Roundup: Legal feud over contentious Okinawa base relocation ceases, fundamental differences remain

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday that he will accept a court-proposed settlement deal with the prefectural government of Okinawa, aimed at bringing an end to a protracted legal spat over landfill work for the planned relocation of a U.S. military base within Japan's southernmost prefecture.

The latest deal has been provisionally accepted by both the central and Okinawa prefectural government, with the prime minister stating he wants the dispute resolved in an equitable manner.

Abe informed his cabinet ministers of his decision on Friday related to the court's settlement plan, that advises the central government and prefectural government of Okinawa to drop all lawsuits filed against each other, of which there are three, and return to face-to-face negotiations on the controversial relocation issue.

Abe said he wants the relocation plan and the necessary landfill work required for the construction of a new facility to replace the U.S. Marine Corps' Air Station Futenma, in the Henoko coastal region of Nago, to be resolved with Okinawa officials amicably, with the prime minister stating that he had ordered the suspension of contentious landfill work in Henoko.

The prime minister said if the legal battle continued, it could run on for years with no way through the impasse.

Tokyo has made promises to Washington regarding the relocation of the base, as part of a broader realignment of U.S. forces here, and further delays in the base relocation could further irk Japan's ally, as an accord pertaining to the deal has already been inked.

Abe sees a return to the negotiation table as the only way to move forward with the stalled relocation plan and Okinawa, for its part, has indicated its receptive stance to the latest move by the central government.

"As the current situation shows, the state and Okinawa Prefecture have waged a legal battle in an endless manner and if such disaccord continues, it will end up being deadlocked and the situation of the Futenma base, surrounded by homes and schools and situated right in a populated area, will be kept fixed for years," Abe told a press briefing Friday.

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said on Friday that the government will follow the court-mediated settlement plan with Okinawa, telling a press conference that, "The government has decided to accept the court-mediated settlement plan."

The latest move by the central government will be a boon to Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga who is staunchly opposed to the base relocation plan and feels, along with the majority of Okinawans, that the tiny prefecture has and continues to be overly-burdened with Japan's U.S. base-hosting responsibilities.

Onaga, last year, first issued an order to suspend permission for the local chapter of the defense bureau to conduct reclamation work in preparation for construction of the new base.

The order was rejected, with the central government suing Okinawa and the latter, in turn, counter-suing.

Onaga, along with the islanders, are demanding the U.S. base in question be relocated outside the prefecture, and, if possible, outside of Japan all together.

The original issue stems from the Japanese and U.S. governments inking an accord to close down the Futenma base, known as one of the most dangerous in the world as it's located in the densely-populated Ginowan district in Okinawa, and return land occupied by the facility to Okinawa, with the transfer of the base function's aimed, partly, at reducing the burden on Okinawa, which already hosts the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan.

Some 10,000 Marines will also be relocated, mainly to Guam and Hawaii, from Okinawa, to ease the tiny island's burdens, but this move is contingent on the base relocation, with presents a further headache to all sides.

The majority of Japanese people, however, including those on the mainland and on Okinawa island, believe that Abe and his administration are terribly mishandling the base relocation issue, with the generality in Japan's southernmost prefecture wanting the new base relocated off the island.

Such mistrust is leading to increasing frustration from the local citizens, who have been seen taking to the streets with placards and megaphones during numerous demonstrations, and, in a number of instances, taking to the water in small boats to show their opposition to the central government's land reclamation moves.

Analysts proffered Friday that Abe's softening stance comes as he is eyeing the upper house elections this summer and his coalition's plans to enhance its grip on power and attempt to usher through an amendment to Japan's war-renouncing constitution, that will require support from the majority of the public in a referendum, as well as from both chambers of parliament.

But the ruling coalition will have to deal with anti-U.S. sentiment that has been steadily growing on Japan's southernmost island, as base-related pollution and accidents, threatens the environment and safety of the locals, and crimes committed by U.S. military personnel, in particular, have sparked furious condemnation, both on Okinawa and mainland Japan.

Political analysts say the central government needs to remain cognizant of the feelings of the people of Okinawa and the history of their suffering before, during, and after WWII.

The suffering has included a number heinous crimes committed by U.S. military personnel, including the brutal rape of an elementary schoolgirl in Okinawa by three U.S. servicemen in 1995.

Other incidents such as a Marine CH-53D Sea Stallion heavy assault transport helicopter plowing into the Okinawa International University in Ginowan, in 2004, has added to the consternation of the locals.

Such public indignation connected to Okinawa's military burden presents an ever-growing hurdle to Abe's plans to woo the public ahead of the elections this summer to ensure their backing for the constitution's amendment.

The leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic party will hold talks with Onaga forthwith, to try and bridge some differences, yet maintained Friday that the relocation of the controversial base with Okinawa "remained the only solution." Endit