17:49, April 21, 2010
Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Wednesday that the priority for the government as it looks to move Okinawa Prefecture's Futenma military facility is to ensure that local residents get a safer environment, with the dangers of living near a base removed.
In a parliamentary debate, the prime minister also reaffirmed to opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Sadakazu Tanigaki that he has a new location in mind for the military facility, but said he is not yet willing to reveal it for fear of local reaction before the site has been discussed with Washington.
"It would trouble (possible relocation areas) if we told them they were been considered before first consulting the United States," Hatoyama said.
Earlier in the day, the prime minister had insisted that he still intends to stick to his personal deadline of the end of May for resolving the issue.
Since coming to power at the end of the summer last year, Hatoyama and the government of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) have experienced strained relations with the United States over the Futenma issue.
Under a 2006 Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed by Tokyo and Washington, thousands of troops are to remain in Okinawa, with the existing Futenma facility to be moved to a scarcely populated coastal area and away from its current urban location.
One area cited as a possible relocation site for the Futenma facility is Tokunoshima in Kagoshima Prefecture, and thousands of residents there protested against the idea earlier in the month.
The DPJ has seen its popularity plummet in recent months because of its troubles handling the Futenma issue, as well as a series of scandals involving money and politics, and a growing public perception that the prime minister is indecisive.
Source: Xinhua
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