The meetings of the Committee were held three times in a three-month-period: on April 23, June 12, and July 20 of this year. Although the discussion time was limited, the committee was able to reach a conclusion and prepare this report, which will be forwarded to the central government's Okinawa Policy Review Council as scheduled.
All of the Committee members were well aware of the need for drastic change in policy for the industrial development of Okinawa in the 21st century and paid special attention to the history of Okinawa and the present excessive burden shared by the people of Okinawa due to the presence of the U.S. military forces under the Mutual Cooperation and Security Treaty between Japan and the United States of America.
Therefore, special considerations were made to incorporate the Okinawan people's request and support the concept of the "All Okinawa Free Trade Zone" and other policies including the concept of "one nation with two systems." The prerequisite for the Committee's conclusion includes the Okinawan people's willingness to end the reversion programs and tackle the "creation of a new Okinawa" based on the principle of self-determination with self-responsibility.
The Committee's report will be forwarded to the Okinawa Policy Review Council for joint discussion by the Okinawa Prefectural Government and the government offices concerned. Needless to say, the discussion process and its final result will hopefully be disclosed to the people of Okinawa at an appropriate time so that a clear common consent of the people can be made and new systems will be effectively introduced.
The Okinawa Prefectural Government was previously called the Government of the Ryukyus, and has the experience of functioning as an independent national government. With this background, the government's sophisticated ability to plan for its citizen's future without a fear of coming changes will be necessary in realizing the proposed plans based on the people's consensus and know-how.
The Committee concludes by requesting the government to expand the proposed industrial promotion policy, which includes the free trade zone system, to needy regions if the proposed plan proves to be effective to a certain degree as a preceding measure for smoothing the way for industrial development in Okinawa.
The true intent of the Committee's conclusion is to review the future prosperity of Japan through the economic development of Okinawa.