Okinawa Governor Onaga criticizes forcible passage of security bills in Lower House

July 17, 2015 Ryukyu Shimpo

With controversial security bills being forced through the Lower House, Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga has given a severe critique of the Japanese government. Onaga said, “It is extremely disappointing the bills were passed forcibly while it should have been discussed thoroughly. The attitude of a government that aggressively pushes forward important legislation without citizens’ understanding cannot be easily accepted.”

Onaga talked about the overloaded burden of the U.S. military bases in Okinawa. He further stated, “Due to experiences of the previous war, the people of Okinawa are feeling growing anxiety towards the change in the nation’s security policies.” He indicated there was increasing fear among Okinawan people in response to the lower house of parliament passing the bill, which approves the use of the right to the collective self-defense.

Onaga claimed, “The government should thoroughly explain the impact of the legislation to Japanese citizens after thoroughly discussing it in parliament.”

(English translation by T&CT and Sayaka Sakuma)　

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