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WORLD NEWS Saturday 15 december 2018

Japan begins reclamation at disputed US base despite protest

By MARI YAMAGUCHI deterrence of the Japan-
Associated Press U.S. alliance and to remove
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s the risk of the Futenma air
central government start- station, its relocation to He-
ed main reclamation work noko is the only solution,”
Friday at a disputed U.S. Chief Cabinet Secretary
military base relocation site Yoshihide Suga told report-
on the southern island of ers Friday. He added that
Okinawa despite fierce lo- the central government will
cal opposition. work toward reducing Oki-
Construction workers nawa’s burden of hosting
dumped a truckload of U.S. troops and gaining un-
sediment and bulldozed it derstanding and coopera-
into the sea at Henoko on tion from residents.
Okinawa’s east coast to Tetsuro Fukuyama, a senior
build a runway for a Ma- opposition lawmaker be-
rine Corps base that will longing to the Constitution-
be relocated from densely al Democratic Party, criti-
populated Futenma in the cized Abe’s government
southern part of the island. for pushing through with
The central government the base relocation.
has reversed Okinawa’s Protesters on canoes display placard as construction workers dumped a truckload of sediment on “This is far from democra-
earlier ban on landfill work the ground and bulldozed it into the sea at Henoko on Okinawa’s east coast to build a runway for cy,” Fukuyama said. “The
at the site. a Marine Corps base, Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. Abe government has no
Opponents of the reloca- Associated Press compassion for Okinawa,
tion say it would not only be repeatedly visited Tokyo, Okinawa’s children,” an- reduce U.S. bases on the or respect for the rule of
an environmental debacle urging top officials in Prime other one read. island, also visited Wash- law or respect for the will of
but also ignore local wishes Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabi- Many Okinawans say the ington and New York last the people.”
to remove the base. net to postpone the landfill presence of so many U.S. month to gain support for The plan is to build a V-
“I resent it strongly,” Okina- work and engage in dia- troops on the island is al- Okinawa from the Ameri- shape runway on the land-
wa Gov. Denny Tamaki told logue. Tamaki was in Tokyo ready a heavy burden can public and officials. fill for a targeted comple-
reporters. “The central gov- on Thursday for talks with and they want the exist- Washington’s position re- tion in 2022 as a replace-
ernment is forcibly dump- Defense Minister Takeshi ing Futenma air station mains that the dispute ment for Futenma after its
ing the sediment into the Iwaya. closed and its replacement should be resolved be- closure.
sea and it does not even Dozens of people in rubber moved off the island en- tween Tokyo and Okinawa. Iwaya said the plan is be-
pay the slightest attention boats protested the move, tirely. Officials in Tokyo said the ing delayed because of
to the will of the Okinawan hoisting placards. Tamaki, who was elected Henoko plan is the only one persistent protests and a
people.” “Don’t kill the ocean,” one late September on his cam- feasible and they will stick planned Futenma closure
Tamaki calls the one-sided of the placards said. “No paign promises to block the with it despite protests. by the target date seems
decision “illegal” and has military base needed for Henoko base and further “In order to maintain the difficult.q
Sri Lankan prime minister to resign amid crisis

By KRISHAN FRANCIS two no-confidence votes suggestions that he reap-
Associated Press against Rajapaksa, but he point Wickremesinghe, but
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) held on to office with Siris- may now be compelled to
— Supporters say disputed ena’s backing. Parliament do so since Wickremesing-
Sri Lankan Prime Minister also voted to block funds he has shown he has the
Mahinda Rajapaksa has for him and his Cabinet. support of 117 lawmakers,
decided to resign in an at- Lawmakers opposing Raja- a majority of the 225-mem-
tempt to end the country’s paksa took the fight to the ber Parliament.
political crisis. Court of Appeal, which sus- Reappointing Wick-
Rajapaksa’s decision Fri- pended Rajapaksa and his remesinghe would allow
day came a day after the Cabinet from functioning a functioning government
Supreme Court delivered a in their positions until it con- and Parliament. It would
blow by ruling that a deci- Supporters of ousted Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wick- cludes the case. Rajapaksa also allow lawmakers to dis-
sion by President Maithripa- remesinghe celebrate outside the supreme court complex in asked the Supreme Court solve Parliament by a two-
la Sirisena to dissolve Parlia- Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. to end the suspension, but thirds vote and hold new
ment was unconstitutional. Associated Press it rejected the request on elections.
Sirisena’s opponents and na sacked then-Prime Min- in Parliament but failed. In Friday. Lawmakers could also at-
rule-of-law activists hailed ister Ranil Wickremesinghe response, Sirisena dissolved ___ tempt to impeach Sirisena
the unanimous ruling, but it and appointed former Parliament and ordered WHAT COULD HAPPEN on the basis of the Supreme
did not end a months-long strongman Rajapaksa in his new elections, but those A pro-Rajapaksa lawmak- Court ruling that his order
political stalemate that has place. actions were put on hold er, Lakshman Yapa Abey- to dissolve Parliament vio-
kept Sri Lanka without a Wickremesinghe said Sirise- by the Supreme Court until wardena, said Rajapaksa lated the constitution. But
functional government. na didn’t follow the consti- it heard the case and deliv- decided in a meeting with it may be difficult to ob-
___ tution in removing him and ered its judgment Thursday. Sirisena to resign Saturday tain the required support of
HOW IT CAME ABOUT claimed to still be the lawful After the court suspended to allow the president to two-thirds of Parliament’s
The conflict began when prime minister. Rajapaksa the dissolution, Parliament appoint a new govern- members to approve an
President Maithripala Sirise- sought to secure a majority reconvened and passed ment. Sirisena has resisted impeachment motion.q