Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki shows a board, displaying statistics of US military bases in Japan, including Okinawa, during a press conference in Tokyo on March 1, 2019, after a vote on the relocation of a US base on the island on February 25. (AFP)

Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki appealed for international support at a United Nations session on Monday to express his opposition to the relocation of a US military base within his region.

However, a Japanese government representative in Geneva promptly raised doubts about Governor Tamaki's position, underscoring the ongoing disagreement over this project, which originates from a 1990s agreement between Tokyo and Washington.

Tamaki addressed the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, stating that the clustering of military installations in the area poses a threat to peace.

"I am here today to ask the world to witness the situation in Okinawa," he said.

During a segment of the session designated for a Japanese non-governmental organization, Tamaki, who is the first Okinawa governor to address the council in eight years, remarked, "The reclamation work proceeds despite the fact that it was clearly opposed by Okinawan voters in a democratically held referendum."

According to the bilateral agreement, the Japanese government is moving forward with the relocation of the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. This relocation involves shifting the base from the densely populated Ginowan to a new facility currently under construction in the coastal area of Nago, both on Okinawa Island. This decision is being made despite strong opposition from the local population.

Governor Tamaki has been actively seeking international support in his efforts to oppose this relocation plan. He pointed out that Okinawa Prefecture hosts a disproportionate 70% of all US military bases in Japan, despite occupying only 0.6% of the country's total land area.

Earlier this month, Japan's Supreme Court rejected the appeal made by Tamaki's government regarding the central government's directive to proceed with essential landfill operations.

Following Tamaki's speech at Monday's event, a representative from the Japanese government delegation in Geneva defended the continued efforts to construct an airfield in the Henoko region of Nago.

"Steadily advancing the construction work based on the policy that the Henoko relocation is the only solution will enable the complete return of Futenma Air Station as swiftly as possible," the official said.

He further claimed that the construction of the airfield in the Henoko area is intended to mitigate risks to the local population and ultimately enhance their safety.

The big picture

The citizens of Okinawa oppose the US presence on the island. They regularly complain about the noise of low-flying planes and the danger of accidents at US bases, as well as crimes committed over the years by US military personnel. The US military, on its part, claims that the crime rate among its personnel is lower than among the population of Okinawa.

Environmentalists also complain that the necessary work at the landfill for the construction of the base will destroy coral reefs and damage the habitat of manatees.

In 2015, the former governor of Okinawa, Takeshi Onaga, barred the decision to move MCAS Futenma from the city of Ginowan to the northern Henoko area, demanding that it be completely removed from the region. In 2018, Onaga died, but his successor Tamaki continued to push for the withdrawal of the base from the island. The central government won a number of lawsuits, after which the process of moving the base to the Henoko area resumed.

This is happening as the relations between the US and Japan have been strengthening as Washington constantly employs the term "Chinese threat" as a pretext to exert power in Asia.