2016年12月1日木曜日

翁長知事、ヘリパッド移設容認を否定 報道に「不本意だ」 2016/11/30

琉球新報 2016年11月30日 11:18

 さらに「オスプレイの全面撤回があればヘリパッドも十二分に運用しにくいのではないか。SACO合意の着実な実施と地元2村との信頼などを考える中で、オスプレイ配備撤回で物事は収れんされるのではないか」と語り、オスプレイ撤去でヘリパッドを無効化させる考えを強調していた。 ■来月22日にも返還式 米軍北部訓練場部分返還

 米軍北部訓練場の部分返還について、政府は返還予定日の12月22日に返還式典を開催する方向で最終調整に入った。部分返還は現在政府が進めているヘリコプター着陸帯(ヘリパッド)新設を条件としており、政府は12月中旬ごろの完成を予定している。式典には日本側からは菅義偉官房長官ら関係閣僚、米側からはケネディ駐日米大使らが出席する方向で調整している。政府は翁長雄志知事も式典に招待する予定。

※本欄は電子版用に2本の記事を1本に編集しています。

英文へ→Governor Onaga says reports that he accepts helipads were inaccurate

翁長知事、ヘリパッド移設容認を否定 報道に「不本意だ」


Governor Onaga says reports that he accepts helipads were inaccurate


Governor Onaga says reports that he accepts helipads were inaccurate

Governor Takeshi Onaga explaining measures on the morning of November 29 at the Prefectural Assembly Hall.

November 30, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo



On the evening of November 29, Governor Takeshi Onaga told reporters that despite his statement at a news conference the day before that the partial return of the U.S. military’s Northern Training Area conditioned on the construction of new helipads presented “the ultimate painful decision”, he does not accept the helipad construction. “I do not accept that the helipad construction is moving forward despite the fact that no environmental impact assessment has been done with regard to the Osprey deployment,” explained Onaga.

Onaga mentioned that in 1996, when the Special Action Committee on Okinawa (SACO) final report was published and the partial return of the Northern Training Area and relocation of helipads was agreed upon, the plan to use the new helipads for the use of the Marines’ MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft had not yet been revealed, and said that the construction of helipads for Osprey use “differs from what was in the SACO agreement.”

Governor Onaga said that reports that interpreted his “painful decision” comment as indicating acceptance of the helipad construction did not capture his intended meaning.

Meanwhile, he explained, “It can’t be helped if you [news media] interpreted my comment in that way. That was the interpretation of the media, but it would not have been right for me to explain.”

At the press conference on November 28, when asked for a comment on the fact that the partial return of the Northern Training Area is not happening in a way that satisfies with the wishes of the local communities, Governor Onaga said, “It is difficult to object to the return of roughly four thousand hectares of land.”

He further stated, “If the Osprey are entirely removed [from Okinawa], it would probably be difficult to utilize the helipads fully. When thinking about the steady implementation of the SACO report and the relationship of trust with the two villages [of Higashi and Kunigami], I think everything converges on the removal of the Osprey,” emphasizing his belief that removal of the Osprey would render the helipads useless.

Ceremony for partial return of Northern Training Area to be held on December 22


The national government has begun the final stages of planning for a return ceremony on December 22 to celebrate the partial return of the Northern Training Area. The partial return is conditioned on the construction of new helipads currently being carried out by the central government, and the government plans to finish the construction in mid-December. Plans are being made for the ceremony to be attended by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga and other relevant cabinet member from the Japanese side and Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and others from the U.S. side. The government also plans to invite Governor Takeshi Onaga to the ceremony.

* Two articles have been combined into one for this digital edition article.

(English translation by T&CT and Sandi Aritza)

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November 30, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo