国际英语资讯:Japans top court rules in favor of U.S. base relocation within Okinawa amid protests_时事

国际英语资讯:Japans top court rules in favor of U.S. base relocation within Okinawa amid protests

The move triggered a legal battle between the central government and the local government last year as the two sides sued each other over the issue, which was halted in March when a settlement deal was reached under court mediation.

According to the settlement, the construction work related to the relocation was halted, while the central and prefectural governments held talks and awaited a ruling to be made by an arbitration panel under the internal affairs ministry.

The Japanese government reignited the tension by filing a fresh lawsuit against Onaga in July after the arbitration court failed to make a ruling, seeking the court's confirmation that Onaga acted illegally in not complying with a state order to retract his revocation of former governor's permission.

The Naha branch of the Fukuoka High Court made a ruling in September which acknowledged the danger and noise problems posed by the Futenma base, but rejected the local governments' concerns and said it was illegal for Onaga to revoke the landfill work permission. The Okinawa government appealed the ruling later.

Okinawa hosts some 75 percent of U.S. bases in Japan while accounting for only 0.6 percent of the country's total land mass. Anti-U.S. base sentiment has been high in Okinawa, especially after a former U.S. Marine working as a civilian employee at the Kadena Air Base was arrested in May for raping and murdering a local woman.

The anger and indignity of the local people were further fueled by the U.S. military's decision on Monday to resume its Osprey flights, less than a week after a major accident occurred involving the tiltrotor aircraft.