demand that the nearby U.S. Marine Corps Futemma Air Station be closed and returned.
The number of protesters greatly exceeded the municipal government's expected turnout of 10,000 people and was the largest protest against U.S. forces by Okinawa residents since 85,000 gathered in 1995 to protest the rape of an elementary schoolgirl by three U.S. servicemen.
The protesters adopted a resolution with six demands, including an apology and compensation for damage caused by the crash, termination of U.S. military flights over civilian areas, the return of Futemma at an early date and an overhaul of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, which governs U.S. military operations in Japan.
The chopper incident occurred on Aug. 13, when a CH-53D helicopter, which took off from Futemma, crashed at the campus of nearby Okinawa International University, injuring three crew members and heavily damaging a building. Helicopter parts were also scattered in surrounding residential areas.
The base is located in the center of Ginowan but no one on the ground was hurt in the incident.
"We must have the government begin negotiations to suspend the heliport functions (at Futemma) right now and to have the base shut down and returned," Ginowan Mayor Yoichi Iha said at the gathering held at the university campus.
"Until when do we Ginowan residents have to be worried about the safety of our lives?" said one of the 11 resident representatives in a speech.
A siren was sounded at the protest assembly to mark the moment of the crash and protesters set free 200 doves to represent their hopes to eradicate accidents by U.S. military aircraft.
"I think that the fact that so many Ginowan residents took part in the assembly shows the strong concerns by each and every resident regarding the dangers of the Futemma Air Station, which is located in an urban area," Okinawa Gov. Keiichi Inamine said in a statement.
He added that the prefecture, which hosts the bulk of U.S. forces in Japan, has requested that all flights at the base be grounded until the accident's cause is uncovered and measures to prevent a recurrence are taken.
Japan and the United States have agreed to build a military-civilian offshore facility in Nago, also in Okinawa, to replace the heliport functions of Futemma. However, the construction plan faces strong opposition in Nago and it is expected to take at least 10 more years before Futemma can be relocated.
Sunday's protest was originally scheduled to take place a week earlier on Sept. 5 but was postponed due to a typhoon.