Heneko (Google Map)

By KCNAThe Japanese Defence Ministry issued amendment to a plan which sharply extended the period of transfer project of the U.S. air base from Futenma to Henoko.As a result, the period of the transfer project increased from 5 years to 9 years and 3 months and the cost increased to 930 billion yen (8.5 billion US dollar -), 2.7 times as large as the original one.It is said that the increase of the transfer project and cost is attributable to the soft ground in the sea off Henoko, the site of the base.This has triggered stronger backlash from locals and the people, which is not mere antipathy for the extension of the period of the transfer project and the allocation of more tax collected from the people, but an expression of the anger and protest against the heinous sycophantic and traitorous behavior of the government authorities that flatter the foreign forces for aggression with clean indifferent to the sufferings and demands of the people.The transfer of the Futenma air base has long been controversial.The people of Okinawa have urged the transfer of the base out of prefecture or the country, saying that the most dangerous base in the prefecture which has more than 70 percent of the installations of the U.S. forces in Japan has been a source of noise, environmental pollution, unbroken accidents, etc. threatening their life and health as well as heavy financial burden.The Japanese government has started the land-reclamation work for building the Henoko base that locals have set themselves against, giving in to the U.S. which is putting pressure upon Japan to build a new base in the waters off Henoko larger than the Futenma base in the prefecture with a view to realizing the strategy for dominance over Asia.Whenever the people lodge protest against it, the Japanese government has gone ahead with the project, claiming that it is aimed at relieving the people from sufferings and pains and that the Futenma airfield will be fixed forever if it is not transferred to Henoko.The soft ground has been detected in more than 40% of the possible site of the base during the project, which is like the reflection symbolic of the public opinion that there is no more space for the base of the U.S. forces.The authorities are trying to push ahead with the transfer project with more tax collected from the people in disregard of their anger.When the Henoko base is completed, the ecological environment in the region will be badly destroyed and locals will suffer from greater misfortune and pains.Worse still, the base, larger than the previous one, will house more U.S forces for aggression. Okinawa Island with lots of bases of aggression will become the target for increasing striking capability of the surrounding countries.As a consequence, only locals will be the victims in any case.It is clear to anyone that the Japanese authorities are henchmen who flatter their master, though they suffer tremendous damage from the transfer project.They continue to purchase the expensive U.S.-made weapons and lots of U.S. farm products, yielding to the master U.S., but the U.S., not content with this, is putting pressure upon Japan to increase the defense cost sharing far more than the existing one.All this is the miserable consequences of Japan's policy servile to the U.S.Japan will never flee from the fate of a political vassal state as long as there are the present rulers who prolong their remaining days with pro-U.S. submission, clean indifferent to public sentiment.(KCNA - January 17, 2020)