April 25, 2010
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The people of Okinawa, Japan's southernmost prefecture, are holding a rally on Sunday, calling for the removal of a US base from Okinawa.
Governor Hirokazu Nakaima and 39 mayors from Okinawa's 41 municipalities are attending the rally in the village of Yomitan.
Organizers prepared a sheet with inscribed letters calling for moving the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station out of Okinawa. They will adopt a resolution demanding the Japanese and US governments abandon the current plan to relocate functions of the air base within Okinawa.The 2 countries agreed in 2006 to move the base from the crowded city of Ginowan to a coastal area near US Camp Schwab in Nago, also in Okinawa.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama recently reiterated his intention to resolve the relocation issue by the end of May.
The mass rally is expected to accelerate opposition of the people of Okinawa to relocating the US air base within the prefecture.
2010/04/25 14:56(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)
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