「変わらぬ現状に憤り」　米軍ヘリ墜落２０年で集会―沖縄国際大

　沖縄県宜野湾市の沖縄国際大で２００４年、米軍普天間飛行場（同市）所属の大型輸送ヘリコプターが墜落した事故から２０年を迎えた１３日、構内で集会が開かれた。安里肇学長は「２０年たっても変わらない現状に強い憤りを感じる。普天間基地の存続、固定化を認めることは絶対にできない」と述べた。
　集会は、事故で焼け焦げたアカギの木の前で開かれた。当時と同様に米軍機がごう音を上げて飛び交う中、教職員や学生らが参加。学生代表の経済学部３年、儀保裕一朗さん（２２）は「過重な基地負担は日本にも責任がある。沖縄の基地問題に向き合い、公平な負担をしてほしい」と訴えた。（2024/08/13-18:02）

Students and others gathered at Okinawa International University in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, Tuesday to mark 20 years since a U.S. military helicopter crashed into the school.
   "I feel strong indignation at the current situation, which has not changed even after 20 years," Hajime Asato, president of the university, said at the gathering held in front of a tree charred by the Aug. 13, 2004, crash of the large transport helicopter from the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air station, located next to the school.
   "We definitely cannot allow the Futenma base to continue existing or remain at its present location," he added. The event was held as the sound of U.S. military airplanes roared overhead, just like 20 years ago.
   "The Japanese (government) is also responsible for (Okinawa's) heavy burden of hosting U.S. bases," Yuichiro Gibo, 22, a junior at the university's Department of Economics, said, representing the school's students. "I hope that it faces the issue of bases in Okinawa, and that the burden would be shared fairly."
   Okinawa, which makes up only 0.6 pct of Japan's land area, hosts as much as 70 pct of U.S. military facilities in the country.