September 26, 2009Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama told reporters Thursday (Friday afternoon Japanese time) that there was a need to probe whether revisions to the plan of relocating U.S. troops on Okinawa should be made this year, suggesting he would delay the issue.
His comments conflict with those of Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, who has said that a decision regarding the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, located in the Okinawa Prefecture city of Ginowan, should be made within the year.
The situation highlights the difficult position faced by the new government administration, which is torn between an agreement between the Japanese and U.S. governments, and the people of Okinawa, who hold high expectations for the promises the ruling party made during the House of Representatives election.
In a meeting with Okada on Sept. 21, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said implementation of current plans stood as a fundamental position. It is believed that Hatoyama's suggested delay in making a decision on the relocation followed his firsthand experience of the United States' tough posture during his visit to the U.S.
Residents of Okinawa have been unhappy about being forced to shoulder the burden of relocation within Okinawa Prefecture, leading to the prime minister to suggest during the House of Representatives election that the base be moved out of Okinawa Prefecture. On Thursday, Hatoyama had to indicate that he would not retract such a position.
On Thursday local time, Okada indicated that he would consider the agreement between Japan and the United States without ruling out a conclusion that will accept the current relocation plans. There is a possibility that he will try to ascertain the prime minister's real intentions and try to correct the stance held when the Democratic Party of Japan was an opposition party and made statements without sufficient information or without confirming the feelings of the U.S.
"The party they're dealing with is the United States. There's no option but to delay the issue and gain time," a Defense Ministry official said, commenting on the developments. A Foreign Ministry official added, "What they've confirmed on this visit to the U.S. is the large framework of the Japan-U.S. alliance. Individual problems are a future matter." Both officials' comments indicated hope for a delay in the relocation decision.
(Mainichi Japan) September 26, 2009
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